UNR business, education online graduate programs recognized by national magazine

The University of Nevada, Reno’s College of Business and the College of Education received recognition this week from U.S. News & World Report as offering some of the top online graduate programs in the country.

The College of Business’ Online Executive MBA, offered in partnership with Extended Studies, was ranked No. 29 of 195 schools in the “Best Online MBA Programs” category. The College of Education’s online graduate program, also offered in partnership with Extended Studies, was ranked No. 42 in the “Best Online Graduate Education Programs” category. The programs include the Master of Science in Equity and Diversity in Education and Master of Education in Literacy Studies.

In each of these categories, about 1,000 regionally accredited institutions were sent statistical questionnaires, and certain other conditions and definitions had to be met to be included in the final ranking. In both categories, criteria used to determine the final ranking included student engagement, admissions selectivity, peer reputation, faculty credentials and training, and student services and technology. Both the University’s EMBA and Education Master’s programs received particularly high marks for faculty credentialing and training, which is defined as how well the schools prepare teachers to teach remotely.

In the past, U.S. News combined MBA programs and all other online business master's degree programs for a single ranking in which the College of Business’s EMBA ranked No. 75. This year, the EMBA program was assessed and ranked in the new category of Best Online MBA programs.

The College of Business’ Executive MBA Program meets the accreditation standards of the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, the highest attainable level of accreditation in business education. It is taught by the same faculty who teach the college’s Part-Time MBA Program, which is ranked No. 24 in the country by Bloomberg BusinessWeek.

“We are incredibly proud of the Online Executive MBA programs we have built in the College of Business,” Kambiz Raffiee, the program’s director and associate dean of the College of Business, said. “This is a huge deal and a major milestone for the program. The hard work of faculty, students and administration of the program have made this possible.”

The College of Education’s master’s degree programs are accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education, considered the top accreditation for educator preparation. The degrees help fill a need in areas of education in high demand in today’s challenging classroom environment.

“Our program allows students to graduate in two years while maintaining our focus on multiple literacies,” Julie Pennington, College of Education associate professor, said. “New courses ensure students can receive their Nevada Reading Specialist endorsement from the state. These courses include a virtual reading clinic where students apply research-based literacy assessments and targeted instruction to students using video reflections and case studies. They are bringing theory and research to actual classroom contexts.”

“We are proud of the quality of the programs the faculty has put together,” Ken Coll, dean of the College of Education, said. “They are clearly developed so that educators can engage in deep study in the latest research and promising practices, while working in a manner that makes sense for busy professionals.”

For more information on the online Executive MBA Program and the master’s programs in education, go here.

— Nicole Shearer is a Communications Officer for the University of Nevada, Reno. She can be reached at nshearer@unr.edu