Experience UCF Downtown
UCF Downtown is in the heart of Orlando — the hub for arts, culture, nightlife and business. It’s where you can walk from class to an Orlando City soccer game. Or catch a show at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts after work. It’s your opportunity to find adventure, where there’s always something new.
The city is your campus, and everything you need is just outside your door.
Designed for Success
Forward-thinking Design
Students studying at UCF Downtown benefit from state-of-the-art classrooms in the Dr. Phillips Academic Commons building. Built for innovative learning, Dr. Phillips Academic Commons has active learning classrooms, and study and tutor spaces. Students, faculty and staff don’t have to look far for creative inspiration with collaborative study rooms for meeting in teams. UCF Downtown has renovated classrooms, labs, a Maker Space and other specialized technology areas in the Communication and Media Building, which also has a motion capture studio and sound stage. In addition, UnionWest provides a unique space for students, from additional study and lounge areas to health and wellness, and advising services.
Student Housing
Live In The Heart Of The City
Downtown Orlando offers a variety of housing options, from high rise apartments to historic single-family homes available for rent. For students seeking the full UCF Downtown campus experience, look no further than UnionWest Student Living at Creative Village. This unique 15-story student housing tower has more than 600 beds of student housing on the top levels, with classrooms, UCF’s Recreation and Wellness Center and Valencia College’s Walt Disney School of Culinary Arts and Hospitality on the lower levels. With multiple floorplans, an exclusive 6th-floor residents-only patio, and lounge areas on every floor, students can live and study in the heart of downtown Orlando.
Well-Being
UCF is committed to the health and wellness of its students, faculty and staff. The downtown campus offers a variety of health and wellness services and programs, including primary healthcare, mental health counseling, stress reduction, fitness, nutrition and sexual health.
All of these services are located on the second floor of UnionWest at Creative Village.
Primary Healthcare
UCF Student Health Services provides a wide array of primary care services five days a week to meet your healthcare needs.
- Diagnose, treat and write prescriptions for common illnesses such as strep throat, bladder infections, pink eye and infections of the ears, nose and throat
- Common vaccinations for flu, HepB, MMR and Tdap
- TB testing
- Treat minor wounds, abrasions, joint sprains and skin conditions such as poison ivy, ringworm and acne
- Provide a wide range of wellness services, including physical exams and smoking cessation
- Lab tests such as Strep, Mono and urinalysis
- Monitoring of diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, asthma and other chronic illnesses
- Prescription refills
Mental Health Counseling
Mental health services at UCF Downtown is provided by UCF Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS).
- Free, confidential mental health counseling
- Initial assessment and treatment recommendations
- Short-Term individual counseling
- Crisis intervention and management
- Presentations on mental health and wellness topics
- Consultations to staff, faculty, students and parents
- Referrals to community providers other resources
Fitness
The Recreation and Wellness Center is a comfortable workout space for students, faculty and staff with any fitness goals. The 7,900 square foot facility includes a multipurpose fitness studio, cardio equipment with the latest technology, strength machines, free weights and a state-of-the-art functional space.
Group Exercise Classes: Sign up for daily group exercise classes ranging from yoga to strength and resistance, and cardio-based dance to help you reach your fitness goals.
Fitness Assessments: Learn your baseline fitness level and test cardiovascular endurance, muscular endurance, muscular strength and body composition.
Personal Training: Schedule one-on-one sessions with a certified personal trainer to create an individualized fitness program just for you.
Outdoor Programs: Enjoy outdoor trips leaving from the downtown campus to state and regional locations as well as multiple outdoor fitness activities in and around downtown Orlando throughout the semester. Check the downtown calendar of events for upcoming trips.
Faculty and staff can join RWC@Downtown for a fee. Visit RWC@Downtown or call (407) 235-3830 for more information.
The Downtown Recreation and Wellness Center accepts applications for part-time student employee positions throughout the year. These positions are open to both UCF and Valencia College students.
Begin Employment Application
Stress Reduction
Biofeedback Relaxation Training: 6-session one-on-one training with a counselor that teaches you relaxation techniques to help reduce stress.
Meditation Classes: Learn how to “just be” during our weekly guided meditation.
Sexual Health
HIV Testing and Counseling: Get free and confidential test results in 15-minutes and learn different ways to keep yourself safe.
Condom Availability: Condoms are always free and will be available in multiple locations on-campus including outside of Student Health/Counseling and Psychological Services downtown offices and inside RWC@Downtown.
Nutrition
FreshU Cooking Demonstrations and Classes: Learn how to incorporate fruits and veggies into your diet in a fun and delicious way while staying within your budget.
Dining
About Dining
Orlando’s diverse culinary landscape is a haven for foodies. Hundreds of restaurants are located within a short distance of UCF Downtown, but the campus also includes several dining options.
A variety of food options are available inside of UnionWest at Creative Village. You can also grab a bite from nearby restaurants. A Publix grocery store is also located close to campus and is accessible via the free Lymmo bus or using the Downtown Grocery Shuttle.
Dunkin’, Qdoba Mexican Eats and Subway have leased space on the first floor of UnionWest at Creative Village, the mixed-use student housing building. Adjacent to the Communication and Media Building, off-campus, there is a Starbucks located inside the Marriott Hotel.
Subway’s Fresh Forward restaurant incorporates new décor including USB charging stations, digital menu boards and a remote order pick-up area.
Dunkin’ provides a modern atmosphere with new and innovative technologies and design, including mobile ordering.
Qdoba Mexican Eats continues its history with UCF and will feature fresh menu choices including made to order burritos, salads, quesadillas and more.
Qdoba is still under construction and will open soon!
Library
Addition Financial Downtown Campus Library
UCF Libraries is part of the UCF Downtown community providing important services to students, faculty and staff. Services provided on the campus include:
- Checkout of books, DVDs, and course reserves
- Access to electronic resources, including databases, electronic books, journals, and videos
- Printing, copying, and scanning
- Research assistance via consultations, online chat, phone, text or email
- Borrowing from other libraries via Interlibrary Loan
- Library Instruction
Visit the Addition Financial Downtown Campus Library in suite 265, located on the 2nd floor of the Dr. Phillips Academic Commons East Wing. You can also reach library staff by email or by calling 407-235-3720.
Fall 2024 Hours of Operation
- Monday – Thursday
- 8 AM – 7 PM
- Friday
- 8 AM – 4 PM
Subject Librarians
Subject Librarians are based at the main campus, but travel downtown to meet with faculty and students as needed.
- Corinne Bishop
- School of Public Administration,
Doctoral Program in Public Affairs
- Richard Harrison
- Department of Communication
- Athena Hoeppner
- Department of Games and Interactive Media
- Rich Gause
- Department of Legal Studies
Department of Health Management and Informatics
IT & Tech Lending
IT & Tech Lending
Downtown students have IT support and tech lending available on the 2nd floor East Wing of Dr. Phillips Academic Commons. Here, students can get help troubleshooting issues with their computers and borrow technology like cameras, MacBooks, laptops, cables and more! Not on campus? Email itsupport@ucf.edu or call 407-823-5117 for assistance.
Students must have their ID to check out a device.
Fall 2024 IT Lending Hours
- Mon – Thu
- 8 AM – 9 PM
- Fri
- 8 AM – 4 PM
- Sat – Sun
- Closed
PRINTING
Downtown students have access to both free and paid printing options on campus. Students may print for free on the 2nd floor of UnionWest with their UCF or Valencia card using print.sga.ucf.edu. Use your NID or Downtown Atlas ID to log in.
A paid printing station is available in the east wing of Dr. Phillips Academic Commons on the 2nd floor. To use this station, go to print.ucf.edu and use your NID or Downtown Atlas ID to log in. Costs are $0.08 for black and white and $0.30 for color prints or copies. Scanning is also available for free at the paid printing station.
Safety
Prioritizing Safety
On all UCF campuses, safety is a priority. Members of the UCF Police Department do everything they can to keep UCF a safe place to live, learn, work and play. UCF Downtown is no exception.
UCF Police have 24/7 uniformed patrols with officers dedicated to the downtown campus and based at a sub-station on Amelia Street.
On-Campus Safety and Security
Over the past several years, UCF has developed a comprehensive safety and security plan in conjunction with Orlando Police Department and Valencia College Security that has included partnership ride-alongs and inclusion in weekly crime meetings to understand trends in the area. To support safety and security efforts, the campus is well lit and has security cameras and “blue light” emergency phones located throughout the campus. When activated, “blue light” emergency phones connect you directly with a UCF PD dispatcher.
All buildings on-campus have daytime security personnel and after hours, campus buildings utilize secured access entry technology. A valid UCF Card is needed to gain access to certain areas of the buildings. In garages, license plate recognition technology help verify who is entering the garage and flag any suspicious activity.
UCF Police offer similar services currently available on the main campus, including self-defense classes and property registration. Nighttime escorts are available to your car or other on-campus location by calling campus security at 407-235-3800.
The downtown campus is also part of the UCF Alert emergency system, which provides text messages, emails and other notifications about emergencies and natural or man-made disasters affecting the university.
Be sure to follow @UCF and @UCFPolice on Twitter for notifications. For an emergency needing immediate police or fire response, always dial 911. For non-emergencies, UCFPD can be reached at 407-823-5555.
Distractions like cell phones and headphones can be dangerous for pedestrians and drivers. When crossing the street, it’s important to be completely aware of your surroundings. Only cross the street at designated crosswalks after you have pressed the crosswalk signal and you are indicated to go. While Florida law states a vehicle approaching a pedestrian legally crossing the street at an intersection must yield or stop to allow the person walking to cross, it is still important to stop and look before you cross the street.
As a driver, you must be prepared to slow or stop at any time – for emergency vehicles, buses, bicyclists, pedestrians, animals, and other situations. If you are driving and you fail to yield to pedestrians, you may face a minimum citation of $164 and three points on your driver’s license. Or worse, you can severely hurt someone.
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- Always be aware of your surroundings
- Take precautions to protect yourself, such as walking with a purpose and without distractions
- If something seems suspicious, don’t hesitate to dial 911
- If you don’t want to walk to your car alone, call (407) 235-3800 to request a safety escort
- Make sure all lanes are clear before you cross the street and always cross at marked sidewalks
- Use good judgment when making a crossing that has a pedestrian countdown symbol
- Before crossing the roadway always remember to look left, right, and back again
- If a vehicle approaches the crossing make eye contact or use a hand motion to ensure the driver understands your intended movement
UCF Card
About Your UCF Card
As a 21st-century campus, we have infused technology into our infrastructure to create secured access to campus buildings after hours. Access is managed using the UCF Card, which also serves as your campus photo ID.
All faculty, staff and students need the UCF Card pictured here to access campus buildings and office suites after hours.
If you need access enabled or are experiencing access issues, please use the button below to complete the door access form.
Faculty and Staff
Faculty and staff can visit the UCF Card Services office, located in Dr. Phillips Academic Commons (DPAC) Room 151 in downtown or in the John T. Washington Center on main campus to receive a new card at no cost. Please identify yourself as a UCF Downtown faculty or staff member to be issued a new card.
Students
All students need the newest version of the UCF Card, like the one pictured above, to access campus buildings after hours. Current students may visit the UCF Card Services office located in Dr. Phillips Academic Commons (DPAC) Room 151 in downtown or in the John T. Washington Center on main campus to upgrade to the new card at no cost. You will be required to turn in your old card at that time. If your UCF Card already looks like the one pictured above, you will NOT be eligible to receive a new card. In order to receive a new card, you must be currently enrolled in classes downtown.
Career Services
downtown career center
Whether you are a student looking to chart your career path, a new professional looking to nail down your career goals, or a seasoned professional looking to take the next step, we offer unique support and resources you may need. UCF’s Career Services provides students with comprehensive career advising, employability skills, relevant experience, and employer connections.
These integrated programs help students effectively plan and launch their careers by aligning academic studies to employment goals; developing personal, academic and workplace skills; acquiring career-related experience; gaining professional employment; and planning for graduate or professional school.
UCF Career Services contributes to student success through a demonstrated commitment to professional standards, collaborative internal partnerships with UCF faculty and staff, as well as effective external partnerships with community organizations and employers.
Downtown Career Services is located on the second floor of UnionWest at Creative Village. Appointments can be made by logging into Handshake.
For Employers
We appreciate your interest in recruiting our Knights for full-time and part-time professional career opportunities and look forward to assisting you in achieving your recruitment goals.
- Handshake
- Build a Presence at UCF Downtown
- Recruiting Resources
- Employer Sponsorship Program
- UCF Current Facts
Not sure how to get started?
Reach out and we are pleased to assist you.
Campus Store
Campus store at UCF Downtown
To order textbooks for majors that are based at UCF Downtown, please use the link below.
For the Spring 2024 semester, Barnes and Noble is located in a pop-up shop inside Dr. Phillips Academic Commons Room 151 and provides textbooks, online order pick-ups, notebooks, school supplies, and other UCF merchandise.
HOURS
Open Monday – Thursday 10 AM – 3 PM.