SOUTHERN MISS GULF PARK
Located along scenic Highway 90 in Long Beach, the Southern Miss Gulf Park campus offers sprawling lawns, coastal breezes, and panoramic beachfront views, creating an atmosphere unlike anywhere else.
A Unique Beachfront Experience
As a public university serving the Mississippi Gulf Coast, Southern Miss provides bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in high-demand fields. Students benefit from smaller class sizes and hands-on learning opportunities tied to regional industries.
Gulf Park combines academic excellence with flexibility, offering in-person and hybrid courses to support students balancing work and education. With a close-knit community, dedicated support services, and direct access to internships and research, we are focused on preparing students for real-world success.
Executive Education
Based at Gulf Park, Southern Miss Executive Education offers a variety of professional learning solutions tailored to meet the growing demands of today’s workforce.
We are influencing thought leaders across the Gulf Coast through executive trainings, workshops, and professional development opportunities. Executive Education serves workforce clients through practical solutions designed to foster growth, strengthen resiliency, and improve professional performance.
Services include certification opportunities, online learning development, and upskilling credentials through customized training, conferences, and workshops.
Host Your Event at Gulf Park
Our facilities on the Gulf Park campus stand out as some of the most distinctive on the Mississippi Gulf Coast!
Southern Miss Gulf Park Event Services offers spaces for meetings, special events, retreats, or small conferences. Nestled on our 52-acre campus, your guests will be immersed in breathtaking views of the Mississippi Sound, adorned with majestic mature live oak trees and lush green spaces. The historic Spanish Mission-style architecture provides a unique and captivating backdrop.
Notable Gulf Park Landmarks
The Friendship Oak is a magnificent Live oak tree situated next to Hardy Hall. Standing tall for more than 500 years, her roots are deep on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, surviving dozens of storms, including Hurricane Camille in 1969 and Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The grand oak is loved by former students, revered by many, and remembered fondly by those whose relationships began underneath its branches.
Bear Point Bayou, which runs through the Gulf Park campus, is home to turtles, fish, and other coastal wildlife, and is fed from a natural spring located north of campus. It is reported that Bear Point was first listed on a map of the area in 1774.
In 2013, two massive golden eagle statues were dedicated to the University by alumnus Chuck Scianna—one on the Hattiesburg campus and the other on the Gulf Park campus. Named Lofty Return, the sculptures symbolically tie the campuses together while welcoming alumni back to their alma mater. The Gulf Park campus eagle is positioned on the northeast side of Hardy Hall and faces east.
Southern Miss Across the Coast
Southern Miss is deeply invested across the Mississippi Gulf Coast, using our teaching and research sites to advance scientific research and forge strong partnerships with businesses and industries. We’re helping position the region as a Blue Economy hub by building innovation infrastructure and attracting industry to the Coast.
Our leadership in marine and coastal research includes vital conservation and restoration work through the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory—efforts that protect ecosystems and support the state’s economy. And through hands-on outreach at the Marine Education Center, we’re sparking interest in STEM and connecting students and the public with ocean science in meaningful ways.
