Law School, Graduate Programs Ranked Among Best in the Nation

The U.S. News and World Report 2012 edition of America’s Best Graduate Schools has ranked the University of Arkansas School of Law among the top public law schools in the nation. Two graduate programs in the Sam M. Walton College of Business are also ranked, as are a program in the College of Education and Health Professions and the College of Engineering.

“We are very pleased that these outstanding programs have been selected among the very best by US News and World Report,” said Chancellor G. David Gearhart. “Their selection underscores the high-quality faculty and students in their respective colleges as well as the strong leadership provided by their deans. All of these programs are essential to fulfilling the university’s mission as well as to advancing the educational, economic and social needs of Arkansas.”

For the third consecutive year the School of Law is one of the 145 top tier law schools, 67 of them public, listed in the U.S. News rankings. The school’s position improved by two places since last year and has increased by 24 spots in the past four years. Among the factors that contributed to the school’s climb was a markedly higher reputation assessment score by lawyers and judges.

“The continued success of the students, faculty, and alumni of the School of Law is recognized by the legal community, and the U.S. News rankings speak to our steadily improving national standing,” said Cynthia Nance, dean of the School of Law. “I am particularly pleased with the high marks given to us by the nation’s practicing lawyers and judges.”

In the U.S. News ranking the University of Arkansas School of Law tied for 43rd place among public law schools and 84th place overall. The U.S. News ranking methodology includes a peer assessment score, an assessment by lawyers and judges, student/faculty ratio, post-graduation employment rates, bar exam passage rates and other measures.

The Master of Business Administration program and the part-time M.B.A program in the Walton College were once again among the top programs in the U.S. News rankings. The Best Graduate Schools ranked a total of 72 full time programs in the top tier, 38 of them public institutions; it listed 57 part time programs, 31 in public colleges and universities. The full time program is ranked 25th among public institutions, while the part-time program is in 29th place. Both programs are listed in the top tier of their categories nationally, the full-time program ranked 51st and the part-time program ranked 50th among both private and public institutions.

"We are pleased once again that our graduate programs are included in the U.S. News rankings,” said Dean Dan Worrell. “These rankings parallel those of our undergraduate programs, and reflect the investments we've made in the programs over the past several years."

U.S. News ranked a total of 22 rehabilitation counseling programs, 20 of them in public universities. The College of Education and Health Professions program is in 16th place among all graduate schools and it ranks 14th among public universities.

"Our rehabilitation counseling program has an excellent reputation for preparing professionals for a field that is seeing significant shortages compared to demand created as baby boomers age," said Tom Smith, dean of the college. "The program will continue to uphold this standard of excellence in teaching as well as in research. We have added a new assistant professor, Chen-Ping Lin, and we expect her to make significant contributions in these areas. We expect to maintain our top-20 ranking for many years to come."

Lin and professor Lynn Koch, who is also in the rehabilitation counseling program, both earned their doctorates from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, which is ranked No. 1 in rehabilitation counseling by U.S. News.

The rehabilitation counseling program received two major grants last year, one for $750,000 to provide funding to 35 University of Arkansas students preparing to work as rehabilitation counselors with people who have disabilities and the other for $500,000 to prepare 25 students to work as psychiatric vocational rehabilitation specialists.

In the College of Engineering the industrial engineering graduate program is ranked 25th among all graduate programs for the second consecutive year and 18th among public institutions. The U.S. News ranking includes a total of 44 institutions in this category, 36 of them public universities.

“We are pleased that the industrial engineering department has once again been recognized as a leader in its field,” said Ashok Saxena, dean of the College of Engineering. “This is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our faculty and students.”