- ISE welcomed the new Fall 2026 MSEM cohort at the UF Jacksonville campus.
- Faculty members Jorge A. Sefair and Linda Clarke hosted the first MSEM classes.
- UF unveiled the new Jacksonville campus at the ribbon-cutting ceremony on Sept. 9.
The University of Florida unveiled its new Jacksonville campus this week, and master’s students from the Department of Industrial & Systems Engineering, or ISE, were among the first to attend classes.
This semester, ISE’s Master of Science in Engineering Management program, known as MSEM, will be based at the Jacksonville campus, offering in-person classes every three to four weeks to working professionals pursuing a master’s degree.
“The program was specifically selected to meet Jacksonville’s rapidly growing high-tech sector. Students can now take a top-tier advanced training program in-person without having to leave the region,” said Shantih “Tee” Spanton, Ph.D., associate director of ISE Jacksonville Graduate Programs.
Throughout the two-year program, MSEM students will complete business and advanced technical courses to become leaders in technology-driven industries.
“Jacksonville is experiencing significant industry and workforce growth, and our new program is designed for that environment — combining modern engineering management with data analytics, decision-making, smart manufacturing and leadership to prepare professionals to navigate increasingly complex technical and organizational challenges,” said Jorge A. Sefair, Ph.D., ISE associate professor and associate chair for Graduate Studies.
On Aug. 27, MSEM hosted a morning orientation to welcome the Fall 2026 cohort and introduce them to ISE faculty, Warrington College of Business faculty and industry experts in engineering management. Seventeen students joined the first cohort, representing a wide variety of industries including defense, transportation and software development.
“I’m excited to learn and merge the soft skills of management with my technical background alongside working in industry,” said master’s student Connor Davis, a mechanical engineer at Sunoptic Technologies and a UF mechanical and aerospace engineering alumnus. “This will help me make a greater impact within the small engineering room that I work at by directly applying new concepts as they are being learned.”
Devin Tate, a senior electronics engineer, is excited to start Jacksonville’s MSEM program because it will advance his technical leadership skills in an in-person environment with nationally recognized faculty members.
“I believe the program will provide me with advanced skills that I can use to make an immediate impact on my work and develop a professional network with local industry leaders who continue to build the aerospace industry in Jacksonville. It is an honor to be part of the inaugural 2028 cohort.”
The program kicked off the semester with Sefair exploring deterministic methods in operations research and Linda Clarke, Ph.D., instructional assistant professor of the Warrington College of Business.
“I am excited to teach professionals in Jacksonville and engage directly with the region’s vibrant professional community,” said Sefair.
For more information about MSEM, go to https://ise.ufl.edu/msem/ or email msem@ise.ufl.edu.