Virginia Tech’s part-time MBA program in the National Capital Region around Washington D.C.  is again ranked No. 16 in the nation, according to U.S. News & World Report’s America’s Best Graduate Schools 2017 survey released today. Several other graduate programs also received high marks.

The MBA program, based in the Pamplin College of Business and known as the Evening MBA, was ranked 16th last year, too.

“We continue to be the top-ranked school in Virginia for part-time MBA programs,” said Pamplin Dean Robert Sumichrast. “Our Evening MBA’s top 20 ranking solidifies Virginia Tech’s position as the top MBA program in Northern Virginia,” Sumichrast said.

Other Virginia Tech graduate programs also received accolades in the 2017 survey.

The College of Engineering maintained its No. 21 national ranking for the third year, with four top-10 listed specialty programs: biological/agricultural, civil, environmental/environmental health, and industrial/manufacturing systems engineering. Computer science was ranked No. 40 in 2014, but the field was not updated for the 2017 survey.

“Our College of Engineering's hands-on, minds-on philosophy of education has always been the backbone of our outstanding reputation, one not possible without the extraordinary talent of our faculty, who help guide and work closely with our graduate students,” said Richard C. Benson, dean of the College of Engineering. “Our students collaborate on ground-breaking research projects that attract national headlines and build on Virginia Tech's motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), including uncovering the tainted water supply in Flint, Michigan and working to make football head impacts less dangerous for athletes."

The Public Affairs programs in the College of Architecture and Urban StudiesSchool of Public and International Affairs (SPIA) rose in the rankings to No. 34, up from No. 37 in 2012, the last time Public Affairs was surveyed.

“We are proud of the recognition of our public administration and policy program as a leader in public affairs education and research,” said SPIA Director Anne Khademian. “Through outstanding scholarship, cutting-edge curriculum, and student success, we aim to continue to rise in the rankings.”

The School of Education, in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences, is ranked No. 78 nationally, up from No. 88 in the 2016 survey.

“It’s very gratifying to see our graduate programs in education move up 10 places among nationally ranked programs in the field,” said Elizabeth Spiller, dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences. “This recognition speaks well of the quality of education that we’re able to provide our students and the value of their degrees when they graduate.”

Vice President and Dean for Graduate Education Karen P. DePauw noted that all of the programs included in the 2017 rankings support the university’s vision of a global land grant university preparing students for a variety of careers over their professional lifetimes.

“Our graduate programs help students address complex societal problems and global challenges that require working with colleagues across multiple disciplines,” said DePauw.  “Approaching these challenges through the lens of interdisciplinary perspectives is not only valuable, but critical to identifying solutions.”

Students in all Virginia Tech graduate studies have access to the Graduate School’s programs and services, which aim to provide students with a transformative graduate education experience. Those include training for graduate teaching assistants, supporting interdisciplinary research, and offering a range of courses, such as communicating science, community-oriented scholarship, global research, and preparation as future faculty and career professionals.

The report included some ranking information that is not updated annually. Three programs in the College of Science were ranked in 2014: chemistry was No. 60, earth sciences was No. 30, and psychology was No. 67.

U.S. News & World Report’s graduate rankings of colleges, published annually since 1987, are based on several categories of data gathered from the surveyed schools, plus peer assessments by deans, senior faculty, and other professionals in their respective fields. Rankings of the specialty programs are based solely on peer assessments.

You can find the full new rankings and data on the U.S. News Graduate School Compass.

 

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