Miami Dade College - Overview
A Florida College with Hundreds of Academic and Career Options
With approximately 170,000 currently enrolled students, and over 1.5 million alumni, Miami Dade College (MDC) is the largest institution of higher education in the United States. The 8 MDC campuses are located in and around Miami, Florida, and include a medical specialty campus, an InterAmerican campus in Little Havana, the urban Wolfson Campus downtown, and the North Campus which occupies land once used for a World War II naval air station.
The various geographical locales and large student population allow this state-supported college to offer students over 300 courses of study and highly flexible scheduling options. Students may pursue 2-year associate degrees, 4-year bachelor's degrees, and various technical certificates, vocational courses, adult education options, and e-learning opportunities. The school offers evening, weekend, and more than 90 online courses to accommodate students.
MDC's curriculum and cutting-edge educational technology has received recognition from the University of Texas Community College Leadership Program, "Time," and Yahoo's Internet Life, which noted MDC's efforts to integrate the Internet into classroom learning and appointed the college "second best of all colleges and universities." Miami Dade College has also been specifically recognized by "The New York Times" for its cultural programming, and the "Wall Street Journal" for its championship chess team, which has beaten Yale, Harvard, and Stanford.
Associate and Bachelor's Degree Programs
Two-year associate degrees prepare students to enter into junior year studies at universities or for immediate employment in certain career fields. MDC offers over 190 associate degree programs in areas such as architecture, biology, accounting, journalism, forestry, theater and entertainment, translation, drama, interior design, social work, and dietetics. MDC awards more associate degrees in nursing, liberal arts and sciences, general studies, and humanities than any other institute in the U.S.
Miami Dade College offers bachelor's programs in select majors, including nursing, public safety management, film, and education. Teacher certification is also available. All bachelor's programs at MDC are workforce-driven, and coursework is designed to prepare students for a specific career, such as law enforcement , crime scene investigation, TV production, or teaching.
Students considering MDC have the option to apply to the Honors College, a distinct division of Miami Dade College that is open to high school graduates with exceptionally high GPA and SAT scores. Benefits of admission to the Honors College include small classes, study-travel opportunities, development of capstone projects for potential publication, and personalized educational planning.
Guaranteed Admission into University
Once a student graduates with an associate degree from MDC, MDC guarantees admission into any public university in Florida, as well as many other universities with which MDC has developed ongoing relationships. Graduates of Miami Dade College have also gone on to transfer into Harvard, Yale, Georgetown, Columbia, Boston University, and dozens more elite universities.
Specialized Training and Certificate Options for Students
Miami Dade College offers several options for students looking to start new careers, improve their job skills, or learn a specialty. MDC's technical certification programs prepare students for specific vocations in over 40 areas, including real estate, practical nursing, massage therapy, fire fighting, legal secretary, insurance marketing, and business computer programming.
For students who want to hone their knowledge in a specific area but are not seeking specific technical certifications or a degree, the school also offers college credit programs. These college credit programs focus on a specific industry -- such as banking, airlines, or hospitality -- or a specific job -- such as paramedic, nuclear medicine technology specialist, human resource manager, infant toddler specialist, or computer aided design (CAD) operator.
Non-credit options and alternative education options at MDC include courses open to accelerated high school students, GED preparation, and English as a second language (ESL) courses.
Ample Study Abroad Opportunities
Students at MDC can live in one of 29 countries while earning credits towards their MDC degree. Study abroad opportunities include travel to India, England, France, Japan, Morocco, Russia, Bulgaria, and New Zealand.
Current study abroad programs include the Medical Immersion Project in the Dominican Republic in which nursing students provide Haitian and Dominican migrant workers with basic health screenings and culturally-sensitive health education; the History of the Holocaust Faculty-Led Program in Poland in which students visit the death camps of Auschwitz, Sobibor, and Majdanek; and Economic Awakenings, in which students explore macro- and micro-economics in China.
Financial Aid and Scholarships
Ample financial aid opportunities are awarded based on financial need and/or academic record and include direct loan programs, scholarships, federal student aid, Pell Grants, and the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program.
Winning Sharks Teams
Miami Dade College is home to 5 intercollegiate athletic teams: women's basketball, softball, and volleyball; and men¿s basketball and baseball. Since 1961, the Miami Dade College Sharks have won multiple championship games and various recognitions and honors. MDC is a member of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) and the Florida Community College Activities Association's (FCCAA) Southern Conference.
A Growing List of Notable Alumni
Graduates from MDC include many notable performers, political figures, and celebrities, including: Emilio Estefan; Sylvester Stallone; Carlos Alvarez, mayor of Miami Dade County; Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, U.S. Congress House of Representatives; Alex Fernandex, former Major League Baseball pitcher; and Mireya Moscoso, former president of Panama.
A School at the Heart of Miami Culture
MDC came into being in the 1960s, during the cultural revolution brought on by desegregation and the arrival of thousands of Cuban refugees in Miami. Today, Miami Dade College is still located at the physical and metaphorical heart of Miami's culture and diversity. Students enjoy the city's vibrant nightlife, white sand beaches, concerts and music venues, and professional sports teams. Theme parks such as the Walt Disney World Resort, Epcot, and Universal Studios are within a short drive of Miami.
MDC is also a strong supporter of the arts: the college is the home to the Miami International Book Fair (the largest literary event in the U.S.), the nationally acclaimed Cultura del Lobo Performance Series, the Florida Center for the Literary Arts, and the Miami International Film Festival.