History and Overview

The Warrington College of Business Administration is named in honor of Alfred C. Warrington IV. A 1958 University of Florida graduate with a BSBA in accounting, Mr. Warrington is the founding chairman and former co-CEO of Sanifill, Inc. His 1996 gift of $11 million continues to allow business faculty to help students meet the needs of the 21st century.

The business world is changing and the Warrington College of Business Administration is changing with it. Programs are continually evaluated for their relevance to business conditions in the state, the nation and the world. There is new emphasis on interpersonal skills—the ability to communicate and work well with others—and on globalization, business ethics and cultural diversity.

Since the College of Business Administration was founded in 1926, more than 44,000 students have earned business or accounting degrees, creating a national and international network providing information, advice and encouragement to today’s students.

There are three undergraduate degree programs offered by the college: a Bachelor of Science in Accounting (BSAc) from the Fisher School of Accounting; a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA) with a major in computer and information sciences, decision and information sciences, economics, finance, general business (online only), management or marketing; and a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration (BABA) with an area of specialization in any one of more than 70 academic disciplines.

The college’s educational objectives are to provide a formal instructional foundation for responsible participation in business, the professions and government; to stimulate interest in social, economic and civic responsibilities; to develop competence in making business decisions and in evaluating policy; and to encourage the intellectual inquiry of all students.

To meet these objectives, the college’s undergraduate degree programs are based on a broad foundation of study outside of the college that includes the university’s general education, communication and computation requirements. This educational foundation helps prepare students for the college’s preprofessional and business core requirements that cover the functional areas of business. Finally, students must select an area of specialization, either through a major within the college (BSAc and BSBA degrees) or an approved area of specialization outside the college (BABA degree).

Students can access the university’s Integrated Student Information System (ISIS) through the college’s computer lab, which is run by the university’s Center for Instructional and Research Computing Activities (CIRCA). The college also maintains a separate graduate computer center for instructional and research purposes.

The Warrington College of Business Administration is an accredited member of AACSB International: The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. Other organizations that have recognized the college’s programs for their excellence include the Southern Economic Association and the National Retail Merchant’s Association. Additionally, based on its excellence in international endeavors in teaching, research and service, the Warrington College of Business Administration was the first college of business in the United States to be accredited by the European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD).

The Warrington College of Business Administration faculty believes that knowledge of the global marketplace is vital for effective corporate leadership. An excellent way to obtain such knowledge is to study abroad for a semester or a full academic year. Students in good standing with the college who have a UF GPA of at least 2.5 are eligible to study abroad.

The college has established exchange agreements with numerous foreign universities that allow UF students to count the credits earned abroad toward their UF degree. Programs include the Helsinki School of Economics and Business Administration in Mikkeli, Finland; the Norwegian School of Management in Oslo; INHOLLAND University - Haarlem, in the Netherlands; the MBAI in Paris; ESC Rouen in Rouen, France; ESC Grenoble in Grenoble, France; Carlos III University in Madrid, Spain; University of Glamorgan in Treforest, Wales; University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology in Manchester, UK; Denmark’s International Study Program in Copenhagen; and Luigi Bocconi University in Milan, Italy.

Summer programs also are available at the Finnish and Danish schools. The college sponsors a summer study tour that includes stays in London, Paris, Brussels, Berlin, Warsaw and Prague. Internships in England are available through Richmond College in London. Finally, the Warrington College of Business Administration is a member of several international consortia that further expand the range of opportunities for foreign study. The possibilities for informal arrangements for transferable overseas study are virtually unlimited.

Participants in approved study abroad programs are eligible for financial aid packages similar to students studying in Gainesville. Summer courses taken abroad count toward UF’s residency requirement. With careful planning and prior approval, these courses can count toward major and/or business core requirements.