For the fifth year, Virginia Tech’s College of Engineering placed among the top 30 in the nation in the U.S. News & World Report’s graduate program rankings of colleges for 2019.
Eleven of the college’s departments are listed in the rankings, and three are among the top 10 in their fields: civil engineering at No. 7, environmental/environmental health at No. 6, and industrial/manufacturing/systems at No. 7. Six others are listed among the top 30 among peer programs across the nation.
“Our engineering faculty continue to do an outstanding job of educating technical leaders that are recognized by industry and producing research outcomes that matter,” said Jack Lesko, associate dean of research and graduate studies for Virginia Tech’s College of Engineering. “We are pleased that civil and environmental engineering and industrial and systems engineering programs continue to steadily climb in the top 10.”
U.S. News & World Report’s rankings were released March 20. Published annually since 1987, they 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 departments or specialty programs are based solely on peer assessments.
Pamplin College of Business’s evening master of business administration (MBA) program, located in the Washington, D.C. area, is among the top 20 part-time programs in its field, with a No. 17 ranking.
The College of Architecture and Urban Studies’ Public Affairs program is 44th among its peers nationally. The program is housed in the School of International and Public Administration and offered both in Blacksburg and the National Capital Region.
Seven College of Science degree programs earned rankings in the top 75 among peers nationwide. These include biology, chemistry, computer science, earth sciences, mathematics, physics, and statistics.
Education program rankings were updated this year, as well. The School of Education, in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences, is ranked No. 85.
Virginia Tech’s 150 graduate degree programs are critical components of the university’s mission and prepare students to stand out in increasingly competitive global job markets, said Vice President and Dean for Graduate Education Karen P. DePauw. Additionally, the university’s programs offer students the opportunity to develop skills and experiences to tackle complex problems within their communities, whether local, regional, or global.
“Graduate education contributes not only to the production of knowledge, but also to economic development,” she said. “Such programs help graduate students become well-informed and productive global citizens for the betterment of society.”
All graduate students at Virginia 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.
You can find the full new rankings and data at https://tinyurl.com/ycluzjvk.
