Florida International University

The Graham Center, FIU's student union. Over 3.5 million people walk through the Graham Center every year, making it the heart of student life at FIU.[13]

In September 1972, 5,667 students entered the new state university, the largest opening day enrollment at the time. Previously, Miami had been the largest city in the country lacking a public baccalaureate-granting institution. Eighty percent of the student body had just graduated from Dade County Junior College (now Miami-Dade College). A typical student entering FIU was 25 years old and attending school full-time while holding down a full-time job. Forty-three percent were married. Negotiations with the University of Miami and Dade County Junior College led FIU to open as an upper-division only school. It would be nine years before lower-division classes were added.[12]

The first commencement, held in June 1973, took place in the reading room of the ground floor of Primera Casa – the only place large enough on campus for the ceremony. More than 1,500 family members and friends watched FIU's first class of 191 graduates receive their diplomas.[12]

By late 1975, after seven years at the helm, Charles Perry felt he had accomplished his goal and left the university to become president and publisher of the Sunday newspaper magazine Family Weekly (later USA Weekend), one of the country's largest magazines. When he left, there were more than 10,000 students attending classes and a campus with five major buildings and a sixth being planned.[12]

Chemistry & Physics building

Harold Crosby, the university's second president and the founding president of the University of West Florida in Pensacola, agreed in 1976 to serve a three-year "interim" term. Under his leadership, FIU's North Miami Campus (which was officially renamed the Bay Vista Campus in 1980, the North Miami Campus in 1987, the North Campus in 1994, and the Biscayne Bay Campus in 2000) – located on the former Interama site on Biscayne Bay – was opened in 1977. State senator Jack Gordon was instrumental in securing funding for the development of the campus. President Crosby emphasized the university's international character, prompting the launching of new programs with an international focus and the recruitment of faculty from the Caribbean and Latin America. President Crosby's resignation in January 1979 triggered the search for a "permanent" president.[14]

Gregory Baker Wolfe, a former United States diplomat and then-president of Portland State University became FIU's third president, from 1979 to 1986. After stepping down as president, Wolfe taught in the university's international relations department. The student union on the Biscayne Bay Campus is named in his honor.[14]

FIU College of Business Complex

Modesto A. Maidique assumed the presidency at FIU in 1986, becoming the fourth in the university's history. Maidique graduated with a Bachelor of Science, Master of Science, and PhD in Electrical Engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), before joining the private sector. He held academic appointments from MIT, Harvard and Stanford Universities, and has been named to several US Presidential boards and committees.[15]

Under his leadership, FIU heralded in an era of unprecedented growth and prestige with all facets of university undergoing major transformations. Physically, the university tripled in size and its enrollment grew to nearly 40,000. During his 23 years as president, the school established the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, the FIU College of Law, the FIU School of Architecture and the Robert Stempel School of Public Health. Also during his tenure, the endowment grew from less than $2 million to over $100 million.[16]

During Maidique's tenure, the university added 22 new doctoral programs. Research expenditures grew from about $6 million to nearly $110 million as defined by the National Science Foundation.[17] In 2000, FIU attained the highest ranking in the Carnegie Foundation classification system, that of "Doctoral/Research University-Extensive."[18] FIU's faculty has engaged in research and holds far-reaching expertise in reducing morbidity and mortality from cancer, HIV/AIDS, substance abuse, diabetes and other diseases, and change the approaches to the delivery of health care by medical, public health, nursing and other healthcare professionals, hurricane mitigation, climate change, nano-technologies, forensic sciences, and the development of biomedical devices.

The arts also flourished while Maidique was at the helm, with the university acquiring The Wolfsonian-FIU Museum on Miami Beach and building the Patricia and Phillip Frost Art Museum on its main campus. In athletics, FIU made inroads in becoming a powerhouse athletic university during Maidique's time as president and he championed the eventual establishment of a NCAA football program. Finally, the school earned membership into Phi Beta Kappa, the nation's oldest honor society.[19]

Maidique was the second longest-serving research university president in the nation.[17] Now President Emeritus, he currently serves as the Alvah H. Chapman, Jr., Eminent Scholar Chair in Leadership and Executive Director of the Center for Leadership and Professor of Management at FIU.

Paul Cejas School of Architecture Building

On November 14, 2008, Maidique announced that he would be stepping down and asked FIU's Board of Trustees to begin the search of a new president. He said he would remain president until a new one was found.[20] On April 25, 2009, Mark B. Rosenberg was selected to become FIU's fifth president. He signed a five-year contract with the Board of Trustees.[21] On August 29, 2009, Rosenberg became FIU's fifth president.[22]

The Wertheim Conservatory houses many rare species of plants and foliage.

Having started as a two-year upper division university serving the Miami area, FIU has grown into a much larger traditional university and serves international students. More than $600 million has been invested in campus construction, with the addition of new residence halls, the FIU Stadium, recreation center, student center, and Greek life mansions, as well as the fielding of the Division I-A Golden Panthers football team in 2002.[23]

Since 1986, the university established its School of Architecture, College of Law and College of Medicine (named the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine in 1999 after Herbert Wertheim donated $20 million to the college, which was matched by state funds and is the largest donation in the university's history),[24] and acquired the historic Wolfsonian-FIU Museum in Miami Beach.[25][26]

FIU now emphasizes research as a major component of its mission and is now classed as a "very high research activity" university under the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. Sponsored research funding (grants and contracts) from external sources for the year 2007–2008 totaled some $110 million. FIU has a budget of over $649 million[8] The Florida International University School of Hospitality & Tourism Management collaborated with the Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China to work on preparations for the 2008 Summer Olympics. FIU was the only university in the United States invited to do so.[27][28]

In December 2013, it was announced Royal Caribbean was building a $20 million 130,000 sq. ft. training facility for its performers at the school.[29] The facility opened in March 2015.[30] The complex serves architecture, art, and hospitality students and includes lighting, set design, marketing, and other internship and training opportunities.[29][31]

On October 2, 2014, it was announced that FIU would play host to the Miss Universe 2014 pageant on January 25, 2015.[32] FIU also hosted a talk from then-U.S. President Barack Obama in February 2015.[33]

On March 15, 2018, a newly-constructed pedestrian bridge collapsed outside the university, resulting in several fatalities.[34] On May 6, 2020, FDOT announced plans to design and rebuild the bridge, with guidance from the NTSB and collaboration with FIU. The design stage is scheduled to begin in 2021 and last for two years, with a further two years estimated to construct the bridge.[35]

View of the campus towards Primera Casa and Deuxième Maison. The campus' oldest buildings are classic examples of Brutalist architecture.

FIU Graham Center Atrium

The main campus, University Park, renamed Modesto Maidique Campus in 2009,[36] encompasses 344 acres (1.4 km²) in the Miami neighborhood of University Park, (from which the area derives its name).

University Park houses almost all of the university's colleges and schools as well as all the administrative offices and main university facilities. University Park is also home to the Ronald Reagan Presidential House, the home of FIU's president, the Wertheim Performing Arts Center, the Frost Art Museum, the International Hurricane Research Center, and the university's athletic facilities such as FIU Stadium, FIU Arena, and the FIU Baseball Stadium.

Located five blocks north of University Park, is the 38-acre (145,000 m²) Engineering Center which houses a part of the College of Engineering and Computing and is the home of FIU's Motorola Nanofabrication Research Facility. The Engineering Center is serviced by the CATS Shuttle, FIU's student buses, which run throughout the day on weekdays connecting the two parts of campus.[37]

The site of the campus was originally used for a general aviation airport called Tamiami Airport (not to be confused with Kendall-Tamiami Airport), which was in operation from the 1940s until 1967. The airport had three runways and was used for pilot training, among other purposes.[38] Construction on the FIU campus began in 1965, and the airport closed in 1969. At the time, very little was located around FIU, and the campus was called University Park. As Miami grew west, the area came to be known as University Park after the university's campus name.

Until the early 1990s, the runways, parking ramp and other features of Tamiami Airport were still visible on campus and clearly discernible in aerial photos.[38] Construction has removed all of these features, and only the University Tower remains as a memory of the university's past.[39] University Park is a heavily vegetated campus, with many lakes, a 15-acre nature preserve, and a palm arboretum , with over 90 buildings. As of late 2009, current construction at University Park includes the Nursing and Health Sciences Building, the School of International and Public Affairs Building, and a fifth parking garage.[40]

On June 12, 2009, FIU's Board of Trustees voted unanimously to rename the University Park campus to the Modesto Maidique Campus. However, the change created a large backlash from the FIU community, as many felt it unfitting to name the campus after him. A campaign by FIU students and alumni was created to revert the name change, and to keep the name University Park. A Facebook group, "No to Maidique's Campus" with over 2,000 supporters has made national news, in many newspapers, TV news stations, and collegiate magazines, supporting to keep the name "University Park".[41]

1101 Brickell Avenue, home of FIU's Downtown Miami Campus

The Biscayne Bay Campus in North Miami is FIU's second-largest campus. It was opened in 1977 by Harold Crosby and occupies about 200 acres (809,000 m²), directly on the bay and adjacent to the Oleta River State Park, with which FIU has a research partnership. Access to these resources inspired the creation of a marine biology program on the Biscayne Bay Campus, which has become one of the university's most recognized programs. The Biscayne Bay Campus also houses the School of Hospitality & Tourism Management,[43] the School of Journalism and Mass Communication, the Aquatic Center, and the Kovens Conference Center. The Golden Panther Express, FIU's student buses, connect the main campus and the Biscayne Bay Campus throughout the day on weekdays.[44]

On the Biscayne Bay Campus (BBC), FIU offers housing through Bayview Student Living apartments. BBC's first on-campus new housing in 30+ years houses 408 students in a high rise overlooking Biscayne Bay. .[25][45] Through FIU’s Panther Express Shuttle, current students travel free between campuses.

FIU also has other smaller regional centers located throughout South Florida in both Miami-Dade County and Broward County, serving the local communities in research, continuing studies, and in culture. In Broward County, there is the FIU Pines Center in Pembroke Pines, opened to satisfy the demand from Broward County residents. This center serves mostly night students in programs within the College of Business Administration. In Miami-Dade County, there are four regional FIU facilities, the Downtown Miami Center, the Wolfsonian-FIU Museum in Miami Beach (Washington Avenue and 10th St), the FIU-Florida Memorial research center in Miami Gardens, and a research site in Homestead.

FIU has a center on Brickell Avenue in Downtown Miami at 1101 Brickell Avenue dubbed "FIU Downtown on Brickell". FIU's College of Business Administration has had classes at the Burdines Building on Flagler Street and the Metropolitan Center had offices at 150 SE 2nd Ave since 2004. In August 2011, FIU expanded its Downtown center to 1101 Brickell with the expansion of course offerings for the College of Business Administration and the School of International and Public Affairs, as well as with FIU's research center, the Metropolitan Center. Most programs in Downtown are graduate-level evening courses geared for Downtown professionals and residents.[46] As of Spring 2011, there were approximately 500 students enrolled at the Downtown center, with plans to grow the center to over 2,000 students by 2021.[47]

The Student Government Association presides over and funds the over 300 student clubs and organizations and honor societies at the university and has an operating budget of over $14 million.[51] The Student Government Association is split into three branches, with the Executive, a Legislative Student Senate, and Judicial Supreme Court. Due to the unique nature of a multi-campus university, the president of Modesto Maidique Campus (University Park) serves as the student representative on the university's board of trustees, while the president for the Biscayne Bay Campus serves as a member of the Foundation Board.

The Student Government contains five separate governing councils- the Student Programming Council, the Council for Student Organizations, which represents the over 200 or more student clubs and organizations, the Homecoming Council, Black Student Union, and Panther Power, the student spirit group.[52] The Panther Power group can be seen in all Golden Panthers athletic events along with the Golden Panthers Band, the Golden Dazzlers dance team and the Golden Panthers cheerleaders.[53]

For the 2019-2020 academic year, tuition costs are:

Undergraduate

$205.57 per credit hour for in-state students, and $618.87 per credit hour for out-of-state students.[62] Total tuition/fees :$7,916 for in-state and $20,314 for out of state[62]

Graduate

$455.64 per credit hour for in-state students, and $1,001.69 per credit hour for out-of-state students.[63] Total tuition/fees :$9,600 for in-state and $19,428 for out of state[63]

Law School (day)

$675.67 per credit hour for in-state students, and $1,101.87 per credit hour for out-of-state students.[63] Total tuition/fees:$20,660 for in-state and $33,446 for out of state[63]

Law School (night)

$506.77 per credit hour for in-state students, and $851.40 per credit hour for out-of-state students.[63] Total tuition/fees:$15,593 for in-state and $25,932 for out of state[63]

Florida International University students, numbering 58,787 in Fall 2019, come from more than 130 countries, and all 50 U.S. states. The ratio of women to men is 57:43, and 28.9 percent are graduate and professional students. Professional degree programs include Law, Medicine, Engineering, Business Administration, and Nursing.

The Fall 2019 incoming freshman class had an average 4.24 GPA, 1287 SAT score, and a 28.03 ACT score.[69] The freshman retention rate for 2018 was 100%. The most popular College by enrollment is the College of Arts and Sciences.[70]

For Fall 2019, 15,081 students applied for graduate admissions throughout the university. Of those, 4,614 (30.5%) were accepted.[69] The Wertheim College of Medicine admitted 4.6% of its applicants, and the College of Law admitted 19%.[71] Admission to the Wertheim College of Medicine is competitive, and the college has one of the highest number of applicants in the state, greater than the University of Florida. For Fall 2010, 3,606 students applied for 43 spots.[72]

The FIU School of Architecture is the most competitive in Florida, with the lowest admission rate in the state at 14% (2011).[73] For Fall 2009, the School of Architecture received over 1,000 applications for the first-year Master of Architecture program, with 60 being accepted, giving the School of Architecture a 6% admissions rate. The average high school GPA for the freshman class in the School of Architecture was 3.98, also making it one of the most selective schools at FIU.[74]

Total enrollment in Fall 2019 was 58,787 students, including 16,993 graduate students.[77]

In 2018, 4.68% of FIU students were recognized as international students. Of those, the most popular countries of origin were: Venezuela (17.1%), China (11.7%), Kuwait (7.4%), India (5.1%), Brazil (4.4%), and Colombia (3.3%). In total, 2,738 international students enrolled at Florida International University.[78]

Students from New York, New Jersey, and California make up the largest states for out-of-state students. Floridians make up 90% of the student population. Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, Hillsborough, and Orange County make up the largest Florida counties for in-state students.[79]

University Park accounted for 87% of the student population and 94% of housing students. The Biscayne Bay Campus accounted for about 13% of the student population, mostly of lower-division undergraduates and students of the School of Hospitality & Tourism Management. According to U.S. News college rankings and reviews, 92% of FIU students live off-campus while 8% of students live in "college-owned, college-operated or college-affiliated" housing.[80]

For 2020, U.S. News & World Report ranked Florida International University as the 105th best public university in the United States, and 218th overall among all national universities, public and private.[91]

In 2010, FIU was listed as one of 16 universities with the toughest grading system nationally.[92]

In 2000, FIU became the youngest university to be awarded a Phi Beta Kappa chapter, the country's oldest and most distinguished academic honor society.[93] FIU is one of only 78 universities nationwide to hold both designations.[94]

U.S. News & World Report reported in 2013 that FIU students are among the least indebted college students in the nation, and recognized the university as a "best buy" in higher education. The organization also reported FIU for having one of the safest campus in the United States.[95]

In 2015, FIU ranked 7th as one of the best values in public higher education in the country, according to a survey by Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine.[96]

FIU is ranked 2nd in the U.S. for granting biology bachelor's degrees,[97] and 6th in granting master's degrees to minorities,[98] according to Diverse Issues in Higher Education.

From 2007 to 2016, FIU ranked 1st in the State University System of Florida in energy conservation and sustainability.[99]

The Journal of Criminal Justice ranks the Criminal Justice program 10th in the U.S. (November 2007).[100]

Faculty of the PhD program in social welfare rank 4th in the United States in their scholarly accomplishment, according to Academic Analytics in 2007.[101]

The College of Business is accredited by the AACSB International – the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.[102]

U.S. News & World Report's "America's Best Colleges" (2015) ranks the undergraduate international business program 6th in the nation. It 2015, it ranked the Chapman Graduate School of Business 15th in the nation for an International MBA.[103] FIU is also the only university in Florida to be ranked in the top 15 for undergraduate international business.[104] Bloomberg Businessweek ranked the Landon Undergraduate School of Business in 2012, 11th in Operations Management, and 99th for Accounting.[103] América Economía ranks the Chapman Graduate School of Business 48th for an International MBA.[103]

The Financial Times (2008) ranks the Executive MBA in the top 35 among U.S. Executive MBAs.[105][106][107]

Hispanic Business (since 1998) and Hispanic Trends (since 2003) have placed the College of Business among the top 25 business schools for Hispanics. In 2008, it was ranked #8.[108] Fortune Small Business recognized the college as among the best in the United States for entrepreneurship in its listing of "America's Best Colleges for Entrepreneurs," (August 2007), in the "Cross-Disciplinary/Cross Pollination" category. Hispanic Trends ranks the Executive MBA program 8th in its list of the best Executive MBA programs for Hispanics.[108] QS in 2015 ranked FIU's MBA program 58th in North America.[109]

The College of Law is currently 100th in the U.S. News & World Report's law school rankings, having risen steadily from 132nd when first ranked. In 2010, the FIU College of Law was ranked among the Top 10 Best Value schools by The National Jurist.[110] The Best Value rating was based on three criteria: bar passage rate, average indebtedness after graduation, and employment nine months after graduation. The FIU College of Law was also ranked 3rd amongst Florida schools for the scholarly impact of its faculty, behind University of Florida and Florida State University. According to the Leiter Rankings, the College of Law has already made a scholarly impact that dramatically outpaces its academic reputation.[111]

FIU graduates achieved the highest passage rate among all Florida law schools on the July 2015, February 2016, and July 2016 exams. In 2007, the College of Law was ranked 1st in Florida in the Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam at 96%.[112][113][114] In July 2008, the College of Law achieved a 90.6% passing rate, which placed it 2nd among Florida's ten law schools.[112] In February 2009, the College of Law achieved an 81.5% passing rate, which placed it 1st among Florida's ten law schools.[114]

On July 1, 2009, Alex Acosta, after leaving the post of United States Attorney (USAG) for South Florida, became FIU's second dean of its law school. He departed FIU to become the United States Secretary of Labor in 2017.[115] In 2019, he stepped down as Labor Secretary after scrutiny of his role as USAG in the minimal sentencing of convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.[116]

Parkview Hall, the home of honors students since 2013

Florida International University has a nationally recognized honors program. The FIU Honors College supports the university's long tradition of academic excellence by offering research support, honors housing, library privileges, special scholarships, internships, and study abroad opportunities. The Honors College also has pipeline programs with multiple professional and graduate schools.[117] These programs provide students an opportunity to know by the end of the sophomore year whether they will be accepted into the program of their choice. The Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, FIU College of Law, FIU College of Engineering and Computing Biomedical Engineering Ph.D., and the Lake Erie College of Medicine's Dentistry, Pharmacy, or Osteopathy departments have early assurance programs with the FIU Honors College.

Admission into the University Honors Program is selective and in the fall term only. The average academic profile of students that were accepted into honors in 2019 was as follows: 4.4 weighted GPA; 29 ACT composite; 1329 SAT total.[118] The Honors program offers students housing in Parkview Hall which is a living-learning community. Parkview Hall is the traditional home of Honors students since it was completed in 2013, which is situated at the geographic heart of FIU's main campus.

FIU Tianjin Center in Tianjin, China.

FIU also has international campuses in Asia and Europe. The Wolfsonian-FIU Museum has a regional facility in Nervi, Italy, the School of Architecture has facilities in Genoa, Italy for FIU's upper-division and graduate Architecture students, and the Florida International University Tianjin Center in China, from which a branch of the School of Hospitality & Tourism Management operates. The Tianjin Center was constructed as a cooperative venture with the local municipal government and was opened in the Summer of 2006.[28] FIU has also exchanged agreements with the American University in Dubai so that FIU students can now take a semester abroad in Dubai.[119]

FIU students can also study abroad in Paris, France via MICEFA.[120]

The FIU Model United Nations Program is a program of the School of International and Public Affairs.[121] Each year anywhere between 40 and 80 delegates participate in FIU MUN. FIU MUN is ranked as the 1st best Model UN Team in North America for the 2018-19 season.[121][122][123]

FIU MUN also hosts an annual high school conference: Florida International Model United Nations (FIMUN). The conference traditionally hosts over 500 high school students.

The Green Library, is one of the largest libraries in the Southeastern U.S. and is the largest building on-campus.

FIU has six libraries,[124] Green Library, FIU's main library; the Glenn Hubert Library (Biscayne Bay Campus), the Wolfsonian Library, the Engineering Library, the Law Library, and the Medical Library. The Green Library, Hubert Library, and Engineering Library Service Center are under the direction of the Dean of University Libraries. Other libraries are overseen by their appropriate schools or organizations.

Together, the entire FIU university-wide Library holdings include over 2,097,207 volumes, 52,511 current serials, 3,587,663 microform units, and 163,715 audio visual units.[125]

The Green Library is FIU's main library, is the largest building on campus.[126] Originally designed by Architect David M. Harper in 1973,[127] the Green Library was expanded by the architecture firm M. C. Harry & Associates, Inc. in the early 1990s to its current eight floors, with a capacity to expand to a total of 15 floors, if necessary. The eight-floor structure was built over, through, and around the original three-story library while it was still in use.[128]

The first floor has classrooms, auditorium spaces, and support services for students, such as tutoring, the writing center, and technology assistance. Also on the first floor is a snack stop and a Starbucks.[129] The second floor has the reference section, cartography (GIS Center), circulation, and numerous computer and printing labs. The third floor is the home of the Medical Library, and includes study lounges as well as a resource center for students of the Honors College. The fourth floor houses the special collections department and university archives. The fifth floor is the home of the School of Architecture Library, as well as the music and audiovisual collections. The sixth and seventh floors are strictly quiet floors, and contain the general book collection along with numerous student study lounges. The eighth floor contains the library's administration offices and technical services departments.[130][131]

The FIU Engineering Library is located on the second floor of the main building of the Engineering Center.[132]

The FIU Law Library opened in 2002, and has three floors, with all three holding the library's general collection. The third floor has a two-story, quiet reading room, as well as numerous study lounges. Although the Law Library is restricted to Law students, other students may use the library for research purposes.[133]

The FIU Medical Library opened in August 2009 at the same time as the opening of the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine. The Medical Library offers a rich array of resources, services, and instructional support to advance the teaching and learning, discovery, and healthcare programs of the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine and is currently located on the third floor of Green Library building. Future construction of buildings for the College of Medicine will include a new space for the Medical Library outside of Green Library, based upon funding and space availability.[134]

The Glenn Hubert Library, previously named the 'Biscayne Bay Library', is a smaller three story structure, for the Biscayne Bay Campus. All services at the Green Library are available in the Hubert Library.

The Wolfsonian Library is located at the Wolfsonian-FIU Museum in South Beach, on the corner of Washington Avenue and 10th Street.[135] The collection focuses exclusively on architecture, art, design, and history of the Western World from 1885 to 1945. The library serves mostly as a research library with an extensive collection of primary sources.

The International Hurricane Research Center (IHRC) is the nation's only university-based research facility dedicated tropical storm research. It comprises the Laboratory for Coastal Research; the Laboratory for Social Science Research; the Laboratory for Insurance, Financial & Economic Research; and the Laboratory for Wind Engineering Research, as well as the FIU Wall of Wind.[139] The 12-fan Wall of Wind (WOW) at FIU is the largest and most powerful university research facility of its kind and is capable of simulating a Category 5 hurricane. In 2015 the National Science Foundation selected the 12-fan WOW as one of the nation's major "Experimental Facilities" under the Natural Hazards Engineering Research Infrastructure (NHERI) competition.[140] Not to be confused with the National Hurricane Center (also located at University Park), the IHRC is located on the western side of the campus.

Green Library and Owa Ehan.

FIU has many traditions from student spirit groups, alumni association events and student spirit events. Panther Rage, one of FIU's largest student spirit groups are seen at all the athletics events.[141]

FIU also holds many Golden Panther spirit events throughout the year. These include: Panther Camp held in the Summer prior to the Fall term for incoming freshmen, where students spend a weekend in a retreat center learning all the traditional Golden Panther cheers, chants, traditions meeting other incoming students. Started in 2006, Panther Camp has grown quickly in popularity from only 25 participants in 2006 to over 120 participants in 2007. In 2008, Panther Camp expanded to two camps with a combined total of 240 freshman participants.[142] Panther Camp is expected to grow in size for Summer 2010, as the waiting list has continued to double from year to year. Freshmen who participate are more likely to get involved in Student Life than other students.[143]

The Walk on Water race held annually by the School of Architecture.

Week of Welcome, usually held the first or second week of the Fall semester holds many spirit events, such as Trail of the Torch. Trail of the Torch is another university tradition that has continued to grow annually, where a pep rally is held in the Housing Quad with music, food, giveaways and dancing. After the pep rally, the torch of knowledge is lit and blue and gold candles are distributed to the crowd for the procession around the campus, trailing the torch from the Housing Quad to the torch in front of the Primera Casa building. Rage Week and Homecoming Week are other major back-to-back spirit weeks held in the Fall semester. They include the Homecoming Parade, Greek Row parties, Homecoming football game, Blue/Gold Party, pep rallies and other Panther Rage events.[144]

Golden Panthers fans at FIU Stadium.

University Towers, a residential hall for upperclassmen.

Florida International University's student housing facilities are managed by the Office of Housing and Residential Life located on the Modesto Maidique Campus (MMC). There are 3,300 students living on campus throughout 10 apartment buildings and 6 residence halls. Students reside in the following buildings: University Apartments, Panther Hall, University Towers, Everglades Hall, Lakeview Hall North, Lakeview Hall South, and Honors College @ Parkview Hall. All rooms are suite style or apartment style and none of the buildings have community bathrooms.

On the Biscayne Bay Campus (BBC), FIU offers housing through Bayview Student Living apartments. BBC's first on-campus new housing in 30+ years houses 408 students in a high rise overlooking Biscayne Bay.[25][145] Through FIU’s Panther Express Shuttle, current students travel free between campuses.

The Office of Housing and Residential Life also offers optional communities in the residence halls known as Living Learning Communities (LLCs). These communities offer residents the opportunity to live with individuals of the same major or interest; including, Business, Changemakers, Engineering, Global Engagement, and Honors Place for Honors College students. [146]

Construction is taking place for a new residence hall for 700 students, to be open Fall 2022. Construction is taking place on the parking lot east of the FIU Stadium. [147]

Frost Art Museum

Recreation Center

FIU has three museums, the Frost Art Museum, the Wolfsonian-FIU Museum and the Jewish Museum of Florida. The Frost Art Museum is located on Modesto A. Maidique campus and was opened in 1977 as The Art Museum at Florida International University. The Frost Art Museum's Permanent Collection consists of a broad array of art objects from ancient cultural artifacts to contemporary works of art.[148] The Wolfsonian-FIU Museum is located in Miami Beach and promotes the collection, preservation and understanding of decorative art and design from the period from 1885 to 1945.[149][150] FIU also has a large sculpture collection, named the Sculpture Park at FIU, with sculptures from such prominent artists as Anthony Caro, Jacques Lipchitz, Daniel Joseph Martinez, and Tony Rosenthal.[151] Many different art structures, statues, paintings and mosaics can be seen throughout campus in gardens, buildings, walkways, and on walls.[152]

The School of Music presents an annual series of concerts in a variety of genres, as well as learning facilities and opportunities for musicians. The concert season incorporates music of all styles including jazz, early music, chamber music, choral/vocal, contemporary music, wind, and opera theater performed by world class musicians and ensembles. Many masterclasses and lectures are also open to the public and offered at no charge. The season runs from August through April each year.

The Department Theatre presents a season of four professionally designed, produced and directed productions each year that serve as a laboratory for students. its Main Stage season is presented at the Herbert and Nicole Wertheim Performing Arts Center. In addition to Main Stage productions students write, direct and perform productions in the Student Theatre Lab Studio, the annual New Plays Festival, and the summer Alternative Theatre Festival. The summer Alternative Theatre Festival includes a development project of a new work by an established playwright, a faculty directed piece, one student directed piece, and may include Alumni showcase and reunion productions.

The Florida International University School of Hospitality & Tourism Managementhosts the Annual Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival in South Beach, a major national culinary event.[153]

The Order of the Torch is a semi-secret honorary leadership society akin to other secret societies in the state such as Florida Blue Key at the University of Florida, and the Iron Arrow Honor Society at the University of Miami. The organization is rumored to have been founded in 2003 as a way of organizing student leadership to restructure student life to mirror that of a traditional university. Members now include students, faculty, staff and community members, including FIU alumni Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Alvarez (class of 1974). Top leadership in Student Government, Homecoming, and the most elite campus fraternal organizations, rank among its members.

The Phi Gamma Delta "Fiji" Fraternity House

FIU has over 30 fraternities and sororities divided into four governing councils: the Interfraternity Council (IFC), the Panhellenic Council (PC), the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC), and the Multicultural Greek Council (MGC). The Order of Omega, a Greek honor society, has had a chapter at the university since 1991 and represents the academic top 3% of FIU Greeks.[154]

The Interfraternity Council (IFC) comprises 9 fraternities. The Panhellenic Council (PC) is made up of 7 sororities. The National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) comprises 7 historically black organizations, (5 fraternities and 2 sororities). The Multicultural Greek Council (MGC) consists of 7 cultural organizations for Latinos and Latinas (3 fraternities and 4 sororities).[155][156][157]

FIU Panther Express

The main campus is located on the south side of the Tamiami Trail (U.S. Route 41/SW 8th Street) between SW 107th and SW 117th Avenue next to Florida's Turnpike and near the western terminus of the Dolphin Expressway.

Miami-Dade Transit serves University Park with Metrobus lines 8, 11, 24, and 71. Metrobus lines 75 and 135 serve the Biscayne Bay Campus.[158] Bus lines 8, 11 and the 24 directly connect FIU with Downtown Miami.

Two distinct FIU-operated bus lines are available. The CATS Shuttle runs between University Park and the Engineering Center, and the Golden Panther Express, from University Park to the Biscayne Bay Campus.The CATS Shuttle connects University Park from the Graham Center bus stop and the Engineering and Computer Sciences Building, to the Engineering Center on Flagler Street and 107th Avenue.[159]

There has long been plans for Metrorail, the local heavy rail rapid transit system to be extended west, with two proposed lines terminating at Florida International University's main campus.[160] This would ease traffic and parking problems at and around the main campus.

Lakeview Hall North and South residence halls. 6% of FIU students live on-campus.

FIUSM is the umbrella organization for The Beacon, the student-run newspaper; FIUSM.com, the student-run news and media website; and WRGP Radiate FM, the student-run radio station. Each organization's directors are selected by the Student Media board on a yearly basis.

The Beacon is the FIU student newspaper since 1965. The Beacon is published thrice weekly in a compact format during the Fall and Spring semesters (Monday, Wednesday and Friday) and once a week on Wednesday during the Summer.The Beacon is available free campus-wide in the residence halls, the Graham Center and all campus buildings.[161]

FIUSM.com is the FIU student-run media website since 2008. FIUSM.com publishes content generated by the Student Media team, including text, audio, and video.[162]

WRGP Radiate FM is FIU's student-run radio station since 1984.[163] It broadcasts on 95.3 MHz at the University Park Campus and on 96.9 MHz at the Biscayne Bay Campus. The signal originates in Homestead on 88.1 MHz and a broadcast translator rebroadcasts WRGP's signal to the University Park Campus and later again translated to the Biscayne Bay Campus.[164]

FIU's campus has been the set for many films, television shows, and music videos. One of the earliest television shows to have filmed at FIU was Miami Vice in 1985. In the episode, "The Fix", the FIU Arena was used as one of the scenes. The TV show Burn Notice has also filmed various episodes at FIU, with scenes at the College of Business Buildings and the Diaz-Balart College of Law Building.[165] In 2007, Chris Brown filmed the music video for his song "Kiss Kiss" at FIU, with scenes near the Frost Art Museum and around the Graham Center. Various telenovelas for Telemundo and Univision have filmed television episodes at FIU as well. In 2007, Telemundo's Pecados Ajenos was filmed in the Graham Center.[166]

In 2004, MTV's Campus Invasion Tour was held at FIU, bringing numerous bands such as Hoobastank to FIU.[167]

In 2009, TLC's What Not to Wear filmed an episode on campus at the Management and Advanced Research Center. In October 2009, former CNN news anchor Rick Sanchez broadcast his CNN show from the Graham Center at FIU.[168] The new A&E show The Glades shot an episode at University Park, using the Frost Art Museum as a background and the Health and Life Sciences building as the façade for a NASA Administrative Building.

In 2011, the FIU Drumline appeared in the music video "Champion" by Nelly. The FIU Band and Drumline continue to take part in many parades, and shows, including appearances on Univision, the 2011 Florida Lottery commercial, and many others.

In 2012, G4TV held the Northeast and Southeast regional qualifying rounds of the television show American Ninja Warrior at FIU. The competition took place in the traffic loop between the School of Architecture and the College of Business.[169]

In 2015, Florida International University hosted the Miss Universe 2014 pageant in the FIU Arena.[170]