University of Miami Top Questions

What are the academics like at your school?

Megan

very rigorous

Ke'Shawn

My Academics are #1 and top priority!!

Katie

I cannot say enough about Miami's academics. In every single class that I have taken at Miami, the professors have known my name and make an effort to get to know you. Miami has some of the best professors and have been ranked in the top three in Undergraduate Teaching in the country. Personally, my favorite classes were my education classes within my cohort. My professors were so caring and committed to seeing my classmates and I flourish in our desired field. As for least favorite class, I would have to say my math class that is required for the Miami Plan only because Math has always been my weakest subject. As for studying, Miami's motto is "work hard, play hard." During the week and weekends, students are always studying in King Library, which is the most popular study place on campus. There is a cafe in the library, which allows students to grab a coffee and start studying. Miami students are very committed to their academics and take their studying time seriously, but we also know how to balance a social life with academics. My major is Integrated English Education, which means that I want to teach high school English. I really can't say enough about the Education department at Miami. Some of my favorite teachers that I have ever had were for classes I took within the Education department. They are so passionate about the field and do their best to make sure that you learn all that you need to in order to be put out into the teaching field. Every professor has office hours, which I highly encourage. Most times, professors will meet you at the local coffee shop during their office hours or will be in their own individual office. More often than not, I met with my professors outside of class to go over course material and talk about the subject at hand. Once again, the professors at Miami are excellent and open to helping you as a student and individual in any way that they can. Finally, I would say that Miami's education is geared toward both getting a job and learning for its own sake. Sure, one purpose of college is to get a job at the end, which Miami is very committed to. But, on the other hand, Miami also gives its students the opportunity through the Miami Plan to take courses that they are interested in outside of their field.

Alexander

Academics at UM are pretty good. I have been challenged and work hard to maintain my grades. I am an English major and am satisfied with the breadth of courses and the writing skills that I have developed. Professors are always available to discuss paper topics, drafts, and life in general. The English program even offers specializations in British or Women's literature. There are plenty courses from science fiction surveys to an entire class about Jane Austen. The English professors are wonderful moderators of discussions and are very passionate about their subjects. Sciences are a different story. So far, the professor that I have had are great, but you'll usually be teaching yourself a great deal of the material. It takes time and practice to master chemistry and physics. They seem more interested in having a curve than teaching the students. I find myself struggling for exams rather than enjoying what I am learning. Students are generally not competitive. Pre-med students can be a bit obnoxious about grades and classes. Otherwise, most students want to excel for their personal gain and not because other students are getting ahead. This happens because there are so many different types of students. In a calculus class my freshman year, there were some freshmen but many sophomores and juniors. And two seniors repeating calculus! UM is not cutthroat. Everyone is just trying to get an education as quickly as possible to avoid incurring debt and move on to the next phase of their careers. Like I mentioned before, UM is highly career-oriented. The school always makes sure to let freshmen know about the Toppel Career Center that helps students find internships and figure out life after college. It's a great reason, but UM needs to develop the mentality of learning for the sake of learning.

Isaac

One of my favorite part about this school is the academics. So far with my time at this university I have experienced two very different sides of academics. I started off a chemistry major, which made me realize how challenging school can really get. But it was never anything I couldn't handle. Classes here teach you that time management is truly your best friend and that no test is too hard. After a full semester and a half as a Chemistry major I switched over into the communications school as a film major. This change showed me the artistic and creative side of the school and how nice the facilities are for almost any class. I've been able to take classes that range from digital productions to popular music to even women's gender studies. All of my professors have been incredibly influential and helpful and almost always open themselves up to help you make it through the collegiate process and sometimes even into the real world Overall I believe that this school has more then prepared me for going into the real world and gaining a job.

Ashley

Besides introductory classes, most classes are small, not very different from a high school setting. Because we are a top 50 school, we get many prestigious professors, for example my marketing teacher was the director of international marketing for Carnival Cruise Lines for many, many years before giving it up to teach at UM because he liked the atmosphere so much. A lot of them really have experience in their field and know what they are talking about. Students are very competitive, we work hard, but definitely know how to live it up on the weekends. I am a psych major, the psych department has so much to offer, all the professors do research at school that you can participate in. I am a research assistant and am helping to create and perform studies that will be published! Its such a fabulous opportunity for undergraduates.

Jaymes

Small classes generally, good teachers, don't have to study a ton if you are able to pay attention in class, class participation is off and on, students help each other for the most part. I am a film and economics double major with a business admin and international studies double minor. I graduated in 3.5 years. You can do so much here, I feel ready to take on the world. I've taken finance classes, history of jazz, oceanography, english, producing a motion picture, and plenty of more variety.

Jayson

The academics here at The U have really come a long way from where they used to be. US News ranked the University of Miami #38 on their 2012 list of Best National Universities, which is a nine spot jump from last years rankings. So, the school's academics, as a whole, are definitely on the "up and up" from the days during the 1980s and 90s when the University of Miami was nicknamed "Suntan U". The professors here are always a mixed bag, especially in the Business School, which is my area of expertise. Some professors who have been there for years really strive to impact and mold young student minds, while there are some who could care less, and others who barely even speak English. But, as long as you do your research on ratemyprofessor.com and go for the best professor for the class that you're looking for, you will not get stuck with a terrible professor. There are definitely different levels of competitiveness within the university, depending on what school you're in. The School of Business is competitive because every class is curved to between a 3.0 and a 3.3. This means that it is extremely hard to get an A, easy to get a B, and C's are given to those who have struggled. It is very hard to fail a Business School class unless you never show up. The Pre-Med program is also very competitive because every has their eye on getting into the best possible Medical Schools after graduation. The schools that are not as competitive are the School of Communication and School of Arts and Sciences.

Danielle

I've heard a lot of variation in how hard kids have to work to get good grades at UM. Personally, I've found that if you take classes in subjects you actually care about, doing well is easy! Unfortunately, most kids go to college with no idea what they want to do, and they may find their GPA slipping as they struggle through subjects that aren't their forte. Don't let a few Bs or Cs discourage you. It's important to remember that college is a choice. Unlike high school, you're there because you genuinely care about the subjects you're learning. And even if it takes sometime to figure out what you want to do, one class that started as a stupid requirement might turn into your major. Almost all of the professors I've had have been incredibly knowledgeable and helpful.For the most part, if you go to your office hours and let them see that you;re really trying, they'll give you a fair grade.Miami also offers an incredible variety of classes so it's easy to find subjects that sound more like fun than work. For instance, I've taken a musicology class where each class was spent watching and discussing music videos from modern pop artists! Classes like that are sure to boost your GPA even if physics is kind of a flop. As long as you choose your schedule with the goal of enjoying the majority of your classes, academics shouldn't be a problem.

Aryana

The academics at U.M. are impressive. Depending on the type of course, class sizes range from a handful of students to 90 maximum. The only classes with such large numbers are general lectures, so that size does not interfere with the education. Compared to many other schools, I never felt as though I was lost in the shuffle of the masses or shunted aside to nonsense online classes (I am a Biology and English double major and Psychology minor, so my experience is extensive). The teachers in the smaller courses immediately learn the names of each of their students, and even the lecture teachers make a concerted effort. Regardless, all teachers are very responsive via email and always willing to meet students outside of class, and not just during office hours if those hours are impractical for the student. Teachers greatly encourage class participation, and I've never experienced a lull in a class due to a teacher's ineptness or a class's reluctance or disinterest. Students are serious about studying as the need arises and make an effort to earn good grades. The education in general provides a balance between preparing students for a professional future and also for expanding their academic knowledge.

Kateryna

There are people who really care about their grades and are responsible and study a lot, and do well/moderately well. And there are those that party all the time and do minimal to no work.

Jordan

Starting answering!Every single one of my professors knows my name. It probably helps that none of these professors teach me in any classes larger than about 30 students, and in some cases in numbers as small as 16 students. The University of Miami offers a wide variety of classes, both unique and established, traditional classes essential to earning a degree in a certain field. Often, however, in the latter classes professors here will throw their own unique spin on it. Most memorably, my professor who taught Development of Western Civilization, a seemingly standard history course, spiced things up by paying extra attention to the day-to-day gender and sexual relations of the ancient and not-so-ancient civilizations we studied, definitely expanding class’ perception of history and making for some very interesting lectures. These professors are all friendly and experts in their fields. At the end of my first semester I talked to an English professor of mine briefly after class about that, as a fellow English major, I was a bit concerned about how to support myself after college when pursuing a career in writing. Though, as a Freshman, I am a long way from graduating, my professor suggested we have an one-on-one meeting and was only too happy to give me information concerning important internships, summer and scholarship programs, career opportunities and other professionals in the literary field UM has in its employment. His help has led to me to work with the school’s literary journal, the Mangrove, and applications to summer internship and research opportunities for English majors I would have otherwise been entirely ignorant of. I am proud to be a part of UM’s English department, as our professors are intellectuals and very much active parts of the world’s literary community and Miami’s own burgeoning local literary scene. Just in my first semester alone the English department invited to the University as speakers three different local writers who wrote about the unique Hispanic-American culture of Miami I grew up in. Our department head, professor Shoulson, is infamous for his mind-bending lectures at the higher level English courses, likened by students who have the privilege to take them as “Inception, but with English”. Many of the professors here also teach unique classes not offered anywhere else. My first semester I was able to take a course dedicating to studying the Music Genome Project and the science behind music; why does it make us feel the way we do and how, and how music can be organized and correlated. One of the more interesting subjects studied in that class was the formula Pandora radio uses to sort its enormous music collection. Often the students of the class served as guinea pigs for the professors idea’s and experiments, and willingly to boot. The student body here, as befits a top 40 school, is definitely interested in learning and their education. Of course, certain students will only be interested in their certain fields; fellow English majors will find plenty of stimulating discussion with other English majors, but perhaps not students of the Business School, and vice versa. That said, interactions with the incredibly diverse student body will also further a prospective student’s education; of my two closest friends at the University, one is a business student whose conversations about the ethics of current economical dilemmas make up for my lack of attentiveness to current events. The other is a student of the Robert Frost music school, a classical violinist, and we have attended many of the free-for-student film festivals and music recitals, able to offer different views and engage one another over a shared experience. The school’s academic requirements all measure up to the academic prestige I have just described; they are not lax and will definitely push you, but they are never unfair, and there will always be someone to help you, be it a friend, a professor, or a free on-campus tutor provided by the University.

Alyssa

You will spend 3 to 6 times more money to go to UM only to get the same quality of education at an in-state university. The lower quality education is a result of two main factors. 1. The University of Miami is blindly 'US News National Ranking' driven and will do anything academically to make the school "the ivy league school of the south". UM will do anything to satisfy the academic average standards set by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS); if the average is too high SACS is known to question the accreditation status of the university in question (UM almost lost it's status a few years back because students were "obtaining high grades too easily"). **You can view University of Miami's approach to accreditation here: http://www.miami.edu/index.php/office_of_accreditation_and_assessment_oaa/) 2. Professors are here for both research and education, not one or the other. Consequentially, professors are generally focus more on either research or education; usually more focus is given to research and education becomes a lecture read from power point and multiple-choice exams.

Alyssa

You will spend 3 to 6 times more money to go to UM only to get the same quality of education at an in-state university. The lower quality education is a result of two main factors. 1. The University of Miami is blindly 'US News National Ranking' driven and will do anything academically to make the school "the ivy league school of the south". UM will do anything to satisfy the academic average standards set by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS); if the average is too high SACS is known to question the accreditation status of the university in question (UM almost lost it's status a few years back because students were "obtaining high grades too easily"). 2. Professors are here for both research and education, not one or the other. Consequentially, professors are generally focus more on either research or education; usually more focus is given to research and education becomes a lecture read from power point and multiple-choice exams.

Margaux

Anyone who has ever asked me about UM knows that I can go on for hours about how awesome my classes are. In fact, it's often the first thing I tell people. I'm a too-ambitious-for-my-own-good triple major studying English Lit, French and Journalism. None of my classes have more than 50 students, and most have way fewer. Every single one of my professors know my name and so far, all of them have made an effort to learn everyone's names. What's more, professors are amazing about office hours. They're always willing to help with papers or concepts that you don't understand. They go above and beyond their call, often meeting when they don't have scheduled office hours because if their hours don't work with your schedule. Not all students participate in class, but many do. I happen to be one of them, and the greatest part about classes here has been how much professors encourage us to speak up. We get treated like our ideas matter, and that is invaluable when we're learning how to function outside of the classroom. Students aren't generally competitive (well, except for pre-meds, but that's true wherever you go), but they do work hard. During finals week, you can't find a seat in the library (which is open 24 hours!) because everyone is hitting the books. And because we can take classes in all nine of our school, you can get a little taste of everything. The pre-professional classes, the learning-for-the-sake-of-learning classes, the lecture halls and the 10-person-classes. They're all there, just waiting for you to take advantage of them. All it takes it a little initiative. And if you're the kind of person who needs a bit of a push from others to work or to find the right track, UM might not be for you. We've got too many students for everyone to be getting personal attention. If you want that individual, one-on-one contact with a professor or adviser, you have to make it happen. But in my experience, once you do, they're extremely willing to help.

Steven

As a music business major I get to experience both the School of Music and School of Business every day. Many of my favorite classes have become so because of a good professor. A bad professor will usually ruin a class, no matter how engaging the content is. In my experience I will enjoy about 60{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of my professors, 30{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} will be neutral, and 10{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} I'll dislike. The nice thing about both the music and business schools is that most of the classes are small, and therefore most all of my professors know me on a first name basis. This makes it easy and comfortable to email them questions, or even sometimes play gigs with the music school professors. Some classes are always going to be rough, it is school, but I mostly feel like I've been taught well and professionally.

Steven

As a music business major I get to experience both the School of Music and School of Business every day. Many of my favorite classes have become so because of a good professor. A bad professor will usually ruin a class, no matter how engaging the content is. In my experience I will enjoy about 60{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of my professors, 30{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} will be neutral, and 10{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} I'll dislike. The nice thing about both the music and business schools is that most of the classes are small, and therefore most all of my professors know me on a first name basis. This makes it easy and comfortable to email them questions, or even sometimes play gigs with the music school professors. Some classes are always going to be rough, it is school, but I mostly feel like I've been taught well and professionally.

Cory

I am an Ecosystem Science & Policy and Anthropology major. From working on two smaller degrees, the classes tend to be smaller allowing teachers to really get to know you and help you out. However, in the big general education courses like Religion 101, if you go up to the teacher they will definitely help you out. How much studying you have to do really depends on the course; classes that are more science-based tend to be more difficult while the humanities tend to be easier. However, teachers really tend to make or break the class. Multiple students use websites like RateMyProfessor.com during class registration times.

Brad

Usually it depends on the college within UM that you are in. The business school students are known as the "slackers" because most if not all the classes are curved to a "B" average. The engineering school however is probably the toughest. Most of the students i know as friends usually only study a couple nights before a test and cram the material and still do well enough to get an "A".

Tiffany

I love the fact that teachers give you one on one attention and try to help you as much as they can. The classes aren’t big and so there is a lot of class participation. Students take their work pretty serious, and the professors are definitely world class. There is a lot of variety in terms of classes to pick from as well. There is also a lot of help offered for example the Academic Resource Center, The Math Building, and a Writing Center, there is basically help offered for everything if you need it. My major is Journalism and English. The communications program here is wonderful, there are so many opportunities. The academic requirements are a bit high but its all supposed to push you to do your best.

Katherine

One of the great things about UM is that class sizes are small. The largest class that I've ever been in had 250 students. The majority of my classes have around 20-25 students so you really get to know your professors. The best class and the most unique that I've taken so far would have to be APY415: Forensic Anthropology II. We got to go to a gun range and shoot, collect data, and put together a project about the effects of firearms on the human body. Because class sizes are so small it's easy to get involved. I'm an Anthropology and English double major and I love both of my departments. I'm more involved with anthropology (I am a teaching assistant for 2 courses) but I love all of the English classes that I've taken. Most of the professors that I've had have been very knowledgeable and good teachers but I have had 2 horrible professors. I think that's pretty common everywhere. Asking around and looking at ratemyprofessor.com helps you avoid those professors though. UM offers a lot of research and internship opportunities that I feel will be very helpful when applying to grad schools and eventually getting a job.

Sarah

Half of my professors know me by name, the other half opened the class by saying they would not know our names by the end of the semester. Academics have a good reputation but honestly I feel like I've learned the bare minimum but am doing very well academically.

Alyssa

You will spend 3 to 6 times more money to go to UM only to get the same quality of education at an in-state university.

Jesse

Its no news that Miami is trying to raise its academic reputation but Shalala has really put some effort into attracting some the of the smartest, talented kids. Its not uncommon to meet students that reject MIT, Stanford, and Michigan, 3 top 10 engineering programs for Miami. Overall, this campus is very studious. The main library is nicknamed Club Richter since that is where you can find most students during the day studying and doing work. Being in engineering, small class sizes and dedicated professors are top priority. Miami's program is small enough to foster student/professor relationships but big enough to earn a reputation and endowments. All my professors are easy-going and friendly outside of class. One time I ran into my Physics teacher at Chipotle and we got to chat about different developments in physics technologies. Most engineering programs are also know for competitive students but Miami is not like that. My classmates are always willing to share notes, study together, and help out others in need of tutoring.

Morgan

I thought the classes at UM were pretty interesting, but they really don't expect a lot out of you. Classes are ridiculously easy and I felt like I was learning unimportant stuff. I was in the communications school. In the communications school, it seems like everyone acts like you are not supposed to be there and like you are constantly doing something wrong. They were really unhelpful, and I often had to go way out of my way just to have simple questions answered. The faculty, overall, weren't bad. They didn't really expect much of the students, which I didn't like. I felt the classes were way to easy. I also felt the faculty were often way more into their research than actually teaching classes.

Alex

freshman year your classes will be kinda large depending on your major. but as you get into higher level classes, my classes average about 15-20 people. my professors pretty much all know my name.

Andy

class participation is pretty low in my classes so far (spanish, art history, accounting, economics, english, biology) i have found that there are so many outside distractions form being able to focus on school. i feel like this is due to the lack of campus life and the reputation for miami being a party city and school. have not found a lot students that study a lot of talk about intellectual things outside of class ( i feel like this may be due to knowing mostly greeks) favorite class so far - art history 132 survey of western art spanish dept is not so hot. rather than having a spanish dept, there is a 'modern languages and literature' dept... so the courses are poorly guided and taught - also a disappointment being a transfer student. great career center and certain classes are def geared toward jobs after college

Carlos

Your lower levels courses will be a mixed bag. ENG112 with Flores is CAKE, but FIN302 with Bernille is being MASOCHISTIC. Don't take BSL212 with Abril, she's too hot for you to pay attention to! The students are all expected to contribute to the class and professors try to get to know you personally. Depending on who you associate yourself with, your conversations will vary. Personally, as comfortable debating the merits of Marx or the writing of Voltaire, as I am recalling keg stands at the SigEp parties. If your a go-getter, get ready for competition. The students in the School of Business administration are extremely proud of thweir achievements and hungry for recognition. A Miami degree is geared towards entry into the workforce. Professors all have meningful experience in relations to their subjects and can offer some insight, when asked. The Toppel Career center tries to place students into lucrative and challenging jobs, so don't be surprised if the guy with the A in your Statistics or Economics class works for Goldman Sachs...

Joe

For the most part, professors do a solid job. Often times though, I rely on the old adage that college is what you make of it. If you go out of your way to introduce yourself, make yourself known during class, go to office hours, etc. then you'll take the most away from your academic experience. You can cruise and get C's and D's if you want, but you can also put in some effort, learn some new things, and get some good grades. I habitually have political discussion with my friends and professors outside of class. In fact one professor invites students out to dinner at the Rat before each of our classes just to talk. Often times however, it feels like there is more emphasis on learning for a good job (especially in the business school) rather than finding an intrinsic value in education.

Alison

Class sizes are just right. Once you get past the beginner-level lecture classes, you'll usually find yourself in a class with around 20 other students. Professors definitely know your name and they are always available and willing to help with anything. Students here are not overly competitive. This isn't a cutthroad school. But, at the same time, the kids are extremely smart. Studying is something that is done daily. Class participation is very common and the professors welcome all questions. An education from UMiami will prepare you for any career path. And, with the 18th best career placement in the nation (as ranked by Princeton Review), you'll have an easy time getting there.