OHLA Miami Language School

• Location: Miami, USA
• Age of students: from 16 years old
• Accomodation type: family and common residence (for students over 18 years of age)
• Educational programs: English language courses, Pathway (preparation for entering universities)
• Dates of studying: all year round
• Language of instruction: English.

The prestigious Open Hearts Language Academy (OHLA) was founded in 1998 and is part of the OHLA educational organization. Schools of this system attract hundreds of international students from all over the world every year: students appreciate the high quality and effectiveness of educational programs that allow to improve the language level in a short time, as well as excellent living and service conditions. The institution has the Quality School and Student Choice Award, which proves the highest quality, recognition and respect all over the world. In 2013, OHLA Miami was named the best language school in Miami (Miami Award Program, the institution confirmed its title the following year), received the Excellence Award (according to LanguageCourse.net) and won a special "Choice of Students" award (according to LanguageBookings.com; the same source called it "The most high-quality school" in 2014).

Today, children from more than 60 countries study in Miami, who attend year-round courses and summer vacation programs, which are organized for schoolchildren aged 12-16. OHLA Miami is a member of the Open Hearts (OHLA), which has been studying foreign students for over 16 years. These are effective and balanced English language programs adapted to the particularities and needs of international students: it will help to significantly improve the language level, to develop speech and communication skills, to prepare for international language exams and entrance to the university.

OHLA Miami School is located in the prestigious, developed area of ​​Brickell, also called the financial heart of the city, the local Wall Street, and occupies the 18th floor of the huge Four Ambassadors complex. The windows offer breathtaking views of the Bay of Bayside, quite a few restaurants, cafes and bars, nightclubs, shopping and entertainment centers, museums and shops, as well as the head offices and headquarters of major world companies, courts and banks are located here. The most famous urban beaches - South Beach - can be reached in about 40 minutes by transport, and the residence for students is located in a nearby building with Four Ambassadors (the neighboring tower, connected to the school building by the hall), almost directly on the waterfront.

Miami is the largest city in the south-eastern part of the country, a huge bright metropolis on the Atlantic coast (its area reaches 2,054 square miles!). Here year-round warm and sunny, the climate is very favourable, the number of sunny days is huge - all this can not but attract thousands of people from all over the US and the world.

Education at OHLA is built on a practical approach and personalized support. On the first day, students take a placement test to determine their level and group assignment. Each level lasts 10 weeks and is divided into five two-week blocks. The maximum class size is 15 students, with an average of 10–12.

Online classes are conducted live with certified teachers, and groups are limited to 12 students. Students can transition to the next level every 4 weeks. Private online lessons last 55 minutes plus 5 minutes of teacher support. The group online Pathway program includes 12 contact hours per week.

OHLA offers a wide range of English language programs and academic degrees:

• General English: covers levels from Basic 1 to Intermediate 2, available in 20, 25, or 30 lessons per week, with a minimum registration period of 2 weeks,
• Pre-Academic & Academic English: designed to prepare for undergraduate and graduate studies, includes electives in Vocabulary, English Sounds, Presentations, Accent Reduction, Grammar Rules, and Business English,
• University Pathway Program: completion of Advanced 2 or Elite level allows automatic admission to partner universities in the USA,
• GAP Year: a two-stage program including a 20- or 30-week ESL track and a 16-week semester at Miami Dade College or Hillsborough Community College with 12 credits earned,
• Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA): prepares for careers in management, accounting, HR, marketing, business law, and finance, requiring completion of 120 credit hours,
• MBA (in partnership with Westcliff University): a 36-credit hour program for management careers,
• MA TESOL (in partnership with Westcliff University): training for teachers of English as a foreign language, 36 credit hours,
• TOEFL/IELTS Preparation Courses: available for students at Intermediate Plus level and above, in a format of 5 or 10 private lessons per week,
• Online Pathway: an online program for learning English and gaining admission to US universities without English proficiency tests.

OHLA has been recognized as the Best Language School for 14 consecutive years. The school received the Best Language School award in the Award Program in 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025. In 2018, the school received the Excellence Award from languagecourse.net. OHLA was inducted into the Business Hall of Fame from 2014 to 2021 and became a finalist in the StudyTravel Star Awards for Best Chain Schools in North America in 2026.

• The school was founded in 1998 and has 25 years of experience in English language education,
• Students from over 70 nationalities study at OHLA schools,
• 38% of students come from Latin America, 24% from Western Europe, 16% from the Middle East, 10% from Eastern Europe, and 9% from Asia,
• 17% of students are in the 16–20 age group, and 16% are aged 21–25.

OHLA has over 300 partner universities in the USA and Canada. The English language program is recognized by more than 120 US universities for undergraduate and graduate admission. Graduates of the online program gain access to over 100 leading American universities and colleges without taking English proficiency tests.

• Auburn University,
• Louisiana State University,
• Florida International University,
• University of Central Florida,
• Washington State University,
• University of Illinois at Chicago,
• University of Nevada at Reno,
• Montana State University,
• Clarkson University,
• Colorado State University,
• Drew University,
• East Tennessee State University,
• Florida Atlantic University,
• Lynn University,
• Marquette University,
• Oregon State University,
• University of Utah,
• Rowan University,
• UMass Dartmouth,
• University of Colorado Denver.

OHLA Miami pupils can independently choose the most convenient type of residence:

1) Common residences (for students of 18 years and older)

The first (Open Hearts) is on campus OHLA Miami: these are comfortable rooms for 2 people. The second (Brickell) is already outside the main territory (15 minutes from the building, a free shuttle bus runs regularly), here the students are offered rooms for 1-2 people, as well as double cozy studios. For students, access to the pool and jacuzzi, the other infrastructure zones of the Four Ambassador complex is opened.

Open Hearts apartments are designed for 1-3 (up to 5 maximum) students, include 2 bathrooms, kitchen, TV, storage space. There is a cleaning twice a week (including a change of bed linen), for a small additional fee you can use the laundry. The minimum booking period is 2 weeks.

Brickell provides students with rooms for 1-2 people with private bathrooms, a kitchen area and a fridge, TV and free internet access, a personal workplace for each student. Rooms are cleaned daily, laundry services are available at an additional cost. Not far from the residence there is a large supermarket Publics. Here students can live 16 years and over, the minimum period of booking - 2 weeks. Please note: Brickell Residence is open from June to September (the rest of the year is only available upon prior request).

2) Host American family

Living in a family with native English speakers, the student gets a wonderful opportunity to constantly practice skills and knowledge in an informal atmosphere, in a live conversation with the Americans. It also allows you to better understand the traditions and culture of US residents, their domestic and national characteristics. Please note: family accommodation is not available from June 1 to September 30, during the peak season only residences work. The school has been cooperating with many families for more than 15 years: they are honest citizens who are constantly being examined by the employees of the educational organization and are happy to provide the students with the most comfortable and safe conditions. Many family members are bilingual, that is, they speak English and Spanish, which opens up additional opportunities for language practice. Students are provided with cozy double rooms (private bedrooms are available on request, the bathrooms are always shared), as well as two meals a day (breakfasts and dinners). All houses are located in quiet, safe areas - the journey time to the school building will not take more than 90 minutes.

Students may be 16 years or older in families. The minimum booking period is 2 weeks.

Subject list: business English, Classes in mini-groups, English for teenagers, English for the summer, General English, IELTS preparation, Individual english, Individual lessons, Intensive English, Preparation for TOEFL, Preparation of CAE and FCE
Activity list: fitness, swimming

Miami is famous for its sandy beaches and gentle sunshine (especially students like to relax on South Beach and Miami Beach), as well as the widest shopping opportunities: Saw Grass Mills, Dolphin Mall, Everglades, Bayside and others. Performances and concerts, and exhibitions, festivals and night shows are constantly organized here, you can practice water sports and active sports (up to surfing and underwater hunting), master golf, or simply luxuriate on the beach.

In the city students can find interesting sights and cultural sites:

• The famous boulevard Biscayne - a real Mecca for shoppers;
• The Museum of Science and Space;
• The Uzbei and the Vizcaya Museum;
• The CocoWalk entertainment complex;
• Planetarium;
• Little Havana;
• The Everglades National Park.

Three times a week OHLA Miami students are invited to participate in general entertainment activities (Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 13:00 to 17:00), as a rule, they are free or require very little extra fee. It can be a beach barbecue and a party, boat trips, joint screenings, kayaking and windsurfing, seeing off the sunset or beach volleyball. On weekends there are long excursions for the whole day (they are paid separately). It could be a day in a huge amusement park in Orlando, a tour to the Bahamas or Key West (a famous resort just 150 kilometers from the Cuban coast).

• OHLA is accredited by CEA and approved by SEVIS, but virtual campus courses are not CEA-accredited,
• In-person programs offer Semi Intensive (20 lessons), Intensive (25 lessons), and Super Intensive (30 lessons) options,
• Private One to One lessons are available in packages of 5, 10, or 15 lessons per week,
• The GAP Year program consists of an ESL academic stage and a 16-week college semester with credit earning.

There are 21 spacious, bright classrooms (each has an electronic board, the necessary computer equipment and air conditioning), 3 modern computer classes (the total number of PCs exceeds 40), free Internet access and free Wi-Fi for studying in OHLA Miami. There is a cafeteria and a restaurant, there is also a common student kitchen (including a refrigerator and a microwave oven), cozy recreation areas and a spacious common hall. International students can go in for sports or visit recreation areas:

• A spacious, multifunctional gym;
• Yoga;
• Aerobics hall; 
• A private pool and a jacuzzi;
• A beauty salon and a spa.

For the students there are available 3 reception areas, and on-duty specialists are always ready to help with advice or recommendation, and in resolving various issues.

The entire OHLA Miami program is divided into levels (each takes 12 weeks), which consist of thematic blocks of 2 weeks each. New students are advised to start classes from the beginning of any unit: this will help them to join the work more quickly, engage more intensely and efficiently, and keep up with the rest of the students.

List of educational programs:

• Standart english language courses (20 lessons per week);
• Semi-intensive english language courses (24 lessons per week);
• Intensive english language courses (28 lessons per week);
• Individual lessons (10 lessons weekly);
• Pathway Program.

Services are not included in tuition fee and paid additionally:

• Registration fee;
• The original of the visa invitation;
• Teaching aids, books and materials;
• Surcharge for accommodation during the peak season;
• Selection of a family residence option;
• SEVIS fee for intensive courses (more than 20 hours per week);
• Transfer in both directions, meeting and seeing off at the airport (upon prior request);
• Medical insurance;
• Travel card.

OHLA graduates have employment opportunities through Curricular Practical Training (CPT) or Optional Practical Training (OPT).

Students who complete Advanced 2 or Elite levels may be accepted into more than 12,000 programs at US universities.

• Admission requires completion of secondary education, non-native English speaker status, and a minimum age of 16,
• A copy of a passport valid for the entire stay in the USA and a bank statement proving sufficient funds are required,
• A notarized affidavit of support is required only if the bank statement belongs to a sponsor rather than the applicant,
• All partner universities accept the OHLA program as confirmation of English proficiency, allowing students to waive English tests,
• Undergraduate students completing OHLA Level 15 online can enter bachelor's programs without additional language tests,
• Graduate students completing OHLA Level 18 online can enter master's programs without additional language tests,
• Admission to the BBA program requires a high school diploma or higher, a successful interview with an OHLA representative, and completion of Advanced 2 level,
• Admission to MBA or MA TESOL via OHLA/Westcliff requires a bachelor's degree, a GPA of at least 3.0, a successful interview, and completion of OHLA ELITE level.

• Guardianship services during the studies
• Student supervision