Three Graduate Programs Rank in U.S. News & World Report’s Top 10
Florida State University’s online programs are among the best in the nation — including five graduate programs ranked in the Top 20 and three in the Top 10 — according to U.S. News & World Report’s 2017 Best Online Programs.
“Our upward movement in the U.S. News online rankings demonstrates Florida State University’s across-the-board commitment to excellence,” said Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Sally McRorie. “This recognition mirrors our outstanding recent gains in overall national rankings and is another step toward our goal of being ranked among the Top 25 public universities.”
FSU’s Top 10 online graduate programs are: education (No. 3), criminal justice (No. 7) and non-MBA business (No. 9). Florida State’s online MBA program jumped 28 spots to No. 16 in the latest rankings, while online graduate programs in information technology (No. 11) and nursing (No. 43) also made double-digit gains.
“We are thrilled that every one of FSU’s online programs placed in the Top 50,” said Robert Fuselier, interim director of the Office of Distance Learning. “The remarkable gains in the rankings, especially by our information technology, MBA and nursing online graduate programs, reflect the dedication our faculty and staff have toward providing a high-quality educational experience for our students.”
The College of Education’s online graduate program continues to rank among the best in the nation at No. 3. The college offers online programs in curriculum and instruction, educational leadership/administration, instructional systems and learning technologies, and learning and cognition.
“The College of Education is committed to providing students with an outstanding educational experience as evidenced by our Top 3 ranking,” said Marcy Driscoll, dean of the College of Education. “We continue to offer innovative online programs, such as our M.S. in curriculum and instruction and our Ed.D. in educational leadership and policy, that suit the needs of professionals in the field of education.”
The College of Criminology and Criminal Justice’s online graduate program continued its reign in the Top 10 at No. 7. The college offers a master’s degree in criminal justice studies, combining a first-rate faculty with the flexibility of the distance-learning environment.
“We are pleased that our college’s online graduate program is again recognized among the very best in the country,” said Thomas Blomberg, dean of the College of Criminology and Criminal Justice. “Our online graduate students are taught by the same nationally ranked faculty as our campus students, ensuring that all of our students receive the highest quality education and instruction to propel their careers.”
The College of Business’ online graduate MBA program soared 28 spots to No. 16 in the latest report, while the other two online graduate (non-MBA) programs remained in the Top 10 at No. 9. Students can pursue a Master of Science degree in management information systems or risk management and insurance.
“This steep rankings climb in such a competitive field reflects solid, collaborative work by faculty, students and staff,” said Michael D. Hartline, dean of the College of Business. “The word is getting out that Florida State offers a flexible and high-quality degree for an affordable price. We’re committed to providing every student — on campus and online — the individual attention needed to succeed in the classroom and ultimately their chosen career.”
The College of Communication and Information’s online graduate program in information technology also made great gains, jumping 10 spots to No. 11 in the category of computer information technology. The Master of Science degree is offered by the college’s School of Information.
“We’re proud to see our online master’s program continue to be recognized,” said Larry Dennis, dean of the College of Communication and Information. “We’ve worked hard to build a program for professionals, entrepreneurs and veterans across the nation.”
The College of Nursing’s online graduate program continued its upward trend in the rankings, reaching No. 43 from its previous position of No. 54. FSU is now tied with Florida Atlantic University as the top online graduate nursing program in Florida.
“We are excited about the College of Nursing’s continuous improvement in the U.S. News & World Report rankings for our online Master of Science in Nursing program,” said Judith McFetridge-Durdle, dean of the College of Nursing. “This year’s ranking speaks to the tireless effort of college leadership, faculty and staff to enhance our online graduate program offerings and to provide our students with a quality educational experience. Graduates of our program are prepared to pursue a variety of nursing career opportunities and make a difference as future nurse leaders and educators.”
U.S. News ranked FSU’s online bachelor’s program No. 36 this year. Online undergraduate degree offerings include computer science, criminology, social science, and public safety and security.
The methodology for assessing online programs included factors such as student engagement, faculty credentials and training, student services and technology, peer reputation and admissions selectivity.
For a complete list of the U.S. News & World Report online graduate rankings, http://www.usnews.com/education/online-education.