Miss Universe is arguably the most popular and the most followed beauty pageant in the world. The statement, of course, meant no offense to the Miss World pageant which has produced some of the biggest and most popular personalities ever.

From its origin as a pageant sponsored by a swimwear company, Miss Universe has evolved into a television spectacle, especially during the CBS era of the pageant, and now to an effective platform for women empowerment.

So how can an aspirant be the next Miss Universe?

National Qualifier

Before competing at the Miss Universe stage, one should first win the Miss Universe qualifying Competition in her country.

Sometimes, before getting the opportunity to compete in the nationals, one must first qualify in the state or provincial qualifiers (i.e. US, Brazil, Mexico, and France). Winning the national pageant would be the ticket to Miss Universe.

In some countries, like the Miss USA in the United States and Miss Venezuela, one can only compete once. But in the Philippines, one can compete many times. Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach joined thrice before winning the title and competing at Miss Universe.

Age Requirement

The Miss Universe Organization has adjusted the age limit for participants of the pageant. All contestants must be at least 18 and under 28 years of age before January 1st in the year they hope to compete in the Miss Universe pageant.

Height Requirement

There has been no heigh requirement expressly established by the Miss Universe Organization for candidates competing for Miss Universe.

However, there could be height requirements per national qualifiers, which candidates must first comply before becoming an official candidate.

Transgenders

The MUO allow transgenders to compete at Miss Universe. This has been announced by the organization in 2012, in response to the disqualification of Jenna Talackova from Miss Universe Canada 2012 competition.

Jenna Talackova is a transgender, who transitioned into a woman at the age of 14.  She successfully challenged the disqualification, allowing MUO to clear the rule.

MUO allowed Talackova to compete, with the statement that as long as a transgender candidate meets the standards of legal gender recognition requirements of her country, she will be free to compete in Miss Universe.

This year, the rule has come into fruition, with Angela Ponce winning the Miss Universe Spain pageant.

Competition Rules

To put it in verbatim, here are the rules as provided by the MUO website:

The winner of the competition must be confident. She must understand the values of our brand and the responsibilities of the title. She must have the ability to articulate her ambition. A contestant should demonstrate authenticity, credibility and exhibit grace under pressure. The women who compete embody the modern, global aspiration for the potential of all women.

Each competition begins with preliminary interviews that include a swimsuit or athletic wear and evening gown presentation show. These preliminary events are especially important as it will be the first time the judges and fans really get to know the contestants. The preliminary competition is the driving force in selecting the Semifinalists.

The live show and final competition kick off with an announcement of the Semifinalists. Each of these contestants will walk the runway during the swimsuit or athletic wear segment displaying her dedication to a healthy lifestyle.

The semifinalists move on to the second stage of the competition during the evening gown segment. The judges and fans will see the contestants’ personal style as they walk the stage in their evening gown of choice. However, the exact design of the gown does not count towards the total score and instead the judges focus on how confidently each woman presents herself.

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