“Top-quality graduate and professional education are increasingly important to both the University of Georgia and the state of Georgia,” said UGA President Michael F. Adams. “As the flagship institution of the system, UGA has a responsibility to lead in this area, and I am pleased to see that our best programs are receiving this recognition.”

“The national rankings of these programs recognize the quality of graduate education being provided by the University of Georgia,” said Maureen Grasso, dean of the UGA Graduate School. “The exceptional research, teaching, and service experiences gained by our graduate students provide them with the knowledge and skills to advance the economic and social prosperity of Georgia and the nation.”

The School of Law moved up a place to tie for 33rd on the list. The law school ranked among the top 13 public law schools in the nation and the top four public schools in the Southeast.

UGA’s College of Education ranked 43rd overall on the best schools of education list. The school ranks 33rd among public universities, third among public universities in the Southeast.  In the specialty rankings, UGA ranked first for vocational/technical education, ranked second for counseling/personal services, tied for third for secondary education, ranked fifth for elementary education, tied for sixth in higher education administration and ranked ninth in curriculum/instruction.

“Our college continues to be a leader in education and related human service fields,” said Craig H. Kennedy, dean of the College of Education. “Our departments continue to be ranked among the best in the nation. Our status reflects the high level of commitment and activity of the College of Education’s faculty, students and staff.”

The Terry College of Business moved up five spots to be ranked 52nd in the best graduate business schools list. The Terry College tied with Case Western Reserve University and Southern Methodist University for the ranking.

In the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, the Ph.D. program in psychology tied for 52nd (based on the 2013 ranking).

Also reported in the 2014 rankings were the following programs.

The School of Public and International Affairs’ master of public administration degree program, ranked in 2012, continued to be ranked fourth in the nation, and second best among public universities. Among specialty programs, SPIA ranked second for public management administration and fifth for public finance and budgeting.

“I am very pleased that our School continues to be ranked among the top four public affairs schools in the nation,” said Dean Thomas P. Lauth. “This ranking is a great tribute to the faculty of our department of public administration and policy.”

The master of fine arts program, ranked in 2012, continued to be ranked 22nd in the nation. In the sciences, the Ph.D. program, ranked in 2010, in biological sciences tied 46th. And the university’s doctor of veterinary medicine, ranked in 2011, tied for 9th.

The rankings, with the methodology, are available online at
http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools. Highlights of the graduate school rankings will be published in the Best Graduate Schools 2014 edition book, available April 9.

“The fact that UGA is consistently ranked highly by a variety of publications for the quality and value of the education provided here is testimony to the talent, hard work and quality of the students, faculty and staff,” said UGA President Michael F. Adams. “The consistently good ranking of our graduate programs bodes well for both the graduates of those programs and the state of Georgia.”

UGA Graduate School Dean Maureen Grasso said, “These rankings are an acknowledgement of the excellent graduate education provided by the University of Georgia. Our graduate programs, which bring together outstanding faculty and students to address the many complex issues we are facing today, are essential to realizing Georgia’s goals of economic growth and global competitiveness.”

Moving up eight positions in the rankings from the previous year, the UGA College of Education tied for the 38th position with the University of Colorado in Boulder and the University of Illinois in Chicago, tied for 29th among public colleges and universities, and was fourth among graduate education schools in the South.

In specialty categories, the college had six programs ranked in the Top 10 and three more in the Top 21—making it one of the few graduate education programs in the nation ranked in nine of 10 categories. (Last year’s ranking is in parentheses.)

In the Top 10
2nd      Counseling/Personnel Services (2)
2nd      Vocational/Technical Education (2)
5th       Elementary Education (6)
5th       Higher Education (5)
5th       Secondary Education (5)
10th     Curriculum/Instruction (11)

In the Top 21
13th     Special Education (16)
19th     Educational Psychology (14)
21st     Administration/Supervision (19)

In addition, UGA’s Speech-Language  Pathology program was ranked 52nd, down from 46th, in Health Program rankings which are surveyed only every few years.

“To be recognized among the best education colleges in the country affirms the quality of our graduate programs and the tremendous productivity of our faculty,” said Arthur M. “Andy” Horne, dean and Distinguished Research Professor in the College of Education. “Equally important, however, is our profound commitment to make a positive difference in the lives of children and families in Georgia by preparing world-class education and health professionals.”

While coming in at 34th overall, UGA’s School of Law was ranked among the top 13 public law schools in the nation and among the top three public schools in the Southeast. Each of these rankings was up one position from last year.

The graduate program in the Terry College of Business tied for the 57th ranking with George Washington University, the University of Arizona and the University of Massachusetts in Amherst.

“We continue to see improvement in the placement of our graduates from our full-time MBA program,” said Robert Sumachrist, dean of the college. “I am proud that Terry continues to be ranked among the country’s best.”

The School of Public and International Affairs’ master of public administration degree program continues to be ranked fourth in the nation. SPIA also has two highly ranked specialty programs. The specialization in public finance and budgeting as well as the specialization in public management and administration are ranked fifth and second respectively.

The doctorate program in the College of Veterinary Medicine program was ranked in 2011 and tied for ninth position with Michigan State University and the University of Minnesota. “We are honored to be listed among the top 10 colleges of veterinary medicine in the country, as compiled by U.S. News & World Report,” said Sheila W. Allen, dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine. “We are proud of the accomplishments made by our students, faculty, staff and alumni, and it is to them that we owe thanks for this great recognition.”

The Franklin College of Arts and Sciences continued to have a major presence in the rankings.  The master of fine arts programs was tied for the 22nd position with five other leading institutions in the nation, up 11positions from last year. Ranked in 2011, its graduate programs in psychology and the biological sciences program were listed in the 50th position and 46th ranking respectively.

“Successful graduate programs are crucial to the overall success of the university and these rankings are welcome indicators on the vibrancy of our programs,” said Hugh Ruppersburg, interim dean of the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences. “The diversity of disciplines represented in these rankings reflects a strategic vision for excellence that stretches across Franklin College. That is the result of efforts of many faculty and staff working to make sure UGA is among the best and most competitive American universities.”

The rankings, with methodology used by U.S. News & World Report, are available online at
http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools. Highlights of the graduate school rankings will be published in the Best Graduate Schools 2012 edition.

University of Georgia graduate programs remained among the best in the nation, according to U.S. News & World Report’s 2012 edition of America’s Best Graduate Schools. The School of Law tied for 35th and the College of Education tied for 46th.

In specialty rankings, College of Education graduate programs ranked in the top 20 in the nation in 9 out of 10 possible categories. Five of those programs ranked among the top six.

“Rankings such as these are satisfying because they are a reflection of the quality of the programs at the University of Georgia,” said UGA President Michael F. Adams. “As we begin to implement a new strategic plan with a focus on graduate and professional education, we do so knowing that the foundation on which we will expand is strong and the state of Georgia is well-served by these programs.”

Maureen Grasso, dean of the UGA Graduate School said, “UGA’s graduate programs do an outstanding job of preparing our students for success in the 21st century.  The excellent teaching and research conducted by our faculty provide our graduates with the knowledge and skills they need to make an impact in our local and global communities as they drive the economic competitiveness of Georgia.”

The College of Education ranked 46th overall in a tie with Temple University, but was ranked 32nd among public universities in the nation. The college was ranked 3rd among public universities in the Southeast.

“These rankings confirm the college’s excellence across a broad range of academic endeavors, from K-12 teacher education to curriculum/instruction to counseling,” said Arthur M. (Andy) Horne, dean and Distinguished Research Professor of the College of Education. “Equally important, however, is what numerical rankings cannot measure: the University of Georgia’s profound commitment to expanding educational opportunities for every student and improving our communities in Georgia and across the nation.”

Five of the College of Education’s specialty programs remain ranked in the top six and four  more ranked among the top 20 in the nation. Remarkably, UGA education graduate programs are ranked among the top 20 in the nation in 9 out of 10 possible categories. Below are the 2012 program rankings with last year’s ranking in parentheses:

In the Top 10
2nd Vocational Technical (3)
2nd Counseling/Personnel Services (4)
5th Secondary Education (3)
5th Higher Education Administration (6)
6th Elementary Education (3)

In the Top 20
11th Curriculum/Instruction (8)
14th Educational Psychology (14)
16th Special Education (13)
19th Administration/Supervision (NR)

How UGA College of Education specialty rankings compare with highest ranked universities…

4th in number of  Top 10 programs
Among the highest-ranked universities UGA had as many or more programs in the Top 10 nationally than all but four other institutions.  Below are the numbers for the top 15 ranked colleges of education:

1st  in number of Top 20 programs
And, perhaps even more impressive, UGA had more graduate education programs ranked in the Top 20 specialty programs than all but two of the highest ranked institutions—No. 1 Vanderbilt and No. 4 Teachers College—and tied them with nine Top 20 programs in 10 possible categories.

How UGA compares to its Southeastern Conference colleagues
Except for Vanderbilt University,which was ranked the No. 1 college of education  in the nation, UGA graduate education programs were ranked much better than our Southeastern Conference colleagues.

While coming in at 35th overall on the list, the School of Law is ranked among the top 14 public law schools in the nation and among the top four public schools in the Southeast.

“Rankings continue to provide a snapshot look of an institution and only some of its programming,” School of Law Dean Rebecca Hanner White said. “At Georgia Law, we offer the whole experience—dedicated teachers who are productive scholars, a challenging and varied curriculum, numerous co-curricular opportunities via 12 clinics and four study/work abroad programs, a talented student body and a collegial atmosphere. Our goal, year in and year out, is to provide one of the finest legal educations in the country at an attractive cost.

“Additionally, we are pleased our graduates continue to be prepared for the practice of law as evidenced by the fact that five of our graduates have been selected over the past seven years to serve as a U.S. Supreme Court judicial clerk, the most prestigious appointment a new lawyer can obtain.”

The doctor of veterinary medicine program tied for ninth. “We are pleased that the U.S. News and World Report ranking recognizes the outstanding accomplishments of the UGA College of Veterinary Medicine in recent years, reflecting the achievements of our great faculty, staff and students,” said Dr. Sheila W. Allen, dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine.

The biological and agricultural engineering program, within the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, ranked 12th.

The biological sciences program, within the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, tied for 46th.

The School of Public and International Affairs’ master of public administration degree program continues to be ranked 4th in the nation, and the 2nd best among public universities. SPIA also has four highly ranked specialty programs. Both the specialization in public finance and budgeting as well as the specialization in public management and administration continue to be ranked 2nd in the nation. The nonprofit management specialization is ranked 11th and the public policy analysis specialization is ranked 16th.

Other programs with current rankings include: clinical psychology tied for 33rd, master of fine arts tied for 37th, and psychology tied for 50th.

The rankings, with the methodology, are available online at
http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools. Highlights of the graduate school rankings will be published in the Best Graduate Schools 2012 edition book, available April 5.

Patrick O'Connor, professor of exercise science, monitoring the physiology (heart rate, metabolic rate and ventilation) of a student as she walks on a treadmill. Photo by Paul Efland / University of Georgia

The College of Education’s doctoral program in exercise science was one of six University of Georgia programs placing high in the National Research Council’s third assessment of doctoral research program.

The latest report identifies the UGA doctoral program in Food Science as one of the top 11 programs in its field. Exercise Science, Forest Resources and Public Administration are among the top 12 programs in each of their fields. Plant Biology is one of the top 20 programs and Mass Communication is among the top 24 programs in their respective fields.

The NRC’s report, “A Data-Based Assessment of Research-Doctorate Programs in the United States,” provides an in-depth look at doctoral programs over a period of time.  Using advanced statistical methods to analyze a number of program characteristics, the NRC placed programs within a range relative to other doctoral programs in the study. The report was released Sept. 28.

“This is indeed good news for the University of Georgia and the state as a whole,” said UGA President Michael F. Adams.  “High-quality graduate education and research are important functions of a flagship university.  The 21st century is an age of advanced education and competitive, market-based research, and the economic benefits to Georgia of a strong and vibrant graduate program at UGA cannot be overstated.”

Maureen Grasso, dean of the UGA Graduate School, said, “The National Research Council’s report speaks to the high quality of the University of Georgia’s doctoral programs.  It confirms what we already know – we have outstanding programs across our university. Our doctoral research programs are a strategic asset for Georgia.”

The NRC study aims to create a common benchmark for doctoral research programs and provide universities with information on how to improve their own programs. After collecting data in 2006 and 2007, the NRC carefully developed its statistical methods over three years to ensure the data’s validity.

The study incorporates variables pertaining to research activity, program diversity and student support services.

“We will use this report to understand better the strengths of our doctoral programs and learn where we can make improvements,” said Grasso. “These results will help us strengthen our national competitiveness as a research institution.”

The Graduate School has led a number of initiatives in the past six years focused on continuous improvement of doctoral degree programs. Grasso has worked with doctoral programs across campus and the Office of Institutional Research to improve doctoral completion at UGA, an effort in which UGA is seen as a national leader. The Graduate School’s Office of Outreach and Diversity works to recruit and retain a diverse graduate student population through a number of ongoing programs.

“Our efforts to improve completion of doctoral degrees have resulted in the faculty’s increased awareness of the factors that contribute to student success,” said Grasso. “These efforts go hand in hand with the data provided by the NRC report.”

The NRC collected the data from institutions, faculty members and doctoral students through a series of questionnaires and surveys and by calculating citation rates of departments in academic journals. The final report contains data characteristics and ranges of rankings for more than 5,000 doctoral programs in 62 academic fields at 212 universities.

The full report, data table and methodology guide are available online at http://www.nap.edu/rdp. For more information about the UGA Graduate School, see www.grad.uga.edu.

For more information on the doctoral program in exercise, see www.coe.uga.edu/kinesiology.

In specialty rankings, College of Education graduate programs ranked among the top 14 in the nation in 8 of 10 possible categories. Six of those programs ranked among the top 8.

In specialty rankings, College of Education graduate programs ranked among the top 14 in the nation in 8 of 10 possible categories. Six of those programs ranked among the top 8.

Maureen Grasso, dean of the UGA Graduate School, said, “These rankings are evidence of the quality of our graduate programs and the excellence of our faculty and students at the University of Georgia. We are proud of our outstanding graduate education programs, which have a critically important role in securing Georgia’s economic future and global competitiveness.”

The College of Education ranked 39th overall in a tie with William and Mary, but was ranked 27th among public universities in the nation. The college was ranked 4th among public universities in the South and had the fourth largest graduate enrollment in the nation with 2,413 students.

“To be recognized among the best education colleges in the country is a tribute to the hard work and excellence of our faculty, staff and students,” said Arthur M. (Andy) Horne, dean of the College of Education. “But ultimately, our most important commitment is to make a positive difference in the lives of children and families in Georgia and elsewhere by preparing world-class education and health professionals.”

Six of the College of Education’s specialty programs remain ranked in the top 10 and two more among the top 14 in the nation. Remarkably, UGA education graduate programs are ranked among the top 14 in the nation in 8 out of 10 possible categories. Below are the programs ranked with last year’s ranking in parentheses:

3rd Elementary Education (4)
3rd Secondary Education (4)
3rd Vocational Technical (1)
4th Counseling/Personnel Services (3)
6th Higher Education Administration (6)
8th Curriculum/Instruction (8)

13th Special Education (14)
14th Educational Psychology (16)

Health Programs
46th Speech-Language Pathology (ranked in 2008)

In addition to ranking 28th overall, the School of Law ranked among the top 10 public universities and tied for second among the public universities in the Southeast (tied with William and Mary and the University of North Carolina).

“Rankings are an imperfect indicator of success in legal education, but I am pleased that our school is earning increased national recognition for its excellence,” said Rebecca H. White, dean of the School of Law. “This past year, we were able to enroll an incoming class with record academic credentials, hire three outstanding professors for our faculty and graduate another class that is well prepared for the practice of law. This fall, an impressive number of our graduates, 24, will begin a federal or state judicial clerkship.”

The biology program, within the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, tied for 46th.

The School of Public and International Affairs’ master of public administration degree program continues to be ranked 4th in the nation, and the 2nd best among public universities. SPIA also continues to have two highly ranked specialty programs. Both the specialization in public finance and budgeting as well as the specialization in public management and administration continue to be ranked 2nd in the nation.

Other programs with current rankings include: clinical psychology tied for 33rd, master of fine arts tied for 37th, and psychology tied for 50th.

The rankings, with the methodology, are available online at www.usnews.com. Highlights of the graduate school rankings are scheduled for publication in the May print issue of U.S. News & World Report magazine, available for newsstand purchase April 27.

See additional COE rankings.