History, Affiliations and Rankings
Full Sail University was established in 1979 in Ohio and then moved to Winter Park in Florida, USA. Started as Recorded Studio in Ohio by Jon Phelps in 1979, the studio offered programs only in audio engineering. In 1980, the studio added a few more programs to its Arts curriculum and moved to Orlando, Florida. As the number of students increased and the studio was granted to offer specialized degree programs, it again relocated to its current location in Winter Park, Florida, USA. Between 1995 to 2007, the university saw growth in a number of students and faculties and started offering undergraduate and postgraduate programs in entertainment, gaming, audio and sound engineering, etc. In 2008, after attaining university status from the Florida Department of Education's Commission for Independent Education, the name was changed from Full Sail Real World Education to Full Sail University. The Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges has given the university its accreditation (ACCSC).
Infrastructure, Campus and Courses
The main campus of Full Sail University is located northeast of Orlando in Winter Park, Florida in USA. The campus is spread across 200-acre land which has world-class facilities including soundstages, a film backlot, gaming studio, movie theatres, concert halls, music and sports venues, museums, parody clubs, shopping centers, research laboratories, 110 studios, cafeterias, etc. Not just this, in 2012, Full Sail University purchased the Lakeview Office Park in Orlando which has over nine buildings. Full Sail University is known for introducing unique programs and curricula in the entertainment industry. It has an open admissions policy and accepts applications on a rolling basis. Today, Full Sail University offers many programs at undergraduate and postgraduate levels in media and entertainment-related studies such as media communication, video game design, film production, audio creation, animation, technology, sports, and business. Full Sail University also has a number of departments, labs, and studios that give students real-world entertainment exposure and works towards the enhancement of students’ experience in the entertainment industry and business. Not just this, Full Sail University also offers many part-time and online courses in these fields so that students can take a world-class education while being in their own space.
Accomplishments and Alumni
One of the finest universities in America for animation, cinema, and music is Full Sail University. According to The Princeton Review 2022, Full Sail University provides Top 50 Game Design undergraduate courses. Around 80 Full Sail graduates will have received Academy Award nominations by 2021, a milestone that honors the school's devotion to education. Full Sail University has a long history of partnership with WWE. The filming of WWE NXT and WWE Tough Series was done on the FU campus in Winter Park. Full Sail University has a list of distinguished alumni members. Some of the notable alumni names include - Michael Barber (Musician and Entrepreneur), Adam Wingard (Director, Editor, and Cinematographer), and Corrin Campbell (Singer).
Student Diversity and Visiting Companies
The university caters to the academic demands of around 20,000 students through more than 500 academic staff members. The student-faculty ratio of the university stands at 1:24. The research-intensive university encourages student diversity by promoting the admissions of international students and numerous collaborations with international institutions and firms. This provides students with a global perspective and excellent career opportunities. Some of the top companies that visit the campus are Amazon, Apple, Self Employed, Encore, Electronic Arts (EAT), The Walt Disney Company, Epic Games, Microsoft, NBCUniversal, Blizzard Entertainment, Live Nation Entertainment, Google, Netflix, Meta, etc.
