General Information

Accreditation

Jacksonville University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award baccalaureate, masters, and doctorate degrees. Contact the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097 or call 404-679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of Jacksonville University.

Inquiries about admission requirements and financial aid should be directed to the Jacksonville University Vice President of Enrollment Management. Inquiries about academic programs should be directed to the Jacksonville University Provost and Chief Academic Officer.

Aviation

The School of Aviation holds accreditation from the Aviation Accreditation Board International (AABI) for the Bachelor of Science degrees in Aviation Management & Flight Operations (AVO) and Aviation Management (AVM).

Business

The Davis College of Business is North Florida’s only private business school accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International).

Clinical Mental Health Counseling

Jacksonville University's Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program is accredited through the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP).

Dance and Music

Jacksonville University is an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM) and the National Association of Schools of Dance (NASD), and the curricula in music and dance meet association standards.

Education

The School of Education Teacher Education Preparation Programs are approved by the Florida Department of Education.

Nursing

The baccalaureate degree program in nursing, master's degree program in nursing, Doctor of Nursing Practice program and post graduate APRN certification programs at Jacksonville University are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, 655 K Street, NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20001, 202-887-6791.

Occupational Therapy

The entry-level Doctor of Occupational Therapy degree program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), located at 4720 Montgomery Lane, Suite 200, Bethesda, MD 20814-3449. AOTA: (301) 652-AOTA (www.acoteonline.org).

Orthodontics

The School of Orthodontics Advanced Specialty Education Program in Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthodontics is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation.

Speech-Language Pathology

The Master of Science program in speech-language pathology at Jacksonville University is accredited by the Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, 2200 Research Boulevard, #310, Rockville, MD 20850, 800-498-2071 or 301-296-5700.

Inquiries

Unless otherwise noted, 904-256-XXXX precedes University telephone extensions. Persons with hearing- and/or speech-related disabilities who require TDD assistance should contact these offices through the Florida Relay Service, 1-800-955-8771. If such callers do not have TDD equipment, contact the Student Life Office 904-256-7070.

Campus Main Number – 904-256-7000

Admission & Application Information

All new Freshmen/Transfers/Graduates

Admission - ext. 7000

Scholarships - ext. 7000

Academic Advising

Advising Center - ext. 7170

Athletic Advising - ext. 7738

Academic Affairs - ext. 7031

Accelerated Degree Program

Admission - ext. 7000

Student Advising - ext. 7439, 7460

Alumni Relations - ext. 7201

Athletics - ext. 7400

Aviation

School of Aviation - ext. 7895

Career Information
Career Resource Center - ext. 7054

Colleges & Schools

Admission - ext. 7000

College of Arts & Sciences - ext. 7100

School of Education – ext. 7132

Davis College of Business - ext. 7431, 7679

College of Fine Arts - ext. 7345

Brooks Rehabilitation College of Healthcare Sciences – ext. 7051

School of Applied Health Sciences – ext. 8934

Keigwin School of Nursing - ext. 7280

School of Orthodontics - ext. 7847

Disabled Student Information

Student Life - ext. 7787

EMERGENCY STUDENT CONTACT

Student Life - ext. 7070

Office Of Student Financial Assistance - ext. 7060

Gifts & Bequests

University Advancement - ext. 7995

Bequests - ext. 7928

Government, Military And Community Relations – ext. 7021

Graduate Programs

Admission - ext. 7000

Student Advising - ext. 7245

Business: MBA/MSOL - ext. 7615,

EMBA-ext. 7121, DBA - ext. 7188

Education: M.Ed., M.S. - ext. 7336

Fine Arts: Choreography – ext. 7398

Fine Arts: Visual Art – ext. 7861

Health Informatics – ext. 7821

Marine Science – ext. 7766

Mathematics – ext. 7315

Medical Sciences – ext. 7821

Mental Health Counseling – ext. 8930

Nursing: MSN, DNP - ext. 7821

Online Graduate Programs – ext. 7821

Orthodontics – ext. 7847

Public Policy – ext. 7452

Speech Language Pathology – ext. 8912

Sport Management – ext. 7821

International Affairs – ext. 7774

International Student Information

Admission - ext. 7000

Student Life - ext. 7070

Jobs and Internships

Career Resource Center - ext. 7054

Library

Administration - ext. 7267

Front Desk - ext. 7277

Interlibrary Loan - ext. 7275

Reference Services - ext. 7263

Marketing & Public Relations

Marketing & Communications - ext. 7020

Marine Science Research Institute

Executive Director - ext. 7766

Nursing

Undergraduate - ext. 7034

Graduate - ext. 7601

Ground Based RN-BSN - ext. 7034

Online Nursing - ext. 7293, 7839

Orthodontics

School of Orthodontics - ext. 7847

Prior Learning Assessment – ext. 7104

Readmission
Former Students - Registrar - ext. 7090

Registration

Registrar - ext. 7090

Scholarships

Admission - ext. 7000

Financial Aid - ext. 7060

Campus Security

Campus Security - ext. 7585

Nights & Weekends - 256-7585

Student Certification

Current/Former Students - Registrar - ext. 7090

Student Housing Information

Residence Life - ext. 7538

Student Life & Services - ext. 7070

Transcripts

Written request required - Registrar - ext. 7090

Tuition & Fee Payments

Bursar - ext. 7081

Tutoring

Academic Success Center (ASC) - ext.7806

Veteran Students – ext. 7638

Withdrawal

Courses/University - Registrar - ext. 7090

University Profile

Jacksonville University is a private, independent institution. The University offers a balanced approach to coeducational higher education, combining the best attributes of the liberal arts and sciences tradition and professional studies. As a result, students are equipped to succeed in meaningful careers and advanced study at the graduate level and to function as well-educated, engaged global citizens. This balanced educational approach allows students to respond confidently to evolving career or personal opportunities. Jacksonville University offers a rigorous curriculum that addresses the diverse interests, curiosities, educational, and intellectual needs of the total person. While its Core Curriculum exposes students to the broad spectrum of human thought and accomplishment, each major offers specialization for specific career or life pursuits

The College of Arts and Sciences, the Davis College of Business, the College of Fine Arts, the Brooks Rehabilitation College of Healthcare Sciences, and the Marine Science Research Institute, and the Public Policy Institute conduct JU’s traditional undergraduate and graduate academic programs. Offering more than 50 undergraduate majors, the University confers the Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Business Administration, Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Bachelor of Fine Arts, Bachelor of Music, and Bachelor of Music Education. Pre-professional studies are available for students interested in dentistry, law, medicine, pharmacy, and veterinary medicine. The Aviation Program is offered in cooperation with L3 Airline Academy, owned by L3 Commercial Training Solutions. 

Jacksonville University maintains a legacy of service to the community. It has been an ardent supporter and provider of cultural and educational programs that enhance the quality of life for Florida’s First Coast.

Recognizing the educational needs of working adults, JU also offers baccalaureate programs during evening hours, weekends, at off-campus locations, and in accelerated formats that assist nontraditional students with the completion of a college degree. The Adult Degree Program administers degree completion options for nontraditional and adult learners. The 8-week accelerated class options offer intensive studies during weekday evenings and on weekends. Students enrolled may earn a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Social Sciences, a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) or Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Interdisciplinary Studies, or a Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A.) degree with majors in Business Administration, Finance, Marketing, and/or Management.

Graduate programs in Business, Choreography, Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Education, Health Informatics, Kinesiology, Mathematics, Marine Science, Nursing, Occupational Therapy, Orthodontics, Speech Language Pathology, Sport Management, and Visual Arts infuse the community with highly skilled professionals who are instrumental in strengthening the local economy, improving the quality of elementary and secondary education, and meeting the health care requirements of our citizens.

The College of Arts and Sciences offers a Master of Science in Leadership and Learning and the Master of Arts/Master of Science degree in Marine Science. Students may pursue a 5-year combined Bachelor of Science/Master of Arts degree in Marine Science. A combined 5-year Bachelor of Science/Master of Education degree in Elementary Education is also offered through the College of Arts and Sciences School of Education.

The Davis College of Business has a Master of Business Administration (M.B.A) offered in three formats; the day-time M.B.A. program, the evening M.B.A. program, and the Executive M.B.A. program. The Davis College of Business also offers a Master of Science in Organization Leadership, a Master of Science in Applied Business Analytics, and a Doctor of Business Administration degree program. A 4+1 undergraduate degree/Master of Business Administration degree is offered through the Davis College of Business. Also, dual Masters degrees are offered in cooperation with the Brooks Rehabilitation College of Healthcare Sciences, the Public Policy Institute, and the Florida Coastal School of Law.

The College of Fine Arts offers the Master of Fine Arts degree in Choreography and in Visual Arts.

The Brooks Rehabilitation College of Healthcare Sciences offers a Master of Science in Nursing (M.S.N.) with cognates in Clinical Nurse Educator, Leadership in Healthcare Systems, Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner, Family Nurse Practitioner with the option of Emergency Nurse Practitioner Specialization, Psychiatric Mental-Health Nurse Practitioner, dual Family Nurse Practitioner and Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, Nursing Informatics, and a dual degree program with the Davis College of Business: Master of Science in Nursing & Business Administration, as well as Master of Science degrees in Speech-Language Pathology, Health Informatics, Medical Sciences, Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Kinesiological Sciences, and Sport Management. The college also offers the Doctor of Nursing Practice degree in both a post MSN to DNP program and a BSN to DNP program, and a new Doctor of Occupational Therapy, which started in the Summer of 2018. The School of Orthodontics offers a combined Orthodontics Certificate and Master of Science in Dentistry, and a Fellowship in Clinical Orthodontic Research.

The Public Policy Institute offers a unique interdisciplinary Master in Public Policy degree. Additionally, the Institute offers the following dual degrees: a Master in Public Policy/Juris Doctor (MPP/JD) degree in cooperation with Florida Coastal School of Law; a Master of Public Policy/Master of Business Administration (MPP/MBA) degree in cooperation with the Davis College of Business; and a Master in Public Policy/Master of Arts in Marine Science (MPP/MA) or Master of Science in Marine Science (MPP/MS) degree in cooperation with the Marine Science Research Institute.

The strength of our programs is a function of the University’s nationally recognized faculty, some of whom are honored by such organizations as the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education, the Pew National Fellowship Program, the Fulbright Scholarship Program, and the American Council on Education. Each of Jacksonville University’s 219 full-time professors is committed to classroom teaching.

A low student-to-faculty ratio assures students of individual attention and meaningful interaction with professors and classmates. JU’s average class size is 16. Although JU faculty place high priority on teaching, they also pursue research and writing projects, not as ends in themselves, but as means to maintain and enhance the quality of instruction. This concern for students is an incalculable advantage to those who seek an academic environment that is both stimulating and supportive.

Jacksonville University embraces diversity, including geographical and cultural diversity. Half of our students hail from out-of-state, mostly from the east coast. Our current population represents all 50 states and territories, including Hawaii, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and 51 foreign countries. In the traditional undergraduate program, women comprise 53% of JU’s student body; men, 47%. Approximately 93% of JU’s traditional undergraduate student body attends full-time and the majority of our students live on campus.

History

Jacksonville University’s modest beginnings in 1934 included “an opportunity for citizens of Jacksonville and vicinity to obtain a standard collegiate education without leaving the city’’ and “to fill the need for a center of culture for Jacksonville.’’ The William J. Porter University opened its doors as a two-year community college. Within a year, the institution was renamed Jacksonville Junior College to identify more accurately with its city and programs.

The College’s first ten years were a struggle for survival, but by 1944, the first full-time president and faculty had moved into the Kay Mansion in Jacksonville’s fashionable Riverside area. With returning World War II veterans swelling the student ranks and projected enrollments increasing, plans for another move were soon underway.

In 1947, the Board of Trustees commissioned a master plan for development of a new campus in suburban Arlington. In 1950, the College relocated to its present site in its first permanent structure, the Founders Building. With the decision to expand into a four-year program in 1956, Jacksonville Junior College became Jacksonville University. Shortly thereafter, the Jacksonville College of Music merged with the University. In 1961, JU was accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, and the College of Music was renamed the College of Fine Arts due to the addition of programs in drama, art, and fine arts.

In May 1967, the College of Arts and Sciences was established by combining the academic divisions of business administration, education, humanities, science and mathematics, and social sciences. The Davis College of Business opened in 1979. Graduate studies leading to the Master of Business Administration degree began the following year and the Doctor of Business Administration degree started in the fall 2014. The Brooks Rehabilitation College of Healthcare Sciences is home to the Nursing program (BSN, MSN, DNP degrees and post graduate APRN certificate programs) as well programs and degrees in the areas of Kinesiology, Communication Sciences Disorders, Health Informatics, Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Occupational Therapy, and Sport Management.

In 1983, JU established its Division of Aeronautics, now the School of Aviation. The division now offers careers in aviation management or aviation management plus flight operations. The Davis College of Business added the Executive MBA program in 1984. In 1986, an adult studies program was established as the College of Weekend Studies under the administrative supervision of the Davis College of Business. This program is now the JU Adult Degree Program.

In 2003, the School of Orthodontics was established and is now part of the Brooks Rehabilitation College of Healthcare Sciences. The two-year Advanced Education Program in Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics received full accreditation without reporting requirements from the Commission on Dental Accreditation in August of 2006. The initial program offering consisted of a C.A.G.S., Certificate in Advanced Graduate Studies. Currently, a one-year Fellowship in Clinical Orthodontic Research program and a combined Certificate in Orthodontics and a Master of Science in Dentistry is offered.

In 2012, JU created a Public Policy Institute (PPI), offering the first and only Master of Public Policy (MPP) program in the state of Florida. PPI seeks to prepare graduate students for leadership roles in the public, private, and non-profit sectors through the in-depth study of public policy. As the Institute celebrates its sixth year, the development of core skills in policy analysis, quantitative methods, management, and leadership spans across multiple program offerings, including dual degree combinations with Juris Doctorate, Master of Business Administration, and Master of Science.

In Fall 2017, Jacksonville University returned to its roots in Downtown Jacksonville establishing Jacksonville University Downtown at 76 S. Laura Street. JU Downtown was created with the adult working professional in mind and with the belief that a high-quality university education should not be limited by bricks and mortar, geographic proximity, or traditional classroom hours. The downtown campus is home to the Nathan M. Bisk Center for Professional Studies. The mission of the Center for Professional Studies is to collaborate with Jacksonville University’s academic units to develop and provide quality, rigorous educational programs utilizing online, hybrid, and cohort delivery models. The center serves to support students in achieving their academic and professional goals, support faculty utilizing innovative pedagogy, and support the community by ensuring graduates are workforce ready.

As part of JU Downtown, the Center shares the Downtown campus vision. Jacksonville University believes that education shapes every aspect of a person’s life, brings communities together to solve complex problems, and creates the vision for a future filled with innovation. The Downtown Campus and the Center for Professional Studies aims to connect citizens of Jacksonville to global society through higher education.

Scholarships and Financial Assistance

Jacksonville University offers students a comprehensive financial assistance program that is administered through the JU Office of Student Financial Assistance. Financial assistance may be granted on the basis of academic or talent qualifications or on the basis of calculated financial need. The financial assistance programs are administered in accordance with University equal opportunity guidelines and the federal definition of demonstrated financial need. Any student who applies for admission to Jacksonville University may request financial assistance, although all new students must be accepted for admission before financial assistance may be awarded. In most cases, students receiving financial assistance must maintain at least half-time status and satisfactory academic progress. Most federal, state, and institutional grant assistance is restricted to students who are completing their first bachelor’s degree.

While Jacksonville University welcomes students from other countries, those who are not United States citizens or are not permanent residents of the U.S. are not eligible for federal and state need-based financial assistance offered through the JU Office of Student Financial Assistance. Prior to a student’s enrollment, the Office of Admissions provides a special Financial Information Sheet for International Students. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services policy requires international students to furnish evidence that they will have sufficient funds for their education in the United States.

This information is accurate as of the publication date of this Catalog. However, rules, regulations, policies, and procedures are subject to change by the University, the Federal government, and the states. When this occurs, updated requirements take precedence over the information contained herein, and reasonable efforts will be made by the University to communicate such changes to the affected students. Jacksonville University reserves the right to cancel or amend any portion of a student’s financial assistance award at any time. Awards may also be canceled or amended in the event that anticipated funding becomes unavailable.

Campus and Student Life

Jacksonville University places a priority on a campus environment that is comfortable, safe and conducive to living and learning. JU actively promotes a well-rounded program of co-curricular activities and experiences to supplement and complement its academic programs. A majority of these activities are initiated, organized, and administered by students. Students are encouraged not only to attend, but to take part in co-curricular programs and activities, including clubs and organizations, student media, recreation and athletic competition, and cultural and entertainment offerings.

Administration

President

Timothy P. Cost ’81

President; B.A., Jacksonville University; M.B.A., University of Rochester

Scott Bacon

Senior Vice President, Strategic Operations

Margaret Dees ’86

Senior Vice President, Economic Development & External Engagement

Randal Freebourn

Senior Vice President, Financial & Facilities Management

Dr. Kristie Gover

Senior Vice President & Dean of Students

Alex Ricker-Gilbert

Senior Vice President, Athletic Director

Dr. Christine Sapienza

Senior Vice President, Provost

Teresa MacGregor

Senior Vice President, Enrollment Management

Board of Trustees

The Jacksonville University Board of Trustees can be found here.