UCF Rosen College of Hospitality Management has once again ranked as the premiere hospitality and tourism program in the nation, as rated by the ShanghaiRanking‘s listing of 500 of the world’s top universities. For the third year in a row, the ShanghaiRanking Global Ranking of Academic Subjects 2022 ranked Rosen College’s hospitality program No. 1 in the nation and among the top five in the world.
“Our top ranking may be attributed to the HOSPITALITY+ approach of comprehensive curriculum offerings and our dedication to delivering impactful research published in top academic journals,” says Youcheng Wang, dean of the UCF Rosen College of Hospitality Management. “We are extremely proud of our 2022 ShanghaiRanking (placement). Our college is among the best worldwide, and with new degree programs and faculty producing cutting edge research we continue to be a top choice for higher education both domestically and among our international student body and scholars.”
ShanghaiRanking annually ranks the best universities in 54 academic subjects ranging from physics and transportation sciences and technology to finance and hospitality and tourism management. The research-based rankings considers five indicators including the volume, quality and influence of research published, as well as international collaboration and academic awards. The Chronicle of Higher Education says that the ShanghaiRanking is considered the most influential ranking among world-renowned universities.
Recognized for Impactful Research
College leadership further credits the Rosen College’s No. 4 ranking to its collaborative, international research initiatives. Last month, UCF hospitality researchers co-authored an international report that identifies ways to ensure sustainable coastal and marine tourism around the globe. They presented this work at the United Nations Ocean Conference.
UCF Rosen College is also home to four highly cited SSCI research journals, International Journal of Hospitality Management (edited by Assistant Dean Manuel Rivera); International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management and the Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Insights (both edited by Professor Fevzi Okumus); and the Journal of Destination Marketing & Management (edited by Associate Dean Alan Fyall and Wang), plus a research-based magazine, Rosen Research Review (edited by Professor Robertico Croes).
Interdisciplinary research opportunities for faculty and graduate students in collaboration with experts from other disciplines throughout the world have placed the college on the top of ShanghaiRanking‘s list year after year. Recently, the Rosen College, College of Medicine, and College of Engineering and Computer Science received $4.5 million dollars in funding for the new Infectious Disease and Travel Health Initiative. The interdisciplinary effort aims to mitigating the damage caused to hospitality, travel, and small businesses by health crises, like the COVID-19 pandemic.
World-class Academic Programs and Educational Experiences
As a top-ranked college the Rosen College offers numerous undergraduate and graduate degree programs — such as hospitality management, lodging and restaurant management, event management, entertainment management, senior living management, theme parks and attractions management, and travel technology and analytics — that provide students a wide range of specialties to pursue in the diverse hospitality and entertainment fields. This fall, Rosen is launching a new event leadership master’s degree that is fully online, which will benefit students aiming to develop skills that will help them thrive in senior-level roles.
“The events industry has changed a lot in the past 10 years, into a niche all its own,” says Selina Mullenax ’12, a Rosen alum and event management professional who will be part of the first master’s in event leadership cohort. “There’s an opportunity for people who want to lead the change. It’s no surprise that UCF is out in front.”
Located in the hospitality capital of the world, the Rosen College is ideally positioned for partnerships with industry leaders that provide students with the hands-on experiences, internships and networking opportunities that help them develop successful careers. In 2021, Florida attracted a record 118 million visitors — which indicates the state is bouncing back from the pandemic and a growing need for high quality hospitality and entertainment professionals.
Last year, the Rosen College was also ranked among the top five in the world by CEOWorld magazine for the fifth year in a row.
