History
Full Sail was founded by Jon Phelps in Dayton, Ohio in 1979. Operating under the name “Full Sail Recording Workshop” at that time, the school was established to train students on the production side of entertainment and music. The curriculum was solely focused on recording arts at first, consisting of courses for students to learn how to become audio engineers. The school relocated to Orlando, Florida in 1980 and new courses were added to the core recording arts program. Later that decade, coursework expanded beyond audio-only programs—beginning with the addition of a film program in 1988. In 1989, Full Sail moved to its current location in Winter Park, Florida; the following year, it was accredited to grant specialized associate's degrees.
Full Sail began to receive notice within the audio industry for its programs, and for three years in a row, 1989–1991, the school won Mix magazine's TEC (Technical Excellence and Creativity) award for Best Recording School/Program.
Enrollment doubled between 1989 and 1991, at a time of increased interest in film and media studies. Full Sail expanded accordingly by adding classrooms and equipment, and increasing the number of courses offered. This accelerated period of expansion was not without its challenges and the school encountered financial difficulties in 1992, which were subsequently resolved as it entered a period of more conservative growth. Between 1995 and 1999, specialized associate's degrees or associate's degrees were added in computer animation, digital media, game design and development, and show production and touring. All of these degrees were later expanded into full bachelor's degree programs.
The school began to receive notice in the early 2000s within the recording arts industry for its programs, with Rolling Stone naming Full Sail as “one of the five best music programs in the country” in its 2005 book, Schools that Rock: The Rolling Stone College Guide. The first bachelor’s degree program, a Bachelor of Science degree in entertainment business, was made available at the school in 2005. In 2007, the first master's degree program was offered—also in entertainment business. Online degree programs began in 2007 as well—the first of which was an online adaptation of the existing Entertainment Business Master of Science.
In 2005, the school launched its first bachelor's degree program, in Entertainment Business. In 2007, the school introduced its first master's program, also in Entertainment Business, launched a Graphic Design Associate of Science Degree, and announced its first online degree program — an online version of the Entertainment Business Master's Degree. Full Sail's online offerings have expanded since that time to include fields not represented among their campus degrees, including Internet Marketing and Sports Management, as well as online versions of their campus degrees, such as Web Design & Development and Computer Animation.
The additions of the master’s degree programs, among other factors, led to the school being recognized as a “University” by the state of Florida. Its name was officially changed from Full Sail Real World Education to Full Sail University in 2008, after attaining university status from the Florida Department of Education's Commission for Independent Education. The campus expanded at this time with the addition of a 1,780 foot long backlot with 18 city facades, designed to replicate the sets used in production of actual Hollywood films and television shows, which later expanded to 2078 linear ft.
As the university grew in size and student body between 2006 and 2011, the curriculum and degree programs were broadened as well, adding programs such as a bachelor of science in sports marketing and media and a master of science degree in game design.
Full Sail drew national attention when 2012 presidential candidate Mitt Romney cited it as an example of the way rising costs of education can be solved. Romney did not mention that its chief executive, Bill Heavener, is a major campaign donor and fund-raiser. Later that year, World Wrestling Entertainment began filming all episodes of its internet show WWE NXT as well as the television shows for its developmental territory "NXT Wrestling" at Full Sail University.
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