One Vision, One College, Greater Impact
As Miami Dade College welcomes students back for the start of the fall term, the new school year is arriving with more than fresh notebooks and full classrooms. It begins with stronger enrollment, new academic pathways, expanded workforce programs and a collegewide Convocation featuring keynote speaker Jay Kiew, a change-navigation strategist whose career and personal story center on resilience, innovation and navigating disruption.
Kiew, a half-blind cancer survivor, is a speaker, author and advisor with more than 15 years of transformation experience. He is known for helping leaders and teams adapt to change with confidence, connection and purpose.
Momentum by the Numbers
As the fall term begins, MDC introduces an expansive slate of new bachelor’s degrees, associate degrees, certificates and industry credentials designed to meet Florida’s fastest-growing workforce needs. Students also have a new planning tool this year: multi-term enrollment, which allows them to register for multiple upcoming terms at once and secure a fuller academic-year schedule.
The momentum is easy to see. MDC’s total credit enrollment is now 26% higher than it was in 2022, with several campuses already outperforming last year’s numbers. North, Medical and Hialeah campuses are helping lead that growth, while Kendall, North and MDC Online together account for more than half of all fall credit hours.
The year also begins with induction ceremonies for Presidential Scholars, Rising Scholars and Honors College students, welcoming some of MDC’s top students into programs built around academic excellence, leadership and community. The programs offer mentorship, academic advising, scholarship support, enriched coursework and opportunities to connect with peers and faculty, helping students start the semester with a stronger sense of belonging, purpose and momentum toward completion.
For MDC President Madeline Pumariega, the numbers reflect more than enrollment gains. They show students continuing toward completion and choosing fields tied directly to South Florida’s future.
“Students are really pursuing the fields in our community that are tied to the talent we need most: artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, health care, teaching, and other high-demand fields like the construction trades,” Pumariega said.
Careers in the Making
Those priorities are reflected in the programs launching this fall. New offerings include financial technology, semiconductor technology and nanomanufacturing, cloud data analytics, cloud DevOps, cloud security, aerospace technician training, fiber optics, esports management and a Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene. The College is also expanding upper-level cybersecurity coursework at Kendall Campus, creating a full bachelor’s degree pathway, and updating music business options with courses in DJing and Pro Tools certification.
At the same time, MDC is investing in spaces and partnerships that bring career training closer to where students live and work. The Construction Trades Institute will expand programs at both North and Homestead campuses with support from a Gable Grant from the Lowe’s Foundation. A $75,000 grant from Amazon will support the Eig-Watson School of Aviation, providing additional scholarships for students preparing for careers as pilots, air traffic controllers, aviation technicians and other aviation and aerospace professionals.
College Before the Cap and Gown
The new school year also arrives with a growing emphasis on students who begin their college journey before earning a high school diploma. Through dual enrollment, the School for Advanced Studies, New World School of the Arts, Miami Tech at Mater Innovation Academy and Junior Achievement of Greater Miami, MDC is opening college doors earlier for students across Miami-Dade County.
Nearly 24,000 students are enrolled in dual enrollment classes as MDC continues to grow its partnership with Miami-Dade County Public Schools, saving families an estimated $17 million in tuition and fees. “Helping students begin their college journey while they are still in high school can change the trajectory of their lives,” Pumariega said. MDC also supports early-college pathways through the School for Advanced Studies, New World School of the Arts, Miami Tech at Mater Innovation Academy and Junior Achievement of Greater Miami.
For students arriving on campus, logging in online or beginning college while still in high school, the new academic year brings more ways to plan, persist and prepare for what comes next. From Convocation and scholar inductions to new career pathways and early-college options, MDC’s fall start reflects a collegewide push to connect students with opportunity from the first day of class.