STATEMENT/BACKGROUNDER

Chancellor Moeser comments on graduate rankings in U.S. News & World Report

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chancellor James Moeser has issued the following statement about graduate and specialty programs appearing in new rankings compiled by U.S. News & World Report magazine:

"Many of Carolina’s graduate and professional degree programs in the health sciences, social sciences, liberal arts and the humanities have emerged as national leaders over the past half-century and are a tremendous asset for North Carolina.

The quality and excellence of the faculty and talented graduate students in those programs benefits the people of North Carolina. They are working hard to provide new knowledge and educational services to the state through skilled teaching, innovative research and dynamic public service. What they do so well helps the entire university transform people’s lives.

Many of these graduate programs receive national recognition on a regular basis. Journalistic rankings are not a focus for Carolina. However, these new lists of several professional school degree programs and specialty areas from U.S. News & World Report are based in part on the opinions of fellow deans, senior faculty, program directors and practicing professionals.

We are pleased these programs, along with many others not emphasized in this year’s particular list of categories, remain a source of pride for the Carolina community."

Following is a summary of UNC programs and specialty areas U.S. News lists in its new rankings:

School of Public Health
Overall tied for 2^nd (for master’s and doctoral programs)

• Health services administration, 2^nd (master’s program)
• Environmental/environmental health, 10^th (listed under engineering schools, which UNC does not have.)

• School of Nursing, 5^th
• School of Public Health, tied for 10^th

• Nursing service administration, 3^rd (School of Nursing)
• Community/public health, 3^rd (School of Public Health)
• Nurse practitioner: family, 7^th (School of Nursing)
• Psychiatric/mental health, tied for 7^th (School of Nursing)
• Adult, 9^th (School of Nursing)

School of Medicine
Primary care overall 15^th
Research overall tied for 21^st
Specialty Areas

• Rural medicine, tied for 5^th
• Family medicine, tied for 6^th
• Women’s health, 8^th

Kenan-Flagler Business School
Overall tied for 21^st (for master of business administration degree programs)

• Accounting, 10^th
• Production/operations 11^th
• Nonprofit 11^th
• Management 12^th
• Executive MBA Program, 12^th 

School of Law
Overall tied for 28^th

School of Education
Overall 31^st

Graduate rankings will appear in the April 14 issue of the U.S. News & World Report magazine, scheduled to hit newsstands Monday (April 7). The 2004 edition of the magazine’s "Best Graduate Schools" guidebook also will go on sale Monday. Information will be available Friday at www.usnews.com. U.S. News first ranked graduate programs in 1987 and has done so annually since 1990. Business, education, engineering, law and medicine are ranked annually. Other disciplines and specialties are ranked periodically.

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U.S. News and World Report contact: Richard Folkers, (202) 955-2219
News Services contact: Mike McFarland, (919) 962-8593