Two UNT graduate programs ranked high by U.S. News and World Report

Two UNT programs shined in the annual graduate program rankings recently released by U.S. News and World Report.

UNT's master of public administration degree program is ranked first in Texas and 10th in the nation in the city management and urban policy specialty area. The new ranking is up from 2001, when UNT's program tied for 12th.

UNT's counseling graduate program is ranked first in Texas and 18th nationally in the education specialties area. The program is ranked in the top 20 nationally for the seventh consecutive year.

The master of public administration ranking is based on a survey of public administration program directors and senior public administration faculty conducted every three years by U.S. News. The ranking includes all 259 M.P.A. and master of public policy degree programs in the nation.

UNT's M.P.A. program, which began in 1961, has more alumni in Texas city executive positions than any other university in the state. It is also the first in Texas to be accredited by the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration. The Department of Public Administration, one of eight academic units in UNT's School of Community Service, offers the nation's first undergraduate program in emergency administration and planning as well as the M.P.A. Program

"Our public administration program has long held a national reputation for quality, and its current place among the nation's top 10 programs is simply another recognition of its excellence," says Howard Johnson, provost and vice president for academic affairs.

The counseling graduate program ranking is based on expert opinion about program quality and statistical indicators that describe the strength of a school's faculty, its research and the performance of students as they enter and leave. U.S. News gathered indicator and opinion data by surveying more than 100 programs and 9,000 academics and other professionals in the fall of 2001.

UNT's counseling program became one of the first nationally accredited programs in 1981. It has been accredited by the Council for Accreditation in Counseling and Related Educational Programs ever since. It is also one of two programs in the United States to receive the Association for Counselor Education Outstanding Program award.

Both UNT programs are included on U.S. News' web site in the magazine's annual guide to the nation's best graduate schools.

"This latest round of national recognition for a few of our many academic programs of excellence is a reaffirmation of the high standard of quality at the university," Johnson says. "This external applause simply affirms what we already know about the quality of a UNT education."

U.S. News ranks programs on a rotating basis. The two newest rankings joined UNT's other top-tier rankings including programs in library science, health librarianship, information systems, master of fine arts, master of music, jazz studies, graduate conducting, composition and art education.

BY RUFUS COLEMAN rcoleman@unt.edu

Other featured articles in this issue

• Entrepreneur ranks Murphy Enterprise Center in top tier of regional programs
• College of Business Administration dean to step down; interim dean chosen
• Texas attorney general speaks at UNT
• Karen Hughes, Kinky Friedman headline first UNT System Book and Author Luncheon
• New general counsel addresses Faculty Senate
• U.S. National Security Agency names UNT College of Engineering center among nation's elite computer security programs
• UNT Moot Court squad finishes 2003-04 year ranked first in the state

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