U.S. News & World Report has placed Catholic University's School of Nursing and several University graduate programs in law and library science in the top tiers of its 2018 rankings for the best graduate programs nationwide.
The School of Nursing was recognized twice on the list: the Master of Nursing was ranked 31st among approximately 292 accredited master’s programs nationwide while the Doctor of Nursing Practice was ranked 26th among 186 programs. Additionally, the school’s online graduate programs were ranked seventh in the nation.
This year’s rankings mark a significant increase for the school, whose master’s program was ranked 78th in the 2017 list.
Nursing Dean Patricia McMullen said the “stellar rise in national rankings” could be attributed to four factors: “outstanding faculty who remain in practice as advanced practice nurses, faculty performing cutting-edge research that improves patient and family outcomes, our close collaboration with students, and students who are the beneficiaries of Catholic higher education and go on to leadership positions within our profession.”
Also recognized this year was the Department of Library and Information Science, which was ranked 32nd out of 51 schools with accredited programs.
Department chair Youngok Choi said the designation was a reflection of the University’s 100-year history of library and information science education and a sign that the program is “well received for its quality among peers.” Throughout its history, the Department of Library and Information Science has worked to serve the needs of the University by revising its curriculum, offering unique learning opportunities, and flexible course formats. Because of that, Choi said, the master’s degree program has been fully accredited by the American Library Association since 1949.
“We will not stop here,” she said. “We will continuously work hard to advance and improve the library and information science program to prepare our students to pursue a wide range of career paths as information professionals in the dynamic expanding information world.”
Aaron Dominguez, dean of the School of Arts and Sciences, echoed her sentiment by calling the ranking for the Department of Library and Information Science “a well deserved recognition.”
“This is one example of the excellence of our faculty across the whole School of Arts and Sciences,” he said. “We are privileged to have such a strong Catholic research university dedicated to excellence in research, education, and integrating faith into all aspects of our work.”
Catholic University's Columbus School of Law was also included on the list. For more details about the law school ranking, click here.