The excellence of graduate education programs at Ohio State’s College of Education and Human Ecology (EHE) continues to be recognized, thanks to the most recent rankings by U.S. News & World Report.
The 2018 “Best Graduate Schools” rankings place Ohio State’s program as best in Ohio and at No. 9 among public graduate education programs, up one spot from last year.
U.S. News also ranked the college as No. 4 among Big Ten universities.
Overall, the college is No. 18 among the 379 public and private programs ranked, in a three-way tie with the University of California at Berkeley and the University of Virginia.
Dean Cheryl AchterbergIn addition, four of EHE’s academic programs are ranked in the top 10 of the U.S. News specialty categories, and an additional four are ranked in the top 20.
“These rankings indicate the ongoing excellence provided to students enrolled in our high-quality graduate education programs,” said Cheryl Achterberg, dean of the College of Education and Human Ecology.
“Our faculty members work with our students in the field so they gain experience in actively solving problems facing schools today, especially urban schools. We conduct research with our students that hones strategies for helping all children learn.”
Highly regarded specialty programs rank among top in the nation
Nine of the college’s specialty programs were among the most highly regarded nationwide. Faculty members continually assess the education landscape and update curriculum to ensure that our passionate graduate students provide quality service.
In the Department of Teaching and Learning, the following programs ranked among the nation’s best:
- Curriculum and Instruction — No. 7
- Elementary Teacher Education — No. 9
- Secondary Teacher Education — No. 14
In the Department of Educational Studies, the following programs ranked among the nation’s best:
- Vocational/Technical Education — No. 1
- Student Counseling and Personnel Services — No. 4
- Educational Administration and Supervision — No. 11
- Educational Psychology — No. 11
- Higher Education Administration — No. 17
Tiffany Wild, assistant professor, works with master's students on teaching science for visually impaired students.Enhancing programs to solve complex problems of a changing world
Each year, the college enhances its offerings by updating programs to maintain excellence. The new Doctor of Education (EdD) degree is now offered in three program areas. They benefit those who do not wish to become college faculty by offering a doctorate focused on solving problems in the field.
The EdD in Educational Administration and the EdD in Higher Education and Student Affairs are examples of this latest offering.
The college also has initiated graduate interdisciplinary specializations. Students enrolled in PhD programs typically are uni-disciplinary, exposing students to the theories and research methodologies of a single discipline.
Graduate interdisciplinary specializations (GIS) expand PhD students’ thinking and training across multiple disciplines. Because complex problems require the best thinking of experts across multiple disciplines, GIS programs give doctoral students broad-based experience.
For instance, the Graduate Interdisciplinary Specialization in Applied Developmental Science in Education helps students across a variety of disciplines to develop knowledge of basic developmental research and theory in a substantive area, such as reading or motivation. At the same time, students examine how human development can be impacted by educational practices, policies and programs.
In addition to these efforts, the college regularly reviews and revises curricula to prepare students to respond to the greatest needs in the field. External funding received by faculty, staff and students focuses on responding to education’s most significant challenges.
The U.S. News & World Report “Best Graduate Schools of Education” survey, released March 14, serves as a data point for new students to consider as they enroll at Ohio State for 2018-2019.
The annual survey is completed by education and graduate study deans about their specialty programs. Three hundred and seventy-nine colleges and universities are ranked.
