Ten Michigan State University graduate programs are positioned in the nation's top 10, with five in the No. 1 position, according to the latest U.S. News & World Report ranking.
Once again, MSU's College of Education anchored the university's 2019 standings. The college's elementary and secondary education programs have held the nation's topmost spots for 24 consecutive years, and secured the top national program in higher education administration for the first time this year.
"These top rankings reflect the insightful and influential contributions of our faculty and alumni, whose work touches all levels of education," said Robert Floden, dean of the College of Education. "They are at the forefront of research, policy and practice, providing instruction and mentoring to the next generation of education leaders."
MSU's nuclear physics graduate program also maintained the No. 1 ranking in its category. MSU surpassed MIT for the top spot in 2010 and has held its position ever since. Bolstering MSU’s reputation in the field is the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB), a new scientific user facility for nuclear science, under construction now on campus.
Also securing its position as the top national program is the Eli Broad College of Business's supply chain management program, which reached No. 1 last year after surpassing Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Here are highlights for the top 10 programs:
Elementary and secondary education: In their 24th year holding the nation's No. 1 spot, the MSU College of Education's elementary and secondary education programs continue to advance the next generation of teachers through hands-on service opportunities, research and real-time classroom experiences that advance K-12 learning.
Higher education administration: For the first time, MSU secured the top position in higher education administration. This program offers degrees to students pursuing careers in colleges and universities, postsecondary research consortia and adult learning agencies. Many of its students already have experience working in such institutions, and MSU has one of largest faculty bases solely dedicated to this area of education.
The College of Education boasts several other top 10 national programs, including curriculum and instruction, ranked No. 2 for the second year; educational psychology, improving one spot to No. 4; educational administration, which ranks No. 8; and education policy, ranked No. 9.
Nuclear physics: Nuclear physics students have access to world-class facilities on campus at the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory (NSCL) and FRIB, and students have opportunities to pursue interdisciplinary work.
"The continuing leadership of the MSU nuclear physics program is driven by a combination of the excellence of the faculty, staff and students of NSCL and FRIB and strong support from the National Science Foundation and U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science," said Phil Duxbury, Department of Physics and Astronomy chair. "The future looks very bright with growing expertise in fundamental nuclear physics, nuclear astrophysics and accelerator physics, and with new collaborations in other areas of science and technology at MSU and across the nation."
Supply chain/logistics: The Broad College of Business's graduate supply chain management program maintains its No. 1 spot, which complements the college's seven-year record for holding the nation's top undergraduate supply chain management program.
"Our program's top honors are driven by our renowned faculty and by the recognition that Broad continues to provide leading-edge curriculum that tackles the toughest supply chain problems," said Sanjay Gupta, Eli and Edythe L. Broad Dean of the Broad College. "We pioneered the integrated 'end-to-end' approach to supply chain solutions, and today are addressing the complex challenges posed by the digitization of businesses. Employers recognize our program continues to evolve with the times, which is why they consistently look to the Broad College for well-prepared students to join-and thrive-in the workforce."
Criminal justice: Criminal justice, housed in the College of Social Science, ranked No. 10 nationally. U.S. News has not included criminal justice in its rankings since 2009, at which time MSU's program was ranked in the top 10 nationally as well.
“The continued recognition of the high quality of our doctoral program in the increasingly competitive field of criminology reflects the tireless commitment of our faculty and the caliber of doctoral students who come to engage in the interdisciplinary study of crime and justice practices as community engaged scholars," said Mary Finn, criminal justice program director. "Collectively, our faculty use science to transform the understanding of crime and to enhance justice in our communities, while preparing the next generation of scholars to continue this essential work.”
Overall, MSU has 14 graduate programs appearing in U.S. News' top 10 rankings, eight ranked at No. 1. Those not appearing in 2019 rankings, but maintaining their positions from prior rankings, include African history, No. 1, College of Social Science; industrial/organizational psychology, No. 1, College of Social Science; rehabilitation counseling, No. 1, College of Education; production/operations, No. 10, Broad College of Business.
Complete rankings, along with U.S. News & World Report methodology, can be found on the publication's website.