FIU’s academic community is composed of 11 schools and colleges – including its prestigious Honors College – that are home to award-winning faculty members, cutting-edge research. The colleges and schools of FIU offer more than 190 Baccalaureate, Master’s, and Doctoral degree options and include South Florida's only public schools of law and medicine. FIU’s exploration, research, and community engagement is supported by more than 40 centers and institutes.
In selecting students for admission, FIU looks for potential for academic success, the capacity and desire to learn, and evidence that the individual will thrive in a constantly evolving academic environment. The admission requirements in the university vary according to different levels and types of degrees offered. The various admission requirements are explained below.
Requirements for Undergraduate Admissions
In addition to the application, the following credentials are required for Freshman Applicants:
- Official secondary school transcripts and appropriate test scores: SAT or the ACT. All official transcripts, test scores, and any other required credentials must be received directly from the issuing agencies, through electronic platforms or mailed to P.O. Box 659003, Miami, FL. 33265-9003. It is the applicant’s responsibility to initiate the request for credentials to the issuing agencies and to assure their receipt by the Office of Admissions. All scores and transcripts submitted to the Office of Admissions become the property of FIU.
- Proof of graduation from an accredited secondary school must be submitted before the decision is final.
- High School diplomas accepted for undergraduate degree-seeking admission to FIU must be completed at a secondary institution accredited by a regional accrediting body or at an institution accredited by a national accrediting agency recognized by the United States Department of Education.
- Eighteen academic units in college preparatory courses are required as follows:
- English - 4
- Mathematics - 4
- Natural Science - 3
- Social Science - 3
- Foreign Languages - 2
- Academic Electives - 2
The academic grade point average will be computed only on the units listed above. Grades in honors courses, International Baccalaureate (IB), Association of International Credential Evaluators, Inc. (AICE), Dual Enrollment, and Advanced Placement (AP) courses will be given additional weight.
Admission to FIU is selective and freshman admission decisions are made based on the student’s strong academic preparation. Competition for placement in the freshman class includes a review of all academic credentials and a completed file.
Students may be offered an alternate term of entry; be placed into an exploratory major; and/or be limited to the number of credit hours they can complete each term should they not meet criteria for the term for which they originally applied. Students may also be invited to submit additional documentation to be reviewed through a holistic process for an admissions decision.
Students seeking a holistic review will be required to submit an essay and meet deadline dates associated with the holistic review process. Applicants are encouraged to complete the MyMajorMatch assessment to match their interest with FIU majors, find an appropriate major, and explore possible careers.
The admission requirements differ a bit when it comes to Transfer Applicants. Degree-seeking applicants with fewer than 30 transferrable semester hours must meet the same requirements as beginning freshmen applicants. Applicants with more than 30 transferrable semester hours must have a 2.0 GPA, be in good standing at their prior institution, and have successfully completed at least one college-level English and one college-level math class with a “C” or higher.
FIU encourages all transfer applicants to apply for admission at least one semester prior to the term they wish to enroll. Students transferring from independent Florida and out-of-state colleges into the University’s upper-division must have maintained a minimum 2.0-grade point average using a 4.0 scale (with the exception of some limited access programs) and be in good academic standing at the last institution.
Coursework transferred or accepted for credit toward an undergraduate degree must be completed at an institution accredited as degree-granting by a regional accrediting body or at an institution accredited as degree-granting by a national accrediting agency recognized by the United States Department of Education that participates in the statewide course numbering system at the time the coursework was completed. Each academic department reserves the right to determine how transfer credits may be applied to satisfy the specific requirements for the major and/or degree. Students must contact their intended academic department to obtain any additional requirements needed for their program of study.
Requirements for Graduate Admissions
Applicants to a graduate program of the University must meet the minimum standards set forth by the University and the program. Applicants must check the individual program requirements before submitting their applications.
A student seeking admission into a graduate program offered by the University must have a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution or, in the case of foreign students, from a well-established institution of higher learning that is authorized to grant degrees by appropriate authorities in that country. The applicant must submit official transcripts, test scores, and other supporting documents to Florida International University, Office of Admissions, P.O. Box 659004, Miami, FL. 33265-9004. All credentials and documents submitted to the Office of Admissions become the property of Florida International University. FIU will not return original documents to the applicant or forward them to another institution.
In the absence of specific program admission requirements, the applicant should have a minimum of a "B" average in the last 60 credits of upper-level work or a graduate degree from an accredited institution. Degree programs individually determine admission requirements with respect to requiring nationally-normed examinations and the required scores.
Admissions at the graduate level are competitive and meeting minimum program requirements does not guarantee admission. An applicant who fails to meet criteria may gain admission via an exception to the admissions standards initiated by the specific academic department/program.
If the applicants have any queries regarding the admissions process, they can always contact their personal admissions counselor who will take them through every step of the admissions process. For information on applying for admission to a graduate program, please contact the Graduate Admissions Office:
Office: SASC 126 on Modesto A. Maidique Campus
Phone: 305-348-7000
Fax: 305-348-7441
Email: gradadm@fiu.edu
Office Hours: Monday, Thursday, Friday: 9 am - 5 pm; Tuesday, Wednesday: 9 am - 6 pm