While pursuing a doctoral degree in aerospace engineering at 麻豆原创, Tommy Genova 鈥�20MS 鈥�20PhD worked alongside Professor Kareem Ahmed, one of the world鈥檚 foremost researchers in hypersonics and combustion. He played a leading role in designing and measuring outcomes of combustion experiments and collaborated regularly with engineering partners from GE and other companies.
Genova credits Ahmed, as well as renowned professors Jayanta Kapat and Subith Vasu, for helping to propel him to a highly successful career. He now works as the lead engineer of combustion at GE Aerospace, one of the nation鈥檚 aviation and aerospace component manufacturing companies.
鈥淚 attribute most of my success to the degree I got from 麻豆原创,鈥� Genova says. 鈥淭he technical skills I built and connections I made in my graduate studies and research have been invaluable to get me to the point I鈥檝e gotten to in my career.
Like Genova, the U.S. News & World Report Best Graduate Schools rankings recognize the high quality of 鲍颁贵鈥檚 aerospace engineering graduate program, which advanced seven spots and now is among the top 40 in the nation.
Overall, 13 麻豆原创 graduate programs rank among the top 50 in the nation. Among public universities, nine programs in engineering and computer science rank in the top 50.
鲍颁贵鈥檚 emergency and crisis management program聽 ranks No. 1 in the nation, counselor education is No. 9 and nonprofit management is No. 15.
麻豆原创 is the ideal home for graduate students looking to advance their careers and gain new skills in those fields and many others. In addition to working alongside world-class faculty, students benefit from the university鈥檚 location in Orlando and strong partnerships with industry.
The city is home to many leading engineering firms, a world modeling and simulation hub and the hospitality capital of the world, as well as a short drive from the Space Coast.
Orlando also is one of the most dynamic regions in the country, securing the No. 1 ranking among the 30 most populous metro areas in job growth, population growth and GDP growth. In 2024, Orlando led the nation in employment expansion, driven by thriving industries such as healthcare, tech and financial services.
A 麻豆原创 education combines the strong advantages of Orlando with world-class faculty like Ahmed, Vasu and Kapat who bring strong industry and academic experience into classrooms and research labs.
鈥湵涔筲�檚 rise in U.S. News & World Report鈥檚 Best Graduate Schools rankings reflects our strategic commitment to becoming a national leader in engineering,鈥� says Michael D. Johnson, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs. 鈥淎cross our academic enterprise, we are investing in exceptional faculty, expanding research capabilities and deepening industry partnerships 鈥� all with the goal of preparing our students to excel in high-impact careers and to help address the world鈥檚 most pressing challenges.鈥�
Nation鈥檚 Top Pipeline to Aerospace Industry
Advances in engineering rankings at Florida鈥檚 Premier Engineering and Technology University have come as the university has launched a bold faculty hiring initiative to prepare leaders for the future of industry.
麻豆原创 also has consistently been ranked by Aviation Week Network as the No. 1 provider of talent in the nation to aerospace and defense companies.
For GE, Genova is far from the only example of that strong talent pipeline. He says his division of GE has hired many 麻豆原创 graduates who are making substantial contributions to the company.
鈥溌槎乖� has invested a lot into its aerospace engineering program, and it has shown,鈥� he says. 鈥淭here is a lot of exciting research going on that make it an attractive destination for someone interested in the aerospace field. This is not only evident from the strong growth of the program, but the increased number of 麻豆原创 graduates in the field.鈥�
鈥淕raduate school at 麻豆原创 was a challenge but rewarding. The course work was quite informative and helpful in understanding aerospace concepts at a deeper level.鈥� 鈥� Nik Patel 鈥�19MS, alum
Many 麻豆原创 aerospace engineering graduates go on to prominent roles at NASA and 鈥� at a time when private spaceflight is rapidly growing 鈥� the nation鈥檚 leading private spaceflight companies.
Nik Patel 鈥�19MS worked in Tarek Elgohary鈥檚 lab on his path to a master鈥檚 degree in aerospace engineering. He completed a co-op at NASA鈥檚 Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which led to a full-time job as flight director and mobility subject matter expert for the Mars Curiosity Rover.
鈥淓ventually, I was recruited by Blue Origin to work on their lunar lander program as the verification and validation lead for mission operations systems,鈥� Patel says. 鈥淚 have been here at Blue Origin for three years now and we are quite excited to see the lander land in the coming future. I am now working as one of the leads on the lunar mission.鈥�
鈥淔rom the master鈥檚 classes, I learned the soft skills required to do my job. For example, balancing multiple priorities, communicating with teams efficiently and focusing on the entire system of an aerospace project,鈥� Patel says.
Helping Students through 麻豆原创 Counselor Education Program
Emily Ferrand 鈥�20 graduated from the counselor education program with a focus on school counseling. The program now ranks No. 9 in the country after moving up three spots this year.
Ferrand says she learned a lot in the graduate program, particularly from senior lecturer Stacy Van Horn and Associate Professor J. Richelle Joe. Ferrand has worked five years at Horizon West Middle School, including three years as the school鈥檚 lead counselor.
鈥溌槎乖� knows how to produce really solid counselors. The professors are really supportive, and they don鈥檛 shy away from giving feedback, which is really important,鈥� Ferrand says. 鈥淚f I鈥檓 not doing something well, then I want someone to let me know that, so I can continue to grow and become a better counselor.鈥�
鈥淚鈥檓 still friends with some of the people in my master鈥檚 program, and I see them flourishing as counselors, too. It鈥檚 a really great program, and I would always recommend it to anyone who asks,鈥� she says.
麻豆原创 has also been recognized as a top 40 Best Education School, improving 30 spots in 5 years.
麻豆原创 Emergency Management Remains No. 1 in the Nation
Lauren Gros 鈥�22 is an alumna of the master鈥檚 in emergency and crisis management program, which equips students with the knowledge and skills needed to practice as highly trained emergency management professionals.
The emergency management program at 麻豆原创 continues to rank No. 1 in the nation, with graduates who have outstanding training and knowledge courtesy of highly skilled faculty.
鈥淭he program鈥檚 stellar reputation and national ranking made it an obvious choice for pursuing these goals,鈥� Gros says. 鈥淥ne of the highlights was working at Seminole County Emergency Management, an opportunity made possible by the university鈥檚 strong connections.鈥�
Gros now works as a professional staff member in the U.S. House of Representatives鈥� Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, which has emergency management as part of its jurisdiction.
鈥溌槎乖� equipped me with a robust foundation in emergency management and public administration, which I apply daily in my career,鈥� Gros says. 鈥淚鈥檇 enthusiastically recommend 麻豆原创 to anyone considering a career in emergency management.鈥�
Other 麻豆原创 programs ranked highly in the public affairs category include:
- Nonprofit Management 鈥� No. 15
- Public Management and Leadership 鈥� No. 21
- Public Finance and Budgeting 鈥� No. 27
- Public Affairs 鈥� No. 46
Three Health Programs Rank Among Top 50 Nationally
When Jeff Schmidt evaluated where he wanted to pursue his Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) degree, he focused on programs鈥� academic excellence, cost and location.
麻豆原创 ranks No. 42 in the nation for graduate physical therapy programs. The cohort graduating in 2024 had a 100% employment rate.
鈥淚t was clear 麻豆原创 met all of those criteria,鈥� he says. 鈥淒uring the interview process I realized a fourth item would be just as important: the faculty. It was immediately clear how caring, supportive, down-to-earth the 麻豆原创 DPT faculty are. This really resonated with me, and I knew right away I wanted to be a part of this program. I could see myself growing significantly as a student and as a person over the next three years under their guidance 鈥� and I was absolutely right.鈥�
Today, Schmidt is a senior physical therapist at AdventHealth Sports Med & Rehab. He treats patients with neurologic conditions at a rehabilitation clinic and also serves as a mentor within AdventHealth鈥檚 neurologic residency program and a clinical instructor for DPT students. He also collaborates with his Ph.D. mentor Ethan Hill and the 麻豆原创 Strategies for Therapeutic Rehabilitation and Optimization for Neuromuscular Growth (STRONG) Lab to examine the effects of blood flow restriction on resistance and walking training for people with multiple sclerosis.
鈥淭he 麻豆原创 DPT program is highly ranked because of its exceptional faculty, rigorous curriculum, clinical focus and emphasis on research,鈥� Schmidt says. 鈥淚n my experience working with 麻豆原创 DPT students and new graduates, their readiness to excel in the physical therapy field is evident. This is a direct result of the program鈥檚 commitment to facilitating academic and professional excellence.鈥�
鲍颁贵鈥檚 healthcare management program ranks No. 41 in the country, and speech language pathology is No. 48.
Matt Atkins 鈥�20 鈥�22MHA earned a bachelor鈥檚 in health services administration and master鈥檚 in health administration. He credits his 麻豆原创 education with helping him become executive director of Spring Haven Senior Living in Winter Haven, Florida 鈥� where he successfully leads of a team of more than 100 people who care for more than 200 residents.
鈥淚 have had an extensive relationship with the faculty that didn’t just end once I walked across the stage at commencement,鈥� he says.聽 鈥淭he biggest thing that sets [鲍颁贵鈥檚 faculty] apart, [which] is obvious as soon as you walk into a classroom and start interacting with [them], is they鈥檙e all about developing their students and impacting their future.鈥�
