Graduate Nursing Programs Climb in U.S. News Rankings

The School of Nursing and Health Studies’ Master of Science in Nursing and Doctor of Nursing Practice graduate programs are included in the U.S. News & World Report 2018 Best Graduate Schools Guidebook, with the MSN program rising from No. 61 to No. 38 since 2015.
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The magazine evaluated a number of criteria for the rankings, including acceptance rates, average GPAs, student/faculty ratio, degrees awarded, peer assessments, quality of faculty, enrollment and National Institutes of Health and other federally-funded research and teaching grants. The graduate programs’ ranking makes them eligible for a Best Graduate Schools badge, and entitles the School of Nursing and Health Studies to display this emblem of excellence on web sites and in electronic, print and broadcast media. 

"We are extremely proud of our graduate nursing programs,” said Dr. Anne Norris, interim dean of UM’s School of Nursing and Health Studies. “This honor from U.S. News & World Report recognizes our faculty’s dedication to providing innovative and high quality educational experiences to our students, who are truly making a difference for all the patients, families and communities they serve."

The school’s nursing graduate programs are top-ranked in Florida. Earlier this year, the master’s programs excelled with a 100% passing rate for its Family Nurse Practitioners graduates on the American Association of Nurse Practitioners certification exam. The master’s programs are also internationally known for their commitment to global nursing, including offering all nurse practitioner students transformation global experiences in rural healthcare delivery in low-resource world regions. Nationally, the program is recognized for academic excellence and cutting-edge clinical practice experience innovations.

“We are proud that our programs are being increasingly acknowledged as among the best in the country,” said Dr. Johis Ortega, Associate Dean for Master’s Programs and Global Initiatives. “Our students, faculty and staff work very hard to succeed. We consistently strive to prepare next-generation nurse leaders to deliver safe and high-quality patient care, and to ensure our curricula keep pace with shifting patient demographics and a continuously transforming health care arena. It’s wonderful to see these new rankings recognize our efforts.”