Florida International University

Overview

Florida International University (FIU) is a public research university located in University Park, Florida. Founded in 1965, it is the first public university in Miami and is part of the 12-campus State University System of Florida. FIU is the largest university in South Florida, the second-largest in the state, and the fourth-largest in the United States by enrollment. It is also an accredited institution of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

FIU comprises 11 colleges and over 40 institutes, laboratories, facilities, and centers that offer more than 190 courses and 280 undergraduate and graduate degrees, including Medicine, Law, Business Administration, and Architecture.

The university is categorized as among the “R1 Doctoral Universities” due to its high level of research activity. The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching also classified FIU as a leading “Research University with Very High Research.” As such, the university is composed of various research facilities, including FIU Wall of Wind, the Laboratory for Wind Engineering Research, and Laboratory for Coastal Research. Moreover, its International Hurricane Research Center is the only university-based research center in the U.S. that focuses on the study of tropical storms.

It has two main campuses in Miami-Dade County. The main campus is located at
University Park while its regional campus is at Biscayne Bay. FIU also has various branch campuses and research facilities across South Florida as well as overseas, including in Genoa and Nervi in Italy and Tianjin, China.

FIU’s Student Government Association oversees more than 300 student organizations, honor societies, and clubs at the university. They also have athletic teams that compete on a national level. For example, the FIU Panthers, which is the university’s multi-title intercollegiate sports team, belongs to the Conference USA and the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I.

The university observes numerous traditions and student-led activities from alumni association events to student spirit groups. Panther Rage, a major student spirit group at FIU, is an active supporter of all university athletics events.

FIU also has an Office of Housing and Residential Life, which manages the university’s student housing facilities. Its Modesto Maidique Campus has around six residence halls and 10 apartment buildings. These include University Towers, Panther Hall, and University Apartments. Its Biscayne Bay Campus is the site of the school’s first on-campus housing called the Bayview Student Living apartments. This modern high-rise building overlooks the picturesque Biscayne Bay.

Finally, FIU is also active in the arts and culture front. It has three museums, namely, the Jewish Museum of Florida, the Frost Art Museum, and the Wolfsonian-FIU Museum. Aside from its learning facilities and opportunities for musicians, the university’s School of Music also offers a series of concerts featuring various genres annually.