A new report from UCF’s Rosen College found that the school’s economic reach among Central Florida spans into the hundreds of millions of dollars.
The report determined that the Rosen College of Hospitality Management’s total economic impact of its alumni on Central Florida surpassed $531 million from 2000 to 2012. During that period, more than 5,000 students earned a degree either at the undergraduate or graduate level.
“These findings confirm the significance and relevance of hospitality education in these challenging economic times,” said Dr. Abraham Pizam, dean of the Rosen College of Hospitality Management. “The fact that Rosen College students and graduates have made such an incredible financial impact on this region cements our important role in Central Florida’s continued growth and prosperity.”
UCF began offering hospitality courses in 1983, and since then, the program has grown to be recognized as one of the top hospitality colleges in the nation. The Rosen College is known as the largest facility ever built for hospitality management education.
Rosen College attributes the report’s figures to a number of factors, including 3,465 graduates and interns working locally in 2012, more than 5,000 degrees awarded since 2000 and the corresponding economic contribution of its alumni to the Central Florida area.
