Study abroad at Miami Beach

Miami Beach is a world-famous, sun-drenched barrier island resort city, global design capital, and hospitality powerhouse in South Florida across Biscayne Bay from Downtown Miami, situated just 15 minutes east of Miami International Airport (MIA). Celebrated globally for the iconic South Beach (SoBe), the world's largest concentration of 1930s Art Deco architecture (Art Deco Historic District on Ocean Drive), pedestrian-friendly Lincoln Road shopping and dining mall, host city of Art Basel Miami Beach (the Americas' premier international contemporary art fair), the New World Center (Frank Gehry-designed concert hall), and thriving international industries in luxury hospitality, cruise tourism, international real estate, fashion, and digital media, along with 0% state personal income tax in Florida. Miami Beach is the premier urban creative campus home of Florida International University's Miami Beach Urban Studios (FIU MBUS - housed in a state-of-the-art 16,000-sq-ft facility on iconic Lincoln Road, part of FIU's College of Communication, Architecture + The Arts CARTA, housing the largest 3D printing and rapid prototyping lab of its kind in the nation). Miami Beach is directly served by FIU's top-ranked Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management (ranked top 10 in the US, located at the Biscayne Bay Campus overlooking the bay and hosting the world-famous Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival SOBEWFF), alongside Miami Dade College, University of Miami (UM in Coral Gables), and Barry University. Degrees are taught 100% in English with prestigious US accreditations. International students benefit from direct networking with international luxury hotel chains and tech ventures, zero state income tax, competitive merit scholarships, and direct US F-1 / I-20 Student Visa support with 3-year STEM OPT work extensions.

Tuition fees in the Miami Beach / Miami metropolitan area for international undergraduate students at Florida International University (FIU - Carnegie R1) range between $18,500 and $20,500 per academic year for Architecture, Digital Media & Design, Hospitality & Tourism Management, and Business (with FIU awarding generous International Undergraduate Merit Scholarships discounting $5,000 to $10,000/year from tuition for applicants with a GPA of 3.3+). At Miami Dade College, tuition for 2+2 university transfer programs is approx. $9,500 to $11,500/year. Modern student apartments and shared condos in South Beach, Mid-Beach, North Beach, and Biscayne Landing range from $850 to $1,450 per month for shared apartments and $1,400 to $2,300 for private studios. General monthly living expenses range between $1,050 and $1,750.

International students require a US F-1 Student Visa. Upon academic admission and verification of financial documentation (bank statement certifying first-year tuition and living expenses minus scholarship awards), International Student and Scholar Services (FIU ISSS) issues the official Form I-20. The student pays the SEVIS I-901 fee, completes the DS-160 online visa application, and attends the F-1 visa interview at the US Embassy or Consulate. STEM graduates qualify for a 24-month OPT extension (total 36 months of US employment authorization).