More than 15,000 undergraduate and graduate students from around the world call UM home during the academic semesters. The University has grown from its main location in the City of Coral Gables to include the medical campus located in Downtown Miami, the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science on Virginia Key, the John J. Koubek Center in Little Havana, the James L. Knight Center in Downtown Miami, and the South and Richmond campuses in southwest Miami-Dade county. With more than 10,000 full- and part-time faculty and staff, UM is the largest private employer in Miami-Dade County. The University was chartered in 1925 by a group of citizens who felt an institution of higher learning was needed for the development of their young and growing community. The inaugural class of 560 students enrolled in fall of 1926The University's 12 colleges and schools, along with the Division of Continuing and International Education, offer 150 undergraduate, 130 master's, 60 doctoral and two professional areas of study. The Coral Gables campus houses eight schools and two colleges. The School of Medicine has its own campus that is part of the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Medical Center complex in downtown Miami. The Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science is located on Virginia Key in Biscayne Bay. Additionally, other academic programs, including bi-lingual Continuing Education classes, are offered at the Koubek Center in Little Havana.Creating new knowledge is one of the highest priorities for a research university. Each day, in laboratories, studios, clinics, and classrooms across the campuses, what we know is rigorously questioned and challenged in the pursuit of new knowledge. Research and sponsored program expenditures totaled nearly $270 million (FY 05).Out-of-classroom activities play an important role in a college experience -- and rich student life at the University of Miami offers a multitude of opportunities. More than 260 student organizations reflect a wide array of interests, while the Greek community is home to 28 fraternities and sororities.
