School of Education Online Programs Ranked Among Top Ten in the Nation

UAlbany's online graduate programs in the School of Education are ranked 6th in the nation.

ALBANY, N.Y. (January 17, 2017) -- UAlbany's online graduate programs in the School of Education are ranked 6th in the nation in U.S. News & World Report's recent standings of programs offering master’s degrees in education. The 2017 Best Online Graduate Education Programs ranking, up from 14th in 2016, also places the graduate programs first in New York State and throughout the Northeast.

The School of Education was ranked among 262 accredited public, private and for-profit institutions that grant online master's degrees in education. U.S. News & World Report ranks online graduate education programs on five measures: student engagement, student services and technology, admissions selectivity, faculty credentials and training, and peer reputation.

Interim University President James R. Stellar said, “This tremendous improvement in our ranking is testament to our excellent and distinctive online graduate education degree programs. We are gratified to see that the hard work of our dedicated faculty, staff, and students is moving the dial.”

Education School Dean Robert Bangert-Drowns said, "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."

These recent rankings apply to the programs offered by the School’s Department of Educational Theory and Practice and the Department of Literacy Teaching and Learning. The programs include online master’s degrees in curriculum development and instructional technology, childhood education,early childhood education, and reading as well as a certificate program that prepares educators to teach online.

Online certificate programs were also recently launched in Computing Education -- a first in New York State -- and in the Department of Educational and Counseling Psychology in Adolescent Special Education. These programs serve initially and professionally certified teachers seeking to deepen and broaden their professional expertise, and offer preparation in education-related careers outside of classrooms.

Jenna Tyler, a recent online graduate and teacher in the Lansingburgh School District, said she chose the online program because she already had a full-time teaching position, and she needed to be able to control her schedule. While in the program, she said, “I’ve also gotten to know different classmates—I 'see' the same people in each of my classes. You’re taking the journey together—online.”

Alyssa Lotmore, who recently graduated from the School of Education’s Certificate in Online Learning and Teaching (COLT), says the online program prepared her to provide professional development to fellow social workers. “The COLT program was an excellent way for me to learn about curriculum design, to develop my skills, and complete project-based work that allowed me to build my own portfolio. I love learning, and these short certificate programs are great ways for individuals to return to school for a few semesters and advance their knowledge in a new area.”

Associate Provost for Online Learning Peter Shea noted that the School of Education continues to be a national leader in online learning and that the University will build on these and other successful programs. “Beyond the nationally ranked programs in the School of Education, UAlbany has 13 other fully online degree and certificate programs with a dozen additional online credentials in development,” he said. “The ongoing strong performance of the School of Education demonstrates that we can provide high quality online academic programs consistent with the overall excellence of the University at Albany.”

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