The epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) promotes cervical cancer progression, and microRNAs have been found to be master regulators of EMT. The aim of the present study was to investigate the functional roles of miR-361-5p in EMT and cervical cancer progression. Differentially expressed miRNAs were screened with microarray analysis in SiHa and CasKi cells; cellular and animal studies were used to observe the impact of miR-361-5p on cell proliferation; invasion and migration ability of cervical cancer cells were investigated by Transwell and wound-healing studies; enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and Western blot methods were used to test protein levels; miR-361-5p level in cervical cancer specimens was detected with in situ hybridization. MicroRNA-361-5p (miR-361-5p) was found to be the most upregulated microRNA in transferred cervical cancer cells. MiR-361-5p acts as an oncogene to enhance cell proliferation and promote cell invasion, and these changes were accompanied by the characteristics of EMT. miR-361-5p is increasingly elevated during cervical carcinoma progression and inversely correlated with E-cadherin, a marker of EMT. These findings suggest that miR-361-5p is an oncomicroRNA and an important factor in the progression of cervical cancer.