March 28, 2008

U.S. News ranks Purdue graduate programs among nation's best

The colleges and schools in which programs were ranked include Liberal Arts, Science,  Pharmacy, Engineering and Management.

Liberal Arts: Two programs in the Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences rank in the top 10. The accredited master's degree program in speech-language pathology tied for second nationally, up from third in 2004. The accredited doctoral of audiology degree program is tied for ninth, down one spot from 2004. The department is part of the College of Liberal Arts.

"The speech-language and audiology programs at Purdue continue to excel because of the programs' first-class faculty and students, as well as the interdisciplinary research taking place," said John Contreni, Justin S. Morrill Dean of the College of Liberal Arts. "Both programs' research, learning and engagement affect the entire life course, from infant language development to how the brain processes language to utilizing hearing devices in older adults."

Science: Three programs in Purdue's College of Science are spotlighted. Purdue's analytical chemistry program ranks second. The statistics program moved up one place to 10th, and the computer science program is 19th.

"These rankings are a useful tool as we look to the future and construct our strategic plan for the college," said Jeffrey S. Vitter, the Frederick L. Hovde Dean of the College of Science. "The high regard for the educational environment offered by Purdue evident in these rankings confirms Purdue as a leader in the sciences."

Pharmacy: Purdue's School of Pharmacy ranks ninth.

"Achieving a top 10 ranking speaks to the continued excellence of our programs," said Craig Svensson, dean of the College of Pharmacy, Nursing and Health Sciences. "In addition to learning the art of patient care and the business side of health care, our students are provided excellent opportunities to develop leadership skills through which they impact the profession on a national level."

Engineering: Purdue's College of Engineering ranks 15th overall in the survey. Last year, it was 12th. Several of its schools are among the top 10.

"The guidelines for data that we submit to U.S. News are open to interpretation, and we have made a decision to respond with a more literal approach," said Leah Jamieson, John A. Edwardson Dean of Engineering. "Some universities use a broader interpretation. We made this decision with a full understanding that a drop in our ranking would be a short-term result."

In engineering specialty rankings, Purdue earned top 10 rankings in:

*Aerospace/aeronautical/astronautical, No. 5, tied with University of Michigan.

*Civil, No. 7.

*Mechanical, No. 7, tied with the Georgia Institute of Technology.

*Industrial/manufacturing, No. 8.

*Electrical/electronic/communications, No. 10, tied with Princeton University.

*Computer, No. 10, tied with Cornell and Princeton.

Krannert: The Krannert School of Management placed two key areas in the top 10 in the MBA specialty rankings. Its production/operations area is rated No. 3, behind MIT and Carnegie Mellon, and its supply chain/logistics area ranks No. 8.

Krannert overall was No. 33, which ranks among the top 10 percent of all schools accredited by AACSB International – the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.

"A main thrust of the Krannert School's strategic mission is an emphasis on the analytical and quantitative elements of management," said Richard A. Crosier, Krannert School dean and Leeds Professor of Management, who is vice-chair and chair elect of the ASCSB board of directors. "Operations management and supply chain management are central to that mission."

U.S. News & World Report's complete graduate school rankings in "America's Best Graduate Schools" will be available on newsstands Monday (March 31). The rankings and related articles are available on the U.S. News & World Report Web site https://www.science.purdue.edu  Friday (March 28). The magazine's annual survey of academic programs has been published since 1987.

Writers: Elizabeth Gardner for College of Science, (765) 494-2081, ekgardner@purdue.edu

Clyde Hughes for College of Engineering, (765) 494-2073, jchughes@purdue.edu

Amy Patterson Neubert for Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences, (765) 494-9723, apatterson@purdue.edu

Dave Kitchell for Krannert School of Management, (765) 496-9711, dkitchell@purdue.edu

Greg McClure, (765) 494-9394, gmcclure@purdue.edu

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

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