Florida International University (FIU)

• Location: Weschester, Florida, USA,
• Year of foundation: 1965,
• Number of students: about 54,000,
• Language of instruction: English,
• Type of study: mixed.

Florida International University (FIU) is a public research university with its main campus in Westchester, Miami-Dade County. It is considered the third largest in the state and the eighth in the United States in terms of student population. FIU offers more than 200 bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degree programs in a variety of specialties in demand on the labor market: from business, management, and communications to medical sciences, engineering, and law.

The history of the educational institution began in 1965 with the signing of a project to establish a state university in Florida. A few years later, in September 1972, more than 5,660 students were enrolled in the first year, which was a record number of students on the first day of school. For the next 10 years, the American university worked for senior students, since the main community of students consisted of 25-year-old full-time students, and it was only in 1981 that the programs began to be taught with full course coverage. Today, FIU has greatly expanded the range of scientific specialties offered, has a large-scale campus in Miami-Dade County and several affiliated studying sites, includes highly qualified teaching staff and conducts active research activities, cooperating with regional, national and international organizations.

FIU provides its students with some of the best conditions for academic, professional preparation and extracurricular talent development. Teaching more than 54,000 students, it offers participation in research and internships at partner organizations, several hundred thematic communities, creative teams and sports sections, an international exchange program, external social events and many other opportunities to realize their talent.

In addition to the online platform that enables fully remote acquisition of an academic degree, the university offers a range of additional support services for all students. Within its infrastructure, specialized departments operate providing assistance on various matters: from curriculum adaptation and internship search, research organization and participation in international exchange programs, to obtaining external funding, participation in large-scale scientific seminars, and employment.

Within FIU, specialized schools and colleges are distinguished, where higher education programs are taught in the following specializations:

• Arts, sciences, education,
• Business,
• Hospitality and tourism management,
• Communications, architecture, arts,
• Engineering, computer technology,
• Medical sciences,
• Honors College (Honors),
• Law,
• Nursing, health sciences,
• Public health, social work,
• International and public relations.

FIU conducts active research activities, comprising dozens of scientific institutes and centers. In recent years, its focus has been concentrated in six areas:

• Aquarius Reef Base — the world's only underwater laboratory under the patronage of a university, working to preserve critical underwater ecosystems,
• Wall of Wind — a 4.2-meter hurricane simulator with 12 fans is installed on campus, recreating wind forces of up to 250 km/h (157 mph) to study how to better protect coastal areas from dangerous storms. Cutting-edge research conducted at the "Wall of Wind" helps shape building standards, implement new technologies, and reduce the vulnerability of buildings, water supply, and infrastructure systems,
• Arctic Ocean Research: scientists participate in field research of the Arctic Ocean to better predict the trajectory of geochemical changes in this region. The National Science Foundation (NSF) has invested approximately $20 million in the GEOTRACES Arctic expedition, within which FIU conducts this research,
• COVID-19 Forecasting Dashboard — university professor M. Hadi Amini and his research team developed a dashboard that can predict the number of COVID-19 cases and deaths worldwide. The professor uses spatiotemporal data collection — the same method used to identify weather patterns, forecast hurricanes, and climate change trends,
• "Origami" Antennas: The U.S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) allocated an additional nearly $5,000,000 to FIU for expanding pioneering research in origami antennas. Professor Stavros Georgakopoulos is the inventor and lead researcher in the development of advanced origami-based antenna technologies for the Air Force and the Department of Defense,
• Neuroengineered Hand Prosthesis: Professor Ranu Jung and her team received a $6,000,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Defense to expand testing of their pioneering hand prosthesis system, which allows amputees to "feel" again.

Located on two academic territories situated in sufficient proximity to each other, the university offers eight large residential complexes on the Madesto Majdique campus and one large-scale private residence on the Biscayne Bay campus.

While studying in Madesto Majdika, students are accommodated in seven residences:

• Panther Hall — 392 students live in double rooms with access to shared bathrooms, kitchens, laundry rooms and recreation areas,
• Lakeview North Hall and Lakeview South Hall are two identical residential buildings with a total capacity of 800 first—year students, which are accommodated in luxury rooms with two or four single or double bedrooms and a bathroom. Kitchens, laundry facilities and recreation areas are located on the floors.,
• Everglades Hall is housing for 372 students, accommodated in apartments with three single bedrooms, a bathroom and a kitchen,
• Honor College Parkview Hall is a residential complex for 596 first and second year students, offering furnished apartments with four single bedrooms, two bathrooms and a kitchen,
• University Tower is an apartment building for senior students, accommodating 482 people in two—, four-bedroom apartments and single studios with full furniture and amenities,
• Tamiami Hall — 676 senior students live here, housed in a furnished apartment with four bedrooms, a fully equipped kitchen, and two bathrooms. Graduate students enrolled in master's and doctoral programs usually arrange housing on their own, choosing from a variety of options outside the study areas.
• The University offers one campus residence with a limited capacity — the University Apartment, which consists of two-storey apartment buildings with a courtyard; the apartments are equipped with studios, one- and two-room apartments with a kitchen and a bathroom.

Students undergoing academic preparation in Biscayne Bay live at the Bayview BBC Private Residence: It provides studios, two- and four-bedroom apartments for rent, fully furnished and equipped with a range of amenities, access to a laundry room, restaurant and other facilities.

There are 36 food outlets in the FIU training areas, offering a diverse menu of national and international cuisine, vegetarian and vegan options. For convenience, students create a meal plan that includes a certain number of meals per week and additional points for spending in university stores, which can be used in any of the dining halls.

Throughout the year, 17 women's and men's national teams train on campus, preparing to participate in regional and national NCAA competitions. Due to the diverse sports infrastructure of the university, students have access to sections in such areas as:

• Baseball,
• Basketball,
• Cross-country,
• Football,
• Golf,
• Soccer,
• Softball,
• Swimming, diving,
• Tennis,
• Volleyball,
• Beach volleyball.

At the amateur level, with the opportunity to compete within the university, there are trainings in wrestling, some team sports, dancing and other areas.

An important place in the extracurricular development of students is occupied by thematic communities distributed in the following directions:: academic, scientific, creative, religious, national and others. Gathering with like-minded people, students promote their ideas and realize their potential, develop key skills and expand their range of interests during studies in Florida.

List of thematic communities includes:

• Astronomy,
• Board games,
• The international community,
• Chess,
• Gardening,
• Geek culture,
• A cappella,
• Beekeeping,
• Leadership development in the academic field,
• Student government,
• Korean culture,
• Spanish language,
• Bhakti Yoga,
• Programming: Game development,
• Literary club.

• No. 1 among Florida universities according to The Wall Street Journal 2026,
• The award "Best value for money in the Southeastern United States" according to Washington Monthly 2025,
• No. 16 in the list of the most innovative public universities in the US News&World Report ranking 2026,
• No. 3 in Florida, No. 8 in the United States in terms of the number of students among public universities,
• Classification R1: "Very high research activity",
• Several forms of education, including fully distance learning,
• Multinational student community with representatives from more than 142 countries,
• More than 300 student associations, including 17 sports teams competing in NCAA Division I,
• 97% of teachers have higher academic degrees.,
• The ratio of students to teachers is 27:1,
• International exchange programs with institutions in Europe, Asia and Latin America, in which more than 1,000 students participate annually.

Florida International University has several campuses in the state of Florida, where every student finds a comfortable and interesting place for himself here.

• The Modesto A. Majdika campus houses the most important schools, university colleges, a stadium, restaurants, residences, and a recreation center.
• Biscayne Bay Campus is located in a coastal area, covers an area of 200 acres, offering a unique adventure vacation with access to the aquatic ecosystem of Florida. Schools of journalism and communications, hospitality, and creative writing programs are located here.
• I-75 is a LEED–certified educational institution. The Engineering Center is a 40–acre FIU facility developing innovations in the field of mechanical engineering, a nationally recognized world-class research center.
• FIU Downtown at Brickell, located in downtown Miami, offers business courses for students and professionals: it develops MBA programs for the Chapman School of Business, including a master's degree in global management.
• Miami Beach Urban Studios is an ultra–modern creative space for students and residents of the city.
• Riccardo Silva Stadium offers Panther football fans an unforgettable experience: high-tech coverage, a Jumbotron screen, 19 luxury suites, and the Athletics Hall of Fame.
• Cincinnati Robbins Convocation Center accommodates 5,000 Panther fans. It features NBA-quality locker rooms, a 4,500-square-foot training center, and a hydrotherapy room.
• Infinity Insurance Park can accommodate 2,000 spectators and has all the facilities of a world-class facility.: skyboxes, a fully equipped gym, indoor hitting facilities, and more.
• Biscayne Bay Aquatic Center offers an outdoor pool with eight lanes, state-of-the-art equipment for swimming and diving classes.

The academic calendar consists of three trimesters and several seasonal sessions.:

• Autumn trimester: August-December,
• Autumn sessions: August-October, October-December, December-January,
• Spring trimester: January-May,
• Spring sessions: January-February, March-April,
• Summer trimester: May-August,
• Summer sessions: May-June, June-August.

Depending on the chosen level of education, program and form of study, the duration and schedule of classes will vary. Studying full-time, students attend classes from Monday to Friday, rest on weekends, days of national and international holidays.

The list of additional expenses will include:

• Registration and administrative fees,
• Accommodation, meal plan, and related housing expenses,
• Some extracurricular activities, student community gatherings,
• Additional academic opportunities: individual classes, exchange programs,
• Medical insurance, service as needed,
• Personal educational materials,
• Personal expenses.

The admissions committee awaits a completed online form, a paid application fee, and the required documents, after which an interview is conducted. Based on the results of the evaluation, staff compile a list of candidates for admission based on previous academic achievements, sending official offer letters in order.

The number of admitted students varies depending on the research field and college. FIU is considered a fairly selective university: in 2024, 24 351 applications were submitted for master's programs, from which only 8043 applicants received an official admission letter.

To date, FIU has completed the training of more than 330,000 graduates, 165,000 of whom live and work in South Florida.

Admission to FIU is selective, the university reserves the right to make the final decision on admission.

Requirements for Bachelor's degree applicants are:

• Personal documents, including passport, medical insurance, visa or residence permit,
• Certificate of full secondary education and official extracts of grades,
• SAT, ACT, or equivalent results.

International students are not required to submit TOEFL or equivalent English proficiency test results.

Requirements for admission to Master's/doctoral studies are:

• Personal documents, including passport, medical insurance, visa or residence permit,
• University diploma: Bachelor's degree or Master's degree, depending on the level of education,
• GRE (or GMAT) exam results,
• English-language test results: TOEFL iBT (from 80), Duolingo (from 110) or equivalent,
• Motivation letter,
• Three letters of recommendation,
• Resume,
• A sample of the study.

FIU offers dozens of scholarships and grants, assistance in obtaining external financial support, and need-based assistance. Scholarships and most grants are awarded based on academic, creative, scientific or athletic achievements, are assigned to a student for one year and can be extended while maintaining excellent results. External financial support is also provided in the form of scholarships, but it has individual selection criteria.

• Guardianship services during the studies
• Student supervision