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While an—albeit slowly—increasing number of colleges and universities offer courses on franchising within their business colleges such as this one from the Pamplin College of Business at Virginia Tech, the following universities currently offer more in-depth programs related to franchising.
Babson College – Tariq Farid Franchise Institute
Wellesley, Massachusetts
Following a gift from Edible Arrangements founder and CEO Tariq Farid, Babson College created the Tariq Farid Franchise Institute.
The institute will be “a learning hub designed to advance learners’ understanding of franchising and empower the next generation of franchisees and franchisors.” Also, according to the Babson website, the institute will partner with each of the college’s existing centers and institutes to infuse franchising expertise into the curriculum and co-curricular programs, activities, and events—including internships and other opportunities.
“As the proud parent of a Babson graduate, I recognize the College’s unique ability to transform students into entrepreneurial leaders in all kinds of businesses, including franchises, which makes it the ideal place to create a program dedicated to franchising,” Farid said at the time of the insitute's launch.
Georgetown University – School of Continuing Studies
Washington, DC
Within its continuing education wing, Georgetown University offers a Certificate in Franchise Management. According to the university, students who take the courses will “gain the critical insight, practical knowledge, and analytical skills required to succeed in franchising.” The courses also allow its takers to earn credits towards the Certified Franchise Executive (CFE) designation given by the International Franchise Association.
Northwood University
Midland, Michigan
Northwood bills itself as “the first and only fully accredited university in North America to offer” the major of Franchising Management. The university’s degree program claims to prepare its students for the specialized challenges and opportunities that come with a career in the field “whether you want to launch your own franchise concept, purchase an existing franchise, take over a family-owned business or advance your existing franchise to the next level.”
Palm Beach Atlantic University
West Palm Beach, Florida
Within the Rinker School of Business at PBA University is the Titus Center for Franchising, the namesake of Ray Titus, Signarama co-founder and founder of United Franchise Group (parent company of Experimax, Fully Promoted, Jon Smith Subs, Signarama, SuperGreen Solutions, The Great Greek Grill, Transworld Business Advisors and VentureX). Titus donated $1.5 million to PBA in 2016 to launch the center, which officially opened in the fall of 2017, after lamenting the lack of formal education available on the business model.
University of Louisville
Louisville, Kentucky
Considering it’s in the home city of Yum! Brands (parent company of KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell), Papa John’s, and Long John Silver’s, it’s not surprising that the University of Louisville offers a Graduate Certificate in Franchise Management. The program “focuses on the unique skills and knowledge necessary to succeed as a franchisee—including acquiring, running, and growing franchise operations.”
The university also, together with Yum! Brands, launched the Yum! Center for Global Franchise Excellence in 2021. The center provides "existing and potential franchisees multiple levels of online education focused on the franchising model across industries." In addition, the Yum! Center for Global Franchise Excellence also was founded with "a focus on recruiting and educating underrepresented people of color and women on the possibilities of franchising as a pathway to entrepreneurship."
The franchise courses/certificates from the center are delivered online at the graduate level, undergraduate level, or for non-credit. The University of Louisville also has a partnership to offer continuing education and certification for the International Franchise Association's Certified Franchise Executive (CFE) Program through its Yum! Center for Global Franchise Excellence.
NOTE: In August 2022, Pizza Hut (a Yum!-owned brand) and its franchisees launched the Pizza Hut Foundation, whose stated mission is to "empower our young leaders through scholarships for education, mentorship, and career readiness training to unlock opportunities for themselves and the communities where they live and work." Among the foundation's initiatives is providing scholarships to students who are financially disadvantaged and who prove leadership and community involvement in and around Pizza Hut restaurants. The scholarships are available for students on track to apply to two- or four-year colleges or universities, vocational-technical schools, and trade schools.
Last Updated: August 2022