Auburn University’s online graduate programs are among the nation’s best, according to U.S. News & World Report’s 2022 Best Online Program rankings released Jan. 25. U.S. News released the Best Online Programs, which assessed 1,733 and ranked 1,651 online bachelor's and master's degree programs, the most in its 10-year history. Graduate programs were categorized based on the following areas of study: non-MBA business, computer information technology, criminal justice, education, engineering and nursing.
Auburn colleges and schools receiving overall “best” national designations include the College of Education, No. 14 among colleges of education; Samuel Ginn College of Engineering, No. 17 among engineering colleges; the Harbert College of Business’ MBA program at No. 31 and its overall graduate programs at No. 31 among business colleges; and the School of Nursing at No. 76 among nursing schools.
Individual programs receiving “best” national designations include School of Nursing: Family Nurse Practitioner Program, No. 10; College of Education: Educational Administration and Supervision, No. 5, and Curriculum and Instruction, No. 17; Samuel Ginn College of Engineering: Civil Engineering, No. 5, Mechanical Engineering, No. 11, Industrial Engineering, No. 14, Engineering Management, No. 17, and Computer Science and Software Engineering, No. 31; Harbert College of Business: Management, No. 10, Business Analytics, No. 12, and Finance, No. 15.
“We are delighted with the new rankings,” said Dr. Barbara Wilder, director of the graduate program. “Both the students and faculty work very hard for our students’ success. It is important to all of us that our graduates become excellent nurse practitioners. As a land-grant institution, Auburn University is dedicated to improving the lives of the people of Alabama, the nation, and the world through forward-thinking education, life-enhancing research and scholarship, and selfless service. The Family Nurse Practitioner Program is a perfect example of our response to that statement. They are a solution to the decreasing number of primary care physicians in the country, especially in rural Alabama.”
“The 6-semester program requires students to complete 750 hours of clinical experience,” Wilder added. “The program we offer is a hybrid, with 1-2 on-campus meeting days every semester for students to make presentations and attend skills labs on campus. The remainder of the course content is offered online.”
“In addition to the graduate program the nursing school currently offers online an undergraduate completer program, the RN to BSN, for registered nurses who have an associate degree and want to obtain the baccalaureate degree in nursing,” said Dr. Caralise Hunt, associate dean for academic affairs. “The school also offers the online concurrent RN to BSN which provides an option for students currently pursuing an associate degree in nursing to simultaneously enroll in baccalaureate nursing courses.”
The U.S. News & World Report Best Online Programs rankings are based on factors such as student engagement and excellence, faculty credentials and training, expert opinion and services and technology available to students.
