With world-class faculty boasting groundbreaking research and strong industry partnerships, UCF serves as the premier engineering and technology university in Florida.
Faculty in the College of Engineering and Computer Science are leaders in areas such as artificial intelligence (AI), hypersonic navigation, energy, next-generation computing hardware and aerospace – key economic drivers for Florida and sectors critical to the future of the state and nation.
Earlier this year, U.S. News & World Report ranked nine other UCF graduate programs in the top 50 on its 2024 Best Graduate Schools list.
This pioneering engineering research from UCF's expert faculty prepares students for career success, as do UCF's longstanding relationships with industry partners eager to recruit talented students, including Electronic Arts, Lockheed Martin, NASA, Northrop Grumman, Siemens, Walt Disney World and Universal Studios.
UCF's cutting-edge, high-impact educational practices and partnerships have garnered numerous recognition, including U.S. News & World Report's most recent ranking of best graduate schools.
Today, U.S. News & World Report ranks three of UCF's engineering and computer science graduate programs in the top 50 in the nation: the industrial/manufacturing/systems engineering program at No. 43, aerospace at No. 47, and computer engineering at No. 50. Two other programs (materials engineering and electrical/electronics/communications engineering) ranked just outside the top 50 at No. 52 and No. 53, respectively.
A total of nine engineering and computer science programs rank within the top 50 among public universities in the country.
“Our outstanding engineering faculty conduct impactful research that advances knowledge in space, modeling and simulation, virtual and augmented reality, and many other high-tech fields,” said Michael D. Johnson, vice president and provost for Academic Affairs. “They are the innovators and inventors that drive the quality of life, health care, energy and transportation systems in our region's economy and society, and they excel in preparing our graduates for career success.”
Twenty-nine percent of Kennedy Space Center employees and 25 percent of Lockheed Martin's Orlando employees hold UCF degrees, and for the sixth consecutive year, Aviation Week Network has named UCF the No. 1 supplier of graduates to the aerospace and defense industry.
Attract more talented people
UF's College of Engineering and Computer Science produces 25 percent of Florida's engineering and computer science graduates, according to the state university system. The college's goal is to increase capacity by 50 percent to educate 25,000 engineering and technology students.
One key way to achieve that goal is to grow the university's faculty. Last year and this year combined, the university hired 55 new faculty members, many with expertise in strategic investment program areas identified by the university, including AI, energy, next-generation computing hardware, aerospace, digital twins, and infectious diseases. The new faculty hires will further strengthen the university's research initiatives and provide students with more opportunities to learn with outstanding faculty in the classroom and lab.
Plans for this fall also include a new degree program: The School of Electrical and Computer Engineering will launch a Master of Science program in Robotics and Autonomous Systems. Students will learn to analyze, design and develop robotics and autonomous systems, including self-driving cars, drones, medical robots and even mechanical dogs.
The new professors and degree programs will join current UCF engineering and computer science faculty conducting groundbreaking research.
Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Kareem Ahmed has received funding from the Department of Defense to establish UCF as a leader in hypersonic and space propulsion research. Hypersonic propulsion allows flight at speeds of Mach 6-17, or 4,600-13,000+ miles per hour, with applications in commercial and space travel. Carolina Cruz-Neira, Aguiar Professor in the UCF Department of Computer Science and a member of the National Academy of Engineering, is a pioneer in the field of virtual reality and interactive visualization, developing and deploying a range of technologies that have become standard tools in industry, government and academia. In a few weeks, she will be inducted into the Augmented World Expo (AWE) XR Hall of Fame, joining an elite international group of 100 researchers, entrepreneurs, artists and advocates. Cruz-Neira was one of only 22 researchers selected. “What’s not widely known is that UCF is home to the largest, if not the largest, concentration of VR researchers in the United States,” she says. “Of course, UCF’s strong reputation as a leader in modeling and simulation ties in very well with the ecosystem.”
Additionally, UCF's internationally recognized Collegiate Cyber Defense Club won first place at the National Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition in April. The club has been sending student teams around the world to compete against other universities since 2013. In total, UCF's cyber security teams have won 87 first places (including five NCCDC titles), 29 second places, and 25 third places. The competition is an opportunity for UCF students to hone their skills in front of cyber security experts from private companies such as IBM, Lockheed Martin, Microsoft, Raymond James and Raytheon, as well as several federal agencies.
