• Year Established:1959
• Location:Miami, Florida
• Number of Campuses:8 campuses, numerous outreach centers
• Classification:State supported community college
• Total Number of Enrollees:54,169*
  
  *Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2005 Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System IPEDS, Spring 2006

A Brief Look into the History of the Miami-Dade College

The Miami-Dade College in Florida is a state-supported college. The management takes pride in the fact that they are "the largest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the most highly regarded colleges in the nation." Now, that's really something to be proud of! Even though MDC is a national leader in enrollment, they have a huge faculty allowing MDC to offer smaller classes where the student has the opportunity to get to know their professors and classmates.

But how did the Miami-Dade College come to be? Its humble beginnings can be traced as far back as 1959 when it was first established. A year later, it opened as the Dade County Junior College. Back then, it was the first educational institution to open its doors to African American students and Cuban exiles who could not afford to enroll in other schools.

Some overtones of being an open admission college are reflected on their website – which states that Miami-Dade College is an equal access, equal opportunity institution which does not discriminate on the base of race, color, marital status, gender, age, religion, national origin or disability.

Over the years, the quality of academic education offered by the college has improved and strengthened. Today, the Miami-Dade College offers more than 150 academic programs at eight campuses in strategic locations.

How the Educational System Works

Again, the Miami-Dade College is a state-supported college. It is also the largest institution of higher education in the United States.

Unlike the University of Phoenix and other universities and colleges who have grown to such huge numbers largely due to their online courses, Miami-Dade College focuses more within a typical classroom environment. However, they do have a growing number of online courses offered through the Miami-Dade College North Campus that are gathering a worldwide student base.

As an educational institution, the Miami-Dade College finds important focus on the development of “beyond-the-box” thinking habits such as the student's critical thinking, creative problem solving and communication skills. This will allow graduates to excel at any line of work that they will find themselves in right after getting a college education.

With a loaded base of more than 2,000 part-time and full-time faculty members, the Miami-Dade College is more than capable of offering its thousands of students the quality education they deserve and as stated above, in a generally smaller classroom environment.

Program Listings

Miami-Dade College started as a basic 2 year community college institution, offering associate degree programs. The facility now offers greater than 150 degrees from associates to bachelors. Below you’ll find a list of some of the specialties and program offerings.

Programs by Curriculum and Degree

• Associate of Applied Science
• Advanced Technical Certificate
• Associate in Arts (University transfer programs)
• Associate in Science and College Credit Certificates
• Bachelor of Applied Science in Public Safety Management
• Bachelor of Science in Nursing
• Bachelor of Science in Exceptional Student Education (ESE), Secondary Mathematics Education, and Secondary Science, with specialties in Biology, Chemistry, Earth and Science and Physics
• Career Training programs including Vocational Credit Certificates
• Educator Preparation Institute

Programs by Areas of Interest

• Aviation
• Allied Health
• Business
• Computers
• Criminal Justice
• Entertainment
• Fire Science
• Hospitality and Travel
• Nursing
• Public Service
• Other Occupational Program Areas
  
  Visit the official website of the Miami-Dade College to learn more about the specific courses that you can enroll in.

Advantages of Enrolling at Miami-Dade College

If you would like to be part of one of the most highly regarded community colleges in the nation, you will make a superior choice if enrolled at the Miami-Dade College. Here are some of the benefits you can expect:

• The faculty members at the Miami-Dade College are dedicated to student achievement, they are focused on teaching – and they are all highly qualified and extensively experienced educators.
• The Miami-Dade College offers extensive Library and Media Services. These provides students with 24/7 access to online, full-text periodicals providing connection to resources from home or any of the Miami-Dade College campuses and outreach centers.
• Miami-Dade College transfer students are many times offered generous scholarships or financial aid.

Is There Any Downside to Enrolling at Miami-Dade College?

When you search for reviews about the Miami-Dade College, you will see very little if any negative comments in regards to how the educational institution is ran or its faculty.

A Final Word about the Quality of Education Offered by the Miami-Dade College

To sum it all up, the Miami-Dade College has eight strategically located campuses, as well as a good number of outreach centers. If you are looking for an educational institution where members of the faculty are helpful and friendly aside from being fully qualified – there is no better college to enroll in than the Miami-Dade College in Florida.