Beginning fall 2026, the University of Florida’s Jacksonville campus will launch two engineering master’s programs, as university leaders work to build a national security research hub at the site.
Responding directly to industry demand, the Jacksonville campus will offer a master’s degree in computer science, with focuses in artificial intelligence and cybersecurity, and a new master’s in engineering management with a concentration in data analytics.
The computer science degree addresses a critical need in advanced computing education across Northeast Florida, said Daisy Wang, Ph.D., a professor in the UF Department of Computer & Information Science & Engineering and director for the Jacksonville computer science master’s degree program.
Rather than simply increasing the number of computer science graduates, the program will cultivate specialists who can operate at the intersection of AI and secure systems. As AI tools become embedded across finance, healthcare and enterprise technology, employers increasingly seek professionals who understand intelligent systems and the security risks that accompany them.
“The gap is how you upscale from a general bachelor’s in computer science to being able to use AI tools and solve cybersecurity issues for a specific industry,” Wang said.
Serdar Kirli, Ph.D., program director for the Jacksonville engineering management master’s degree program, said the degree is designed to serve working professionals seeking to advance without stepping away from technical depth.
“We occupy the middle ground between the business and technical side of operations,” said Kirli, an instructional professor with UF’s Department of Industrial & Systems Engineering.
The goal, he said, is training professionals who can bridge the gap.
The program includes a data analytics concentration featuring a three-course sequence focusing on data engineering, visualization and AI techniques, all taught from a technical manager’s perspective. The curriculum is designed with a rapidly shifting workforce landscape in mind.
“The pace keeps increasing. Skills become obsolete faster and faster,” said Kirli. “Professionals who graduated 10 or 20 years ago need to upgrade their skills, especially in areas like AI and analytics.”
With classes held on the weekends, the program is designed for working professionals who can apply what they learn directly to their jobs during the week. Kirli hopes the Jacksonville campus becomes a hub for education and industry collaboration.
Alongside its graduate programs, UF is working to establish a national security research presence at the Jacksonville campus as part of a broader investment in defense and intelligence initiatives.
Marie Kane, Ph.D., UF’s assistant vice president for National Security Research, said the effort is still in early planning. The vision is to create a secure, collaborative space in North Florida called the Applied Research in National Security Lab.
“We hope to build an ecosystem where national security is woven through the fabric of the research we do at UF,” Kane said. “That means bringing together research, workforce development and industry partnerships in one place. Jacksonville will be a catalyst for that growth.”