As Miami's first and only public research university, offering bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees, FIU is Worlds Ahead in it's service to the academic and local community. With a history of excellence, FIU is Miami's largest university, with 50,000 students, 1,100 full-time faculty and nearly 200,000 alumni. FIU is Worlds Ahead in its commitment to learning, research, entrepreneurship, innovation and creativity. Our graduates are prepared to succeed in a global market. FIU Online has been at the forefront of offering the best in online learning since 1998. In 2009, FIU Online enhanced its focus to offer online continuing education, online courses as a complement to on-site students as well as fully online programs. FIU now has 27 fully online programs and dozens of programs that can be completed almost entirely online. Designated as a top-tier research institution, FIU emphasizes research as a major component in the university's mission. The Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine and the School of Computing and Information Sciences' Discovery Lab, are just two of many colleges, schools, and centers that actively enhance the university’s ability to set new standards through the research initiatives.