Florida International University - Miami's public research university - is one of America's most dynamic institutions of higher learning. Since opening in 1972, FIU has achieved many benchmarks of excellence that have taken other universities more than a century to reach. The University has a nationally renowned faculty known for their outstanding teaching and cutting-edge research; students from throughout the U.S. and more than 130 foreign countries; and its alumni have risen to prominence in every field and are a testament to the University's academic excellence. The University offers more than 190 baccalaureate, master's and doctoral degree programs in 19 colleges and schools: Accounting, Architecture, Arts and Sciences, Business Administration, Chapman Graduate School of Business, Computer Science, Continuing and Professsional Studies, Education, Engineering, Health, Health and Urban Affairs, Honors, Hospitality and Tourism Management, Journalism and Mass Communication, Law, Music, Nursing, Policy and Management, and Social Work.

National Recognition
In 2000, FIU received the highest research university ranking conferred by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. That same year, FIU was awarded Phi Beta Kappa chapter, the country's oldest and most distinguished academic honor society. FIU is one of only 78 universities nationwide to hold both designations.

FIU has been ranked among the top 100 public national universities in the U.S. News & World Report annual guide to "America's Best Colleges." FIU was the youngest institution in the group. The magazine has reported 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. FIU was named one of the top 10 public commuter colleges in the U.S. in the 1995 edition of Money Guide, an annual report published by Money magazine, and has been cited in several other of the country's leading college guides.

Research Programs
Florida International University emphasizes research as a major component of its mission. Sponsored research funding from outside sources grew to $75.5 million in 2002-03. These funds, secured through contracts and grants from private foundations, corporations, and federal and state agencies, are used to conduct research, provide stipends for graduate students and improve research facilities.

Top Programs
In January 2001, the Academy of Management Journal ranked FIU's College of Business Administration (CBA) Management Information Systems (MIS) unit the 11th best in the U.S. The rankings, which stem from a study of more than 700 accredited MBA programs, are based on faculty research productivity over the 1986-1998 period.

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.

The Tropical Biology Program, which links campus departments, centers, and governmental agencies with Fairchild Tropical Garden, embraces one of the largest concentrations of tropical biologists in the United States. Tropical studies at FIU are strengthened through FIU's membership in the Organization for Tropical Studies (OTS), an international consortium of more than 50 universities dedicated to furthering tropical research and education.

The Latin American and Caribbean Center, recognized as one of the finest programs of its type in the world, conducts interdisciplinary programs in undergraduate and graduate studies, faculty research, public education and public service. The center is designated as a Title VI National Resource Center Grant by the U.S. Department of Education.
The School of Hospitality Management is recognized by industry leaders 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 International Hurricane Center is the nation's only university-based research facility dedicated to mitigating the damage tropical storms inflict on people, the economy and the environment.

The Hemispheric Center for Environmental Technology, established in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), researches, develops and demonstrates innovate environmental technologies and facilitates their transfer to commercial and government users. HCET is the DOE's largest university site for nuclear decontamination research.

Alumni
Since opening in 1972, the University has conferred more than 100,000 degrees to some 90,000 graduates who have risen to prominent positions in a wide variety of professions and fields. To learn about some of our successful alumni, click here.

11.03