In its annual rankings of leading graduate and professional programs at American universities, U.S. News & World Report magazine has rated UC Santa Barbara's College of Engineering and its Gevirtz Graduate School of Education among the country's leaders. The Ph.D. programs in the biological sciences and in chemistry were also highly rated.
"We are always pleased when our programs are recognized in the various rankings for their outstanding quality," said UCSB Chancellor Henry T. Yang. "Such rankings are a reflection of our first-rate faculty and the academic leadership on our campus, and I congratulate my colleagues on this recognition."
The College of Engineering was ranked in 19th place (in a tie), up from 21st place one year ago. In addition, two of the college's specialized graduate programs were ranked among the top 10 in the country: materials, ranked 4th (in a tie), and chemical engineering, ranked 9th.
Noting the steady rise in the College of Engineering's rankings, Matthew Tirrell, dean of the college and Richard Auhll Professor of Engineering, said, "It is gratifying to be recognized as among the top 20 engineering schools in the country, and 12th among engineering colleges in public universities. We are highly motivated to build on this recognition and deliver our unique brand of graduate education to future groups of world-class graduate students."
The Gevirtz Graduate School of Education was included among the top 50 such programs in the country. It was ranked 49th over all and 35th among schools at public universities.
"Our energies are devoted to eliminating achievement problems for the children of California and supporting educators to use the latest research-based evidence to facilitate academic, social, and emotional success for learners," said the dean of the Gevirtz School, Jane Close Conoley. "We appreciate the national recognition that the rankings provide and plan to increase our efforts to make a difference for families, educators, and young people in our region and state."
"We are also pleased that the recognition honors the financial investment made in the graduate school by the late Ambassador Don L. Gevirtz and his wife, Marilyn," added Dean Conoley. "Their belief in the power of education to preserve and enhance the American dream is a basis for our success. Marilyn Gevirtz remains one of our guiding stars."
U.S. News ranks Ph.D. programs in various disciplines, but it does not compile new rankings in all fields every year. This year the only new such rankings were in the biological sciences and chemistry. UC Santa Barbara's Ph.D. program in the biological sciences was ranked 58th (in a tie), while its Ph.D. program in chemistry was ranked 26th (in a tie).
Based on a weighted average of various measures, some specific to the particular program, the rankings generally include a quality assessment by peers and measures of faculty quality and resources, student selectivity, research activity, and several other factors.
Highlights of the graduate school rankings are included in the April 9 issue of U.S. News & World Report and in the 2008 edition of "America's Best Graduate Schools," which goes on sale Tuesday, April 3.
Press Contacts
For the College of Engineering:
Barbara Bronson Gray, 818-889-5415, bbgray@engineering.ucsb.edu
For the Gevirtz Graduate School of Education:
George Yatchisin, 805-893-5789, george@education.ucsb.edu
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