UCF offers new undergraduate degree for theme park and attraction management
Central Florida is home to some of the best attractions and theme parks in the world.
As the global industry expands, the University of Central Florida wants to help students lead it. Starting this fall, students can enroll in the new theme park and attraction management undergraduate program. Classes will be held in person at the Rosen College of Hospitality Management and online. It's the first of its kind in the state.
"We're taking a really unique approach to theme park and attraction management. We've actually broken up our degree into three pillars of management, creativity, and technology," said Carissa Baker, assistant professor and coordinator of the new degree program.
Baker spent the last two years leading the efforts to put the program together. She says it's a deep dive into the industry.
"We have had coursework in theme park and attraction management for actually over 20 years. So, we kind of already had this foundation of excellence. We have pretty phenomenal partnerships with all the local operators. But we realized that there was a lot of student demand for theme park and attraction management and in Orlando, which makes sense," Baker said. "We're talking about being future-focused and knowing how to run the industry. We're also looking at the global perspectives of the industry."
Baker described the three pillars for students.
"You might think of an operations manager as someone who's running the day-to-day operations of theme parks and attractions. You could see with creativity, the idea of someone who's designing attractions, or designing restaurants or spaces that will be within the theme park or attraction. Then, with technology, you immediately think of different kinds of IT," she said.
The new program comes as Universal Orlando plans to hire 14,000 employees for its new theme park, Epic Universe. It's set to open in 2025.
Baker believes the coursework will help students carry the industry into the future.
"We don't just need workers. We need skilled workers, we need leaders in the industry. That's what we really want to cultivate. If you look at the coursework, we're talking about being future-focused, and knowing how to run the industry and also looking at the global perspectives of the industry. So, we really think this will help with workforce development," Baker said.