UAlbany Graduate Programs Among Top 10 in the Nation by U.S. News and World Report
School of Social Welfare jumps to 12th, up seven places over previous ranking

Contact(s):  Catherine Herman (518) 956-8150, ([email protected])

ALBANY, N.Y. (April 4, 2008) - Programs in the University at Albany's Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy and College of Computing and Information (CCI) rank among the Top 10 in the nation, and UAlbany's School of Social Welfare jumped seven places to rank 12th, according to the latest U.S. News and World Report's annual rankings of the nation's graduate programs.

For the 2009 edition, several UAlbany programs in public affairs garnered Top 10 rankings, including information & technology management (2), public finance and budgeting (7) and public management/administration (8). The information & technology management program is a unique collaboration involving faculty and students from Rockefeller College, CCI, and UAlbany’s Center for Technology in Government. Other Top-25 programs included non-profit management (18) and public policy analysis (22). The University ranked 14th overall in Public Affairs.

UAlbany's School of Education was ranked 56th, while the clinical psychology program ranked 43rd.

U.S. News collected data from more than 12,000 graduate programs for this year's rankings.

Other top-rated UAlbany programs include its criminal justice program, which ranks second; library and information studies, which ranks 23rd; archives and preservation, which ranks 9th; and sociology, which ranks 25th. These categories were not newly ranked this year. UAlbany currently has 14 Top-25 programs according to U.S. News and 18 programs that rank among the Top 100 nationally.

"We are extremely proud of the high marks we've received, which clearly reflects our commitment to enhancing the University's academic and research programs," said Susan Phillips, interim provost and vice president of academic affairs. "Our highly regarded programs and outstanding faculty continue to attract motivated students from all over the world."

"These high rankings reflect extraordinary effort and achievement by excellent students, as well as dedicated faculty and staff at Rockefeller College and our partners at the Center for Technology in Government and College of Computing and Information," said Jeffrey Straussman, dean of the Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy.

"Our high marks are a testament to the quality of research and education of our faculty, staff and students, both at CCI and with our partners across the University," said Peter Bloniarz, dean of the College of Computing and Information.

"We are thrilled that U.S. News & World Report recognized the School's growth and continued dedication to excellence," said Katharine Briar-Lawson, dean of the School of Social Welfare. "Our high ranking clearly reflects the distinctive quality and impacts that have been hallmarks of our school."

UAlbany's School of Social Welfare is ranked in the top five in per capita scholarly productivity among the social work programs in the nation. The school's mission is to further social and economic justice and to serve people who are vulnerable, marginalized or oppressed. This mission is implemented through education, knowledge development, and service that promote leadership for evidence-based social work with a global perspective. As a recognized national and international leader in developing innovative and creative programs, along with facilitating public-private partnerships, the school has been able to attract premier students, providing them with an unsurpassed educational experience at the bachelor's, master's and doctoral level.

Ranked among the top public affairs programs in the nation, the Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy's core mission is to discover, communicate, and apply knowledge about politics, governance, public policy, and public management. The college directly helps public managers, policymakers, and others deal effectively with the challenges they face, making democracy stronger and governments more effective around the world.

The College of Computing and Information is a unique community of leading educators, researchers, and talented students, positioned at the forefront of the information society. CCI's mission is to support world-class, discipline-based research and educational programs related to computing and information. With its partnerships across the campus, as well as in the corporate, government and nonprofit sectors, the College provides expertise and collaboration efforts that benefit New York State and the nation.