The University and the CommunityMiami University is a residential coeducational school located in the small collegiate community of Oxford, Ohio. The school is the seventh-oldest state-assisted university in the nation, established in 1809. The Oxford campus, noted for the classical beauty of its Georgian architecture, is situated on approximately 1,200 acres and has 102 buildings. Oxford is a quiet residential town of approximately 8,500 (excluding students), located 35 miles north of Cincinnati and 46 miles southwest of Dayton. There are approximately 16,000 students at the Oxford campus, including about 1,800 graduate students. The student-faculty ratio is approximately 17:1. The University has an established record for academic excellence, and was named one of eight "public ivy" institutions in the country in 1985 for its academic quality and collegiate atmosphere. Among publications recently citing Miami for its high quality, low cost education are Fiske's Selective Guide to Colleges and Universities, Peterson's Competitive Colleges, Money Magazine, People, Good Housekeeping, Changing Times, and Time Magazine. The University is organized into six divisions: Arts and Science, Education and Allied Professions, Business Administration, Fine Arts, Applied Sciences, and Interdisciplinary Studies. Miami operates on an early semester calendar, with 16 weeks comprising a semester. First semester begins in late August and ends in December. Second semester begins in January and ends in early May. The Doctoral degree is offered in 10 areas of study, the master's degree in 60 areas, and the Bachelor's degree in 97 areas. Each of the four departments supporting Molecular Biology Studies offers both the Master's and Doctoral degrees. The graduate program is of moderate size, which facilitates the establishment of close personal relationships between graduate students and also between students and faculty. It is common for students to attend professional meetings to present research papers with their faculty research adviser. Funding is available to defray costs of student attendance at meetings through both The Graduate School and the individual departments. Students are encouraged to join professional societies compatible with their interests, and may be elected to membership in Sigma Xi - a national society which honors research in the sciences. In the participating departments, there is a total over 100 faculty members and 140 graduate students. The student theater and community summer theater perform dramas, comedies and musicals throughout the year. The Performing Arts Series brings a number of world-renowned musicians, musical groups, dancers and other entertainers to campus each year. Millett Assembly Hall seats approximately 11,000 people for concerts and entertainers. Oxford is within 40-minutes driving time to Dayton and Cincinnati, so that an additional wide range of cultural activities, such as the symphony orchestra, summer opera, theaters, museums, professional sports teams, and innumerable restaurants are available without the disadvantages associated with living in a large city.
|
