Expanding minds: Miami-Dade’s educational insitutions are investing in innovation to produce more competitive students and job-seekers Miami-Dade’s educational platform continues to transform, improving the lives of the county’s residents and its business community. Florida has the second lowest costs in the nation for public colleges and universities, and there has not been a tuition increase since 2013. This allows more Miami residents to access higher education and the many innovations and opportunities that Miami’s institutions are investing in. Business remains one of the most popular majors at many of the local institutions, but psychology and liberal arts are also in demand. In 2018, many institutions are looking to expand their physical campuses to accommodate more students and facilities and are searching for innovative learning opportunities. Through these expansions, Miami will boast more productive schools, as well as more competitive students and job-seekers. A provision that was originally included in the national tax legislation — taxing graduate students’ tuition waivers — was not part of the final legislation. This would have caused serious strain on both students and universities and reduced the number of students earning graduate degrees around the country. The provision’s omission allows students to 166 | Invest: Miami 2018 | EDUCATION
continue their studies and universities to continue educating needed professionals for Miami’s growing business community. Global props Miami’s schools are being recognized for excellence throughout the world. Despite declining levels of international students throughout the U.S. (in 2017, international undergraduates were down 2.2 percent and graduate students 5.5 percent), Miami Dade College, St. Thomas University and the University of Miami (UM) saw steady growth in their international student numbers. The school with the most international students nationwide is Melbourne’s Florida Institute of Technology. Miami-area universities are focused on the future and making sure their students are prepared to enter the job market. For example, the University of Miami Business School and St. Thomas University’s Gus Machado School of Business are focusing on small business entrepreneurship in order to help graduates adapt to Miami’s market. The global accounting firm KPMG recognized UM’s business school as a top priority for recruitment due to the institution’s 98