St. Thomas University, is a private Roman Catholic university located in Miami Gardens, which is a Miami suburban city located in Miami-Dade County, in the US state of Florida, with a population estimated at a number of more than 108 000 inhabitants, during the 2007 census. Miami Gardens is the largest city in the state that has a majority of black residents, and it is best known for the fact that it is home to the Miami Dolphins and Florida Marlins, as well as for the fact that it hosts, annually, the Orange Bowl college football game, at the Sun Life Stadium, home field for the University of Miami Hurricanes football team.

St. Thomas University was founded in 1946, by by American Augustinians with assistance from European Augustinians, as the Universidad Católica de Santo Tomás de Villanueva, and it was named after Saint Thomas of Villanova. In 1961, several of the American Augustinians came to Miami, and they founded Biscayne College, which was accepted as a member of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, in 1968, and became a university, in 1984, when it adopted its current name.

Today, St. Thomas offers its students, who number approximately 4000, various educational programs in numerous fields of study, at the B.A., M.A., M.S., M.B.A., M.Acc., J.D., Ed.D., and Ph.D. levels, through several academic divisions, which include: Biscayne College, the School of Business, the School of Law and the School of Leadership Studies, also offering a Study in Spain program, a United Nations internship and travel to Haiti.

Athletics

St. Thomas's athletic teams are known as the Bobcats, who compete in the Sun Conference in the NAIA, in various sports, for both men and women, including in basketball, baseball, golf, soccer, tennis and volleyball.

Notable Alumni

Among the most resonant names, on the list of notable alumni, there are: Kiko Calero - Major League Baseball (MLB) relief pitcher for the Florida Marlins, Dom Irrera - Actor and stand-up comic, Alex Penelas - former mayor of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Juan-Carlos Planas - member of the Florida House of Representatives and Mike Fitzpatrick - former US Congressman from Pennsylvania.