Online Education at UAlbany Builds, as School of Education Named 14th Best in the Nation for Online Graduate Degrees
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UAlbany currently has eight online degree programs overall, with nine more in the works. |
Albany, NY (February 11, 2016) — The School of Education’s reputation for online degree programs is on the move, and a new ranking from U.S. News & World Report confirms it: 14th out of 267 regionally accredited U.S. public, private and for-profit institutions that grant online master's degrees .
In the survey, the School led all public colleges and universities in New York State, with only one private institution ranked higher. Programs were judged on 5 measures — student engagement, student services and technology, admissions selectivity, faculty credentials and training, and peer reputation.
“These high rankings reflect the School’s commitment to quality in online education, the dedication of our faculty to rigorous teaching and learning, and the support provided to ensure a positive experience for our students,” said Robert Bangert-Drowns, the School’s dean.
The recent rankings apply to degree and certificate programs offered by the departments of Educational Theory and Practice and Literacy Teaching and Learning. They are:
- MS Degree, Curriculum Development and Instructional Technology
- MS Degree, Childhood Education
- MS Degree, Early Childhood Education
- MS Degree, Reading; and
- Certificate in Online Learning and Teaching
Associate Provost for Online Learning Peter Shea notes that the University intends to build on the online degree programs of the School of Education and other successful programs. “The University has eight fully online degree and certificate programs with nine other program areas in development,” said Shea. “These new rankings demonstrate that we can extend educational access in a manner that reflects the academic excellence of the University.”
In addition to the five online programs in the School of Education, the University has a complete online undergraduate degree option in Informatics (Information Technology) and both a Masters of Public Health and certificate program in the School of Public Health.
New online masters and certificate programs are in development in Information Studies, International Education Management, Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, Special Education, Computer Science Education, and International Health and Human Rights, with additional online course development in other areas.
Commenting on similarities between measures used to rank online programs and classroom programs, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs James Stellar said, “There is a seamless integration between our online and traditional instruction, we employ the same mix of excellent faculty, and have similarly high levels of engagement with students in both environments; we are proud to receive the recognition for our efforts indicated by these new rankings.”
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A comprehensive public research university, the University at Albany-SUNY offers more than 120 undergraduate majors and minors and 125 master's, doctoral and graduate certificate programs. UAlbany is a leader among all New York State colleges and universities in such diverse fields as atmospheric and environmental sciences, business, education, public health,health sciences, criminal justice, emergency preparedness, engineering and applied sciences, informatics, public administration, social welfare and sociology, taught by an extensive roster of faculty experts. It also offers expanded academic and research opportunities for students through an affiliation with Albany Law School. With a curriculum enhanced by 600 study-abroad opportunities, UAlbany launches great careers.
