UGA’s graduate programs remain strong, according to the latest issue of “America’s Best Graduate Schools” published by U.S. News and World Report.
The College of Education is ranked in a tie at 27th, the School of Law is tied at 36th and the Terry College of Business is tied at 45th. In the newly ranked listing of pharmacy programs nationwide, the university’s College of Pharmacy ranked 22nd.
“One of the signs of a truly great university is a strong graduate program, and these rankings indicate that UGA programs continue to be rated among the top in the nation,” says President Michael F. Adams. “We are pleased to be counted among America’s very best graduate programs in these important areas. The effects of three consecutive years of very difficult budgets are apparent, but with the budget recovery we hope to be able to resume our climb in these rankings in the coming year.”
Maureen Grasso, dean of the Graduate School, agrees.
“The University of Georgia has been engaged in and committed to quality graduate programs for a long time,” she says. “Our strong programs provide a solid foundation for a great research university, and we look forward to continuing this legacy. With the economic recovery in the state of Georgia, we anticipate enhancing our programs even further.”
The College of Education continues to be ranked by U.S. News among graduate programs at the top public universities in the nation. The university’s graduate programs in education are ranked among the top 18 public universities in the nation and the top four in the Southeast. Overall, UGA tied with the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill at 27th in the nation.
“Our ranking among the nation’s top research schools of education is reflective of the quality and productivity of our faculty and students,” says Louis Castenell, dean of the education college. “As the nation’s very best colleges of education make improvements, it is imperative we do an even better job. The faculty and I look forward to this challenge.”
In specialty programs, five UGA graduate education programs are again ranked in the top 10: the elementary education program tied for fourth; secondary education ranked fifth as did vocational/technical education; counseling/personnel services ranked eighth; and the college’s curriculum/instruction program ranked 10th.
Three other UGA graduate education programs are ranked among the top 20 in the nation: educational psychology is 14th, higher education administration is also at 14th and special education is 19th.
The School of Law tied for 36th in the U.S. News rankings.
“Ours is an outstanding law school, one of the finest in the nation. And certainly it is nice to be ranked highly by U.S. News, which continues to place us among the top public law schools in the country,” says Rebecca H. White, dean of the law school. “However, we remain skeptical of the ranking process for the reasons we have reiterated throughout the years.”
The Terry College of Business maintained its top-50 position in the U.S. News ranking of graduate business programs.
“When you consider that there are about 800 institutions offering M.B.A. degrees, it’s very gratifying to be ranked among the top 50,” says P. George Benson, dean of the Terry College. “The rankings reflect, in part, the success that our graduates have had in landing jobs. Given the extremely difficult job market our students have faced in Atlanta and the Southeast the past four years, we’re pleased to have held our place in the rankings.
“Looking to the future, we recently completed the most ambitious reorganization of our M.B.A. program in a generation. Our emphasis on personal leadership assessment and development, including the use of one-on-one professional coaches, is unmatched among our peers,” Benson also says. “It’s truly a seismic shift in M.B.A. education and it bodes well for the future of the college and its students.”
Terry’s management information systems and accounting programs were also ranked among the nation’s top specialty programs in business by U.S. News. The MIS department was ranked 16th in its category, and the J.M. Tull School of Accounting was ranked 25th.
The College of Pharmacy ranked 22nd in a listing new for 2006.
“We are pleased that the college’s Pharm.D. program is ranked among the top 25 percentile programs in the country,” says Svein Oie, dean of the pharmacy college. “The college has some of the best, if not the best, students in the country, based upon standardized test scores, graduation rates and passing rates on licensing exams. Since the last rating of the Pharm.D. programs in 1998, the college has increased its grant income five-fold and made quantum leaps in its clinical program, resulting in a 50 percent higher assessment score relative to other top 25 percentile programs.”
The rankings are available online at www.usnews.com as well as in book form, with excerpts in the April 11 issue of the magazine. Also available on the U.S. News Web site is the rankings methodology.