Saint Leo University will embed IBM’s AI and digital skills platform across every major beginning in fall 2026, requiring all students to graduate with industry-recognized credentials in data analytics, cybersecurity and artificial intelligence.
The university said students will complete AI-focused training through IBM’s SkillsBuild platform and build a digital portfolio demonstrating competency in analytics, cybersecurity, digital collaboration and emerging technologies tied to their discipline.
Faculty will integrate the modules into existing coursework rather than creating a separate technology track.
“We’re going to make every single Saint Leo graduate digitally fluent, future-ready, and ready to connect to industries in Tampa,” said Dr. Jim Burkee, president of Saint Leo University.
The requirement applies to all majors and will roll out universitywide in fall 2026.
A structural shift under new leadership
The IBM partnership forms part of a broader strategic repositioning Burkee has outlined since becoming Saint Leo’s 12th president.
Six months into his tenure, he addressed more than 100 business leaders at the Tampa Bay Chamber’s Feb. 27 Circle of Influence event, describing a university restructuring academic programs and internal systems with long-term sustainability as the goal.
“We have had to take a hard look at ourselves, and I think that’s healthy,” Burkee said. “The institutions that will succeed in this next generation are not the ones that deny change. They are the ones who are going to embrace it, and they’re going to do it with discipline.”
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Saint Leo said the digital credential requirement reflects conversations with employers who increasingly seek graduates comfortable working with data, operating in secure digital environments and applying AI tools within their fields.
By embedding IBM’s platform into degree pathways, the university plans to tie technical skill development directly to academic credit and graduation requirements.
Students will graduate with a portfolio documenting completed modules and demonstrated competencies. The university did not disclose how many micro-credentials students must complete but said the credentials will carry industry recognition through IBM’s platform.
Aligning degrees with regional employers
The IBM initiative connects to a broader push to integrate career experience into the curriculum.
Saint Leo said it is embedding internships into academic pathways for all students and expanding collaborations with regional employers to support project-based learning, capstone experiences and structured employer feedback.
“Saint Leo is positioning itself to be the most workforce-oriented university in the region,” Burkee said.
In Tampa Bay, where healthcare, financial services, defense, logistics and technology firms continue to expand, employers routinely cite digital competency as a baseline expectation for new hires. Saint Leo’s model builds those expectations into degree requirements rather than leaving them as optional certifications outside the classroom.
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Burkee has also prioritized rebuilding online and adult learning programs through the Lionova Institute, re-engaging the military community and expanding employer partnerships throughout the region. The university said it is enhancing the residential student experience and modernizing governance and data systems as part of that effort.
Military-connected education remains central to the institution. Burkee described military service as “part of our DNA,” and the university said it is exploring emerging technologies, including drone applications, to prepare graduates for defense-related careers.
Founded in 1889, Saint Leo University is the oldest Catholic university in Florida and the only Catholic university in the Tampa Bay area.
Burkee said the expansion of technical training will operate alongside the school’s Benedictine tradition, which emphasizes ethical leadership and service.
“In a world that seems increasingly transactional, we think it matters that we’re producing graduates who stand for something,” Burkee said. “That’s what those Catholic values mean. Skill plus character. Competence plus values.”
The university said the digital credential requirement will begin with students entering in fall 2026.
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