St. Thomas University is a private, nonprofit Catholic university in Miami Gardens, Florida, offering undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate programs.
St. Thomas University is a private, nonprofit institution located at 16401 NW 37th Avenue in Miami Gardens, Florida. Its mission is to serve as a Catholic university with rich cultural and international diversity, committed to the academic and professional success of its students, who become ethical leaders in the global community. It is one of only eleven Catholic universities directly associated with a local diocese or archdiocese of the Church.
St. Thomas University was founded in 1961 as Biscayne College by the Augustinian Friars. Biscayne College earned university status in 1984 after adding 10 master's degree programs and opening the School of Law. The university came under the sponsorship of the Archdiocese of Miami in 1988, making it the only Catholic archdiocesan-sponsored university in Florida. The university traces its roots to the Universidad de Santo Tomas de Villanueva, founded in 1946 in Havana, Cuba, by American Augustinians with assistance from European Augustinians.
The university offers more than 60 undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate degree programs, both online and on its Miami Gardens campus. Its colleges are the College of Nursing, College of Health Sciences & Technology, College of Law, Gus Machado College of Business, and Biscayne College for Liberal Arts and Social Sciences. Experiential learning, such as co-ops, internships, practicums, and study abroad, is a graduation requirement for undergraduates. The College of Law has been fully accredited by the American Bar Association since 1988, and it is one of only two accredited Catholic law schools south of Georgetown University's School of Law. The university also conducts research across a wide range of disciplines.
The Chapel of Saint Anthony anchors the geographic center of the campus and is open daily for prayer and reflection. Campus facilities include residence halls with Wi-Fi, a fitness center, gym and swimming pool, several dining venues, the St. Thomas University Library, the Favalora Archives & Museum, the Glenn Hubert Student Learning Center, and the Sardiñas Gallery.
Undergraduate applicants can apply through the free STU application or the Common App, with rolling admission. Test-optional admission is available for undergraduates, and special non-degree-seeking student enrollment is also offered.