USF Muma College of Business creates a new School of Management

TAMPA – The University of South Florida Muma College of Business is creating a new
school specific to the management discipline.

Set to launch in fall 2025, the new school is fueled by its growing demand for the
management major. Since 2020, the college saw management majors jump by 44%, climbing
from 799 to 1,147, in just four years.

The School of Management will be the business college’s seventh school, with the six others specializing in
accountancy, finance, hospitality and sport management, risk management, marketing
and information systems.

The restructure will bring the college’s existing management-related programs and
management faculty — those specializing in areas such as strategy, organization behavior,
human resources and entrepreneurship — under one academic roof.

“Elevating our management discipline into a distinct school makes perfect sense,”
said David Blackwell, the Lynn Pippenger Dean at the Muma College of Business. “It leverages our high-performing
management faculty and will grow industry partnerships, enable executive education,
and establish an identity with the management field among our students, faculty and
alumni.”

“It will also help students feel like they are part of something bigger,” he said.

Having a separate school aligns with the college’s strategic plan, Powering Dreams: 2025-2035, which aims to foster outstanding student learning, produce impactful research, and
cultivate collaboration among community partners, and build the college’s brand and
reputation.

A separate school raises the School of Management’s visibility with increased opportunities
to collaborate with alumni, academic colleagues and industry leaders through advisory
councils, conferences and workshops.

Blackwell appointed management professor Ed Tomlinson, to lead the school as its interim director.

Tomlinson, who has taught a wide range of courses in organizational behavior and human
resource management, said the new school will offer a variety of programs within the
management discipline that students can tailor to fit their career aspirations.

“A distinct school of management will allow us to capitalize on our world-class faculty,
and bring together management scholars from various management disciplines to help
students prepare for the challenges they’ll face in their future careers,” said Tomlinson.

The school will house USF’s undergraduate programs in management, global business
and entrepreneurship, as well as master’s programs in management and entrepreneurship.
USF’s Nault Center for Entrepreneurship and the Bishop Center for Ethical Leadership will also become part of the new school. The school also plans to grow its undergraduate
and graduate programs in human resource management.

“It will also help students feel like they are part of something bigger,” — Dave Blackwell.

There is a growing demand for students with a bachelor’s degree in management.

According to CareerSource Florida’s 2024-2025 Regional Demand Occupations List, there
are over 850 listings for human resource positions and over 1,000 listings for management
analysts.

“The new school’s courses of study are designed to optimize student career success
so that when they graduate, they have a great job to land in, and they’re prepared
for these challenges and rigors as they embark upon their career,” Tomlinson said.

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