• Year Established: 1963
• Location: Orlando, Florida
• Number of Campuses: One 1,415-acre main campus, 11 regional campuses
• Classification: Public university/Space grant
• Total Number of Enrollees: 45,166*

*Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2005 Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System IPEDS, Spring 2006

A Brief Look into the History of University of Central Florida

"Reach for the stars" is the motto of The University of Central Florida – an educational institution which was established back in turmoil and social unrest of 1963. For almost half a century now, the University of Central Florida has been serving thousands of students from within the state of Florida, as well as other parts of the nation, and as with many other universities of late, reaching out to the greater world through Internet-based programs.

But how did the university come about? The University of Central Florida was previously the Florida Technological University or Florida Tech, and its original purpose was to provide highly trained personnel to support the Kennedy Space Center located not far away. As a result, this institution is now a member of the NASA Space grant colleges. In 1978 the name of the educational institution was officially changed to the University of Central Florida.

How the Educational System Works

If there is one way to describe the academic and educational system at the University of Central Florida, it is none other than dynamic and interestingly different with the history in aerospace technologies.

The entire university is divided into 12 colleges, including:

• Arts & Humanities
• Business Administration
• Education
• Engineering & Computer Science
• Graduate Studies
• Health & Public Affairs
• Honors
• Hospitality Management
• Medicine
• Nursing
• Optics & Photonics
• Sciences

Program Listings

Currently, University of Central Florida offers 223 degree programs with the following UCF Undergraduate programs:

• Accounting
• Actuarial Science
• Advertising/Public Relations
• Aerospace Engineering
• Anthropology
• Art
• Art Education
• Biology
• Biology - Preprofessional
• Biotechnology
• Business Administration
• Cardiopulmonary Sciences
• Chemistry
• Civil Engineering
• Communication Sciences and Disorders
• Computer Engineering
• Computer Science
• Construction Engineering
• Criminal Justice
• Digital Media
• Early Childhood Education
• Economics
• Economics, Business
• Electrical Engineering
• Elementary Education
• Engineering Technology
• English
• Environmental Engineering
• Event Management
• Exceptional Student Education
• Film
• Finance
• Foreign Language Education
• General Business
• Health Information Management
• Health Sciences
• History
• Hospitality Management
• Humanities
• Humanities - Philosophy, Religion and Popular Culture Industrial Engineering
• Information Systems Technology
• Information Technology
• Interdisciplinary Studies
• International and Global Studies
• Interpersonal/Organizational Communication
• Journalism
• Legal Studies
• Management
• Management Information Systems
• Marketing
• Mathematics
• Mechanical Engineering
• Medical Laboratory Sciences
• Modern Language Combination
• Molecular Biology and Microbiology
• Music
• Nursing A. Basic Program
• Philosophy
• Photography
• Physics
• Political Science
• Psychology
• Public Administration
• Radio - Television
• Radiologic Sciences
• Real Estate
• Religious Studies
• Restaurant and Food Service Management
• Science Education
• Social Science Education
• Social Work
• Sociology
• Spanish
• Sports and Fitness
• Statistics Technical Education and Industry Training
• Theatre

Advantages of Enrolling at the University of Central Florida

The good thing about enrolling at the University of Central Florida is that there is a student-centered approach to their way of teaching. Studying at the main campus is a truly enjoyable due to the fact all the facilities you would possibly need are within close reach, including the extensive library, the wireless access and arboretum.

Now, in terms of ranking, the University of Central Florida can boast of its great numbers. First up, the university was listed in the Best 361 Colleges: 2006 Edition by the Princeton Review. Second, the University of Central Florida is the largest undergraduate school in the state of Florida. Third, despite being a relatively new player in the educational industry, this institution is now the 6th largest university in the nation. Not bad for a facility originally formed to help the U.S. become successful in the race to the moon.

Next, when you check the Student's Review, the overall grade of the University of Central Florida is a B+, with 73% of the student respondents saying that they would choose to return here. Meanwhile, the University of Central Florida has a tier 3 rank in the college category of national universities, as ranked by the US News & World Report.

A Glimpse at the Weather

The University of Central Florida is located east of downtown Orlando. As such, the weather is similar to a sub-tropic climate zone. Those who do not like to bake under the heat of the sun will be glad to know that even during the hottest days, the temperature in Florida as an average is 83 degrees. Winter is practically non-existent, summers are a great tie to cool down – and the weather year-round is without significant event with the remote possible exception of a tropical storm during the fall season.

Is There Any Downside to Enrolling at University of Central Florida?

Perhaps the only downside to enrolling at The University of Central Florida is their 'selective' admission process, which only has a 52% acceptance rate. Other than that, This facility is as good a college education setting you can find.

A Final Word about the Quality of Education Offered

Some of the most popular majors among undergrads are aerospace and other forms of engineering, business studies, education, management, marketing. If you are looking for a comprehensive research educational institution to get your college degree from, why not try the nations' fastest growing and 6th largest university?