St. Petersburg College has been a leader. It was Florida's first 2-year college as well as the state's first community college to offer bachelor's degrees. Today, SPC is one of 14 State Colleges, and served as a model for incorporating bachelor's degree programs into traditional 2-year institutions.
Over the years, the college has invested its resources in an Honors College, the Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art on the Tarpon Springs Campus, a Music Center with two Steinway concert grand pianos and a Heissler pipe organ on the St. Petersburg/Gibbs Campus, the Palladium Theater in downtown St. Petersburg, an EpiCenter in Largo with a Collaborative Lab built in partnership with Pinellas County to support higher education and business development, St. Petersburg Collegiate High School and an Early College Program for academically- focused teenagers, a University Partnership Center that offers baccalaureate, master's and doctor's degrees from 15 universities in Florida and across America, state-of-the-art classroom technology at all nine learning sites, online learning opportunities, inter-collegiate sports for men and women, and advanced education and training for faculty and staff including travel opportunities.
Among the school's more prominent alumni are two NASA astronauts, Nicole Stott and Samuel Durrance; Bob Carroll, a writer and creator of the I Love Lucy television show; aquanaut Sylvia Earle; movie actress Carol Baker; rock musician Jim Morrison of The Doors; Wendell Ware, a creator and leader in the development of microfilm, microfiche and ultra fiche; Howard Johnson, who played on the New York Mets World Championship team; numerous authors; artists; judges; lawyers; political leaders; and local and national business and civic leaders.
St. Petersburg College continues its long tradition of excellence wrought by dedicated faculty and visionary leadership. Affordable, accredited and comprehensive in its offerings, SPC continues to be responsive to community needs and committed to student success.
