FIU is located in Miami, the Gateway to the Americas. South Florida, with its sub tropical climate, cultural diversity, dynamic global business environment, and strategic location provides FIU students and faculty special opportunities for learning, teaching, research, internships, and public service.
FIU has two major campuses, the University Park Campus in western
Miami-Dade County and the Biscayne Bay Campus in North Miami.
FIU is a world class institution providing the highest quality and thoroughly
challenging educational experience that prepares students to secure their future in the ever changing global marketplace of the new millennium.
Through its 18 colleges and schools, FIU offers more than 190 baccalaureate, master's, doctoral, and professional degree programs, conducts basic and applied research, and engages the global community through partnerships.
Committed to both quality and access, FIU meets the educational needs of traditional students, part-time students, and lifelong learners.
Numerous Institutes and Centers operate at FIU; including the Latin American and Caribbean Center, the Center for International Business Education and Research, the Southeast Environmental Research Center, the Center for the Study of Matter at Extreme Conditions, FIU's Biomedical Engineering Institute, and the Hemispheric Center for Environmental Technology.
FIU is a member of Phi Beta Kappa, the country's oldest and most distinguished academic honor society. In addition, FIU also has over 20 chapters of national and international honor societies including; The National Society of Collegiate Scholars, Chi Epsilon, Eta Kappa Nu, Golden Key, Mortar Board, and Sigma Tau Delta.
FIU is designated as a Doctoral/Research University-Extensive by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, the highest ranking in the organization's prestigious classification system.
Over 33,000 students are enrolled from more than 45 states, the District of Columbia, US territories, and more than 130 foreign countries.
As a world class institution, FIU's student body reflects a world of diversity with 52 percent of its students being Hispanic, 14 percent African-American/Black, and 3.6 percent Asian. Approximately 8.5 percent of FIU's enrollment is comprised of international students.
The MIS Department is ranked #11 in the US in the January 2001 issue of
Academy of Management Journal. The Creative Writing Program is ranked among the top-ten creative writing programs in the country by "Who Runs American Literature?" in the Dictionary of Literary Biography. Industry leaders recognize the School of Hospitality Management as one of the nation's top five hospitality management programs. The 1999 National CPA Examination Report noted that Accounting graduates ranked first in the nation in passing the CPA exam on the first try and are consistently (last 5 years) in the top 5 in their exam scores.
The FIU Capital Campaign recently surpassed the $205 Million mark.
The National Hurricane Center is located on the University Park Campus.
Distinguished Alumni and Students of the School of Journalism & Mass Communication have won eight Pulitzer Prizes.
More than 50 of FIU's distinguished faculty have been recognized by prestigious honor societies such as; the Guggenheim Foundation, the MacArthur Foundation, the Fulbright Commission, and the National Endowment for the Humanities.
FIU's Wolfsonian Museum has teamed up with the Smithsonian Institution resulting in access to a 140-million-object collection. Objects from this collection will also be available at The Art Museum at Florida International University, as well as on both campuses for student and faculty use.
The incoming freshman class has more than 30 National Merit and National Hispanic Merit Scholars.
The University's 2002-2003 operating budget is $500 million. The University has an economic impact of nearly $1.5 billion on the South Florida economy.
The US News & World Report has stated that FIU students are among the least indebted college students in the nation and recognized the University as a "best buy" in higher education.
In 1998, Kiplinger's Personal Finance Magazine ranked FIU as the country's 18th best value in public higher education.
Since opening in 1972, the University has conferred more than 100,000 degrees to some 86,000 graduates.
Florida International University emphasizes research as a major component of its mission. Sponsored research funding from outside sources grew more than 500% over the last decade.
The Department of Housing and Residential Life currently offers several special Living and Learning Communities on-campus. These communities include; Music, Leaders in Residence, Honors Place, Wellness, and F.Y.R.S.T. (First Year Residents Succeeding Together). Each community provides unique opportunities for FIU students, and offers an environment that promotes success and a spirit of community interaction.
Leading Miami's charge as the Cultural Center of the Americas, FIU presents the world renowned FIU Miami Film Festival which draws an annual audience of more than 50,000 international journalists, industry personnel, actors and directors who accompany their films, and film lovers in general. Other annual events include; the FIU Festival of the Performing Arts, the New Music Miami Festival, the FIU Festival of Trees, and the Florida Extravaganza.
