Ashley French, News4JAX reporter
Published: 
Ashley French, News4JAX reporter
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The University of Florida officially opened a new graduate campus in the heart of downtown Jacksonville, bringing programs in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, engineering and health sciences to 801 West Bay Street.
University, city and state leaders cut the ribbon on the new facility, which features modern classrooms, collaborative workspaces and high-tech labs designed to support graduate-level education and research.
UF Jacksonville is offering graduate degrees that include an MBA, a Master of Science in Management and AI, computer science degrees and engineering management. University leaders say every program carries some element of data analytics, artificial intelligence or cybersecurity — skills they say students will need as careers grow more data-focused.
“We have programs like our MBA as well as our Master of Science in Management and AI and we have a couple computer science degrees as well and engineering management,” said Alexis Curry, Marketing and Communications Specialist for UF Jacksonville. “All of these degrees have some sort of data analytics or AI, cybersecurity business aspect to them where they can plan for the future and create future innovations and really plan for what future careers will look like for them as we kind of move into this more data-focused idea.”
Beyond the classroom, university leaders say the campus is designed to connect graduates directly with local employers and research opportunities across Northeast Florida. The goal, they say, is not just to educate students, but to help meet the region’s growing workforce demands.
The campus is part of a broader push to bring higher education, innovation and economic development into downtown Jacksonville.
UF Jacksonville leaders say this is only the beginning. Plans are already in the works for a second building — currently referred to as Building 1A — which would be located just west of the current facility. Leaders expect the campus to keep growing as new programs, research partnerships and workforce development opportunities are added.
“This is the beginning of our era,” Curry said.
Copyright 2026 by WJXT News4JAX – All rights reserved.
Ashley French is a News4JAX reporter who joined the station in January 2026 after reporting in Southwest Florida and East Texas.
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