MBA Sports Focus
In August 2012, USF launched a two-year MBA in sport and entertainment management. Starting late this year, students with significant work experience will have the option of taking the program online only. The Tampa Bay Lightning NHL team has been a key partner in funding, structuring and supporting the program, and has provided paid fellowships within its organization and other opportunities in the community for graduate students.

Tech Aides
The University of Tampa introduced iPads as a learning tool in its executive MBA program last fall. Students can use the tablets for eBooks, taking notes and staying connected to classmates and professors.

Rankings
The Hough Graduate School of Business at the University of Florida ranked 20th among U.S. public business schools in Bloomberg Businessweek’s “2012 Best U.S. Business Schools” rankings. UF’s MBA program also ranked No. 1 among “Best Administered Programs” in the country in the Princeton Review’s best business schools issue.

Online Option
Florida International University’s College of Business will launch an online version of its health care MBA program this fall. Students will have the opportunity to meet and network at three conferences during the course of the 18-month program. They will also receive personal development coaching throughout the program.

New Deans
» Moez Limayem became dean of the University of South Florida College of Business last year. Limayem is a global scholar and researcher on information systems and an emerging voice on the power of knowledge management and social media to shape world events. Limayem had most recently been associate dean for research and graduate programs at the University of Arkansas’ business school and previously had worked as a professor and director of the information systems graduate programs at Lausanne University in Switzerland. Tunisian-born Limayem has more than 17 years of experience in higher education and executive training and succeeded Robert Forsythe, who had been dean since 2006.

» Thomas Schwarz has been named dean of Stetson University School of Business Administration in DeLand. Schwarz had held an endowed professorship in family business at Cal State Fullerton’s Mihaylo College of Business Administration since 2009. Before that he was director of the Family Owned Business Institute and the Center for Entrepreneurship at Grand Valley State University. Greg McCann has been named director of Stetson University executive MBA program. McCann, a Stetson alumnus, is a CPA and member of the Florida Bar. Assistant Professor Christopher Tobler is heading a committee to redesign Stetson’s MBA program to include specializations. Students can earn their MBA and a law degree at the same time at Stetson University College of Law in Gulfport, while the MBA can be completed at either Stetson’s DeLand or Celebration campuses.

New Nova Offerings
Nova Southeastern University’s H. Wayne Huizenga School of Business and Entrepreneurship has introduced three MBA programs this year: An MBA in sport revenue generation; a marketing MBA and certificate in marketing; and an MBA concentration in process improvement.

Class Project
Florida Institute of Technology will offer a master of science in innovation and entrepreneurship beginning this fall. The 30-credit-hour degree program includes courses from the colleges of business and engineering and is aimed at students who want to commerialize a concept or invention during the course of their graduate studies.

Field Trip
This June, the University of Tampa’s executive MBA class will be traveling to China with Amy Beekman, an associate professor of managemet and director of the university’s graduate business programs. They will be visiting with U.S. and Chinese companies in Shanghai and Beijing.

People Skills
Florida International University’s college of business has changed its executive MBA program to focus on people skills for C-level executives, including topics such as sharpening leadership abilities, strong communication, emotional intelligence and the ability to deal with ambiguity.

International Trade
Florida State University’s College of Business had added an international trade simulation to its core MBA supply chain management course with the China-based Shanghai Collegiate Internship Centre for International Business. Students learn all the logistics of importing goods and services from China to other countries. Professor Larry Giunipero will teach the course.