Rankings

Mason has eight graduate programs in the top 25 nationally, with several leaping forward in U.S. News rankings

Mariam Aburdeineh — Mon, 28 Mar 2022 20:21:58 +0000

Mason has eight graduate programs in the top 25 nationally, with several leaping forward in U.S. News rankings Mariam Aburdeineh Mon, 03/28/2022 - 16:21

In This Story

Mark J. Rozell

Kenneth Ball

Jiayang Sun

Photo by Evan Cantwell/Creative Services/George Mason University

George Mason University has eight graduate programs listed among the top 25 nationally, according to the latest rankings by U.S. News & World Report, reflecting the university’s reputation of being a top institution for advanced degrees.

The list was led by Mason’s part-time law program at the Antonin Scalia Law School, which is No. 1 among public institutions, followed by industrial-organizational psychology at No. 5 nationally. Rounding out the list were Mason’s intellectual property program, three programs at the Schar School of Policy and Government, as well as special education and elementary teacher education at the College of Education and Human Development.

Overall, Mason has 18 programs ranked in the top 50 nationally and 33 ranked in the top 50 among public universities. Several programs rose in the Best Graduate School Rankings, including statistics and biological sciences.

Mason on the Rise

“The continued rise in the national rankings of our respected academic programs is further affirmation about the quality of a Mason education and the esteem in how our programs are viewed nationally,” said Mark R. Ginsberg, Mason provost and executive vice president. “We are very pleased by and proud of the recognition our programs have received and the experience our students have.”

Mason is the fastest growing public university in Virginia and has conferred the highest number of master’s degrees of any four-year public institution in the state for the past five years. According to State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, Mason conferred nearly a third of the state’s master’s degrees for the 2020-21 academic year.

U.S. News ranks different programs at different times of the year, including rankings for online master’s programs, which were released in January, and the annual Best Colleges rankings released each fall.

Several programs that ranked in the top 25 are housed on the Arlington Campus—recently renamed Mason Square—which is less than five miles from Washington, D.C. Mason Square is undergoing a transformation as part of the Rosslyn-Ballston Innovation Corridor, an innovation district that will be the first of its kind in Virginia, and will serve as the home base for the Institute for Digital Innovation.

Scalia Law Soars to Top 30

Mason’s part-time law program is ranked No. 4 nationally and No. 1 among public universities, ahead of distinguished universities including University of Maryland, Temple University, and University of Houston. The school’s ranking, as a whole, rose 11 spots, to No. 30.

“For the first time, we are ranked nationally as a top 30 law school,” said law school Dean Ken Randall. “The ranking reflects the academic excellence of the Scalia law faculty, student body, and staff.”

“We are grateful for the university’s support of the law school,” he said. “The law school’s evening program—ranked as the fourth best part-time program nationally—has tripled its enrollment by leveraging technology and advancing our commitment to inclusive excellence.”

A Prominent Hub for Public Policy

Five Schar School programs (homeland security, public-policy analysis, nonprofit management, public finance, and local government management) are ranked as the top programs in Virginia, with homeland security leading the list at No. 7 nationally, and No. 6 among public institutions.

Mason’s homeland security program has made the nation’s top 10 list for five years straight.

“The Schar School’s interdisciplinary programs increasingly are being recognized as among the best,” said Schar School Dean Mark J. Rozell. “Most notable this year is the big jump in the ranking in nonprofit management studies—the largest one-year move we’ve ever seen.”

The nonprofit management program rose 14 spots, from No. 32 to No. 18 nationally.

“High-impact faculty work and recent exciting hires in that field are being noticed by our peers nationally,” Rozell said.

The Schar School’s location in the heart of the U.S. political scene provides students with extraordinary professional opportunities that supplement learning from professors with experience in everything from NGOs and nonprofits to top government agencies like the CIA, National Security Agency, and more.

Biological Sciences Leaps to Top 10

Many Mason programs significantly advanced in the rankings from last year, including biological sciences, which rose 71 spots to No. 119.

“The graduate programs at the School of Systems Biology (SSB) are constantly striving to enrich student experiences and improve learning outcomes,” said Iosif Vaisman, professor and School of Systems Biology director. “We are very happy that these collective efforts by our administrators, faculty, and staff bear fruit.”

“Our time to degree completion statistics is better than many peer programs, and our graduates are in high demand on the job market,” Vaisman said, noting students come from all walks of life. “All these successes to a great degree depend on the extremely strong research portfolios, publication record, teaching commitments, and reputation of faculty at SSB and its two research centers, the Center for Applied Proteomics and Molecular Medicine and the Center for Infectious Disease Research.”

A Bright Future, Statistically Speaking

Statistics also jumped 29 spots, coming in at No. 54 nationally and No. 38 among publics.

Jiayang Sun, department chair of Statistics, said she is optimistic for another significant jump in the next ranking cycle.

“We have outstanding faculty who are national leaders in their areas of expertise,” Sun said. “We had remarkable growth and transformation under the new leadership.”

“We are very pleased and excited by the significant jump in the rankings by our Department of Statistics, and congratulate the entire department and its leadership for their success,” said Kenneth Ball, dean of the College of Engineering and Computing.

“The department has a very bright future and is contributing greatly to the success of the college as well as across the university,” he said.

Research funding for statistics has continued to surpass the department’s records since 2020, Sun said.

Ball touted the investment made by Mason's College of Engineering and Computing in the statistics programs, including more than $1.5 million for new faculty start-up funds and graduate research assistants, as well as other resources.

And a new partnership with Inova Health System has provided faculty with expanding collaborative research opportunities.

“We are modernizing our program offerings and looking forward to unique opportunities with the new School of Computing and some expected Virginia initiatives,” Sun said.

Methodology

The 2023 Best Graduate School rankings for business, education, engineering, law, medicine, and nursing are based on expert opinion about program excellence and statistical indicators that measure the quality of a school’s faculty, research, and students, U.S. News reported.

The ranking data comes from statistical surveys of more than 2,150 programs and from reputation surveys sent to more than 23,200 academics and professionals, conducted in fall 2021 and early 2022.

Full Rankings

Below is a preview of Mason’s rankings for its graduate programs. It will be updated if additional rankings become available:

Part-time Law: No. 4 nationally, No. 1 among public institutions.

Intellectual Property: No. 19 nationally, No. 6 among public institutions (Best in Virginia).

Best Law School: No. 30 nationally, No. 11 among public institutions.

Contracts: No. 37 nationally, No 18 among public institutions.

Constitutional Law: No. 40 nationally, No. 19 among public institutions.

Corporate Law: No. 41 nationally, No. 17 among public institutions.

International Law: No. 67 nationally, 30 among public institutions.

Tax Law: No. 70 nationally, No. 33 among public institutions.

Criminal Law: No. 80 nationally, No. 38 among public institutions.

Trial Advocacy: No. 89 overall, No. 31 among public institutions.

Dispute Resolution: No. 103 nationally, No. 43 among public institutions.

Health Care Law: No. 108 nationally, No. 50 among public institutions.

Environmental Law: No. 122 nationally, No. 62 among public institutions.

Clinical Training: No. 148 nationally, No. 64 among public institutions.

Legal Writing: No. 169 nationally, No. 74 among public institutions.

Public Affairs: No. 39 nationally, No. 26 among public institutions.

Homeland Security: No. 7 nationally, No. 6 among public institutions (Best in Virginia).

Nonprofit Management: No. 18 overall, No. 14 among public institutions (Best in Virginia).

Public Policy Analysis: No. 24 nationally, No. 12 among public institutions (Best in Virginia).

Public Finance: No. 26 nationally, No. 19 among public institutions (Best in Virginia).

Leadership: No. 27 nationally, No. 19 among public institutions.

Local Government Management: No. 27 nationally, No. 24 among public institutions (Best in Virginia).

Part-time MBA: No. 67 nationally, No. 40 among public institutions.

Education: No. 67 overall, No. 52 among public institutions.

Special Ed: No. 15 nationally, No. 14 among public institutions.

Elementary Teacher Ed: No. 20 nationally, No. 16 among public institutions.

Engineering: No. 92 nationally, No. 56 among public institutions.

Industrial Engineering: No. 39 nationally, No. 29 among public institutions.

Statistics: No. 54 nationally, No. 38 among public institutions.

Computer Science: No. 63 nationally, No. 37 among public institutions.

Computer Engineering: No. 75 nationally, No. 44 among public institutions.

Electrical Engineering: No. 82 nationally, No. 49 among public institutions.

Civil Engineering: No. 89 nationally, No. 63 among public institutions.

Bioengineering: No. 103 nationally, No. 65 among public institutions.

Geology: No. 113 nationally, No. 81 among public institutions.

Mathematics: No. 115 nationally, No. 72 among public institutions.

Biological Sciences: No. 119 nationally, No. 66 among public institutions.

Physics: No. 132 nationally, No. 78 among public institutions.

Chemistry: No. 165 overall, No. 107 among public institutions.

Nursing Master's: No. 37 nationally, No. 23 among public institutions.

Nursing-DNP: No. 52 nationally, No. 38 among public institutions.

Public Health: No. 70 nationally, No. 45 among public institutions.

Social Work: No. 79 nationally, No. 54 among public institutions.

Economics: No. 74 overall, No. 40 among public institutions.

Psychology: No. 80 nationally, No. 47 among public institutions.

Industrial-Organizational Psychology: No. 5 nationally, No. 4 among public institutions.

Topics

Campus News

Rankings

Graduate Education

Online programs thrive at Mason, with six in the Top 20 according to latest U.S. News rankings

Colleen Rich — Mon, 24 Jan 2022 19:30:47 +0000

Online programs thrive at Mason, with six in the Top 20 according to latest U.S. News rankings Colleen Rich Mon, 01/24/2022 - 14:30

In This Story

Maury Peiperl

Photo by Getty Images

George Mason University has some of the nation’s best online master’s programs, with six of them in the Top 20, according to the just-released 2022 U.S. News & World Report Best Online Programs rankings.

“Mason’s online graduate programs provide ‘access to opportunity’ that, especially through the COVID pandemic, have been highly valued and are highly respected,” said Provost Mark Ginsberg. “The latest rankings affirm the quality of our online graduate programs and their consequential nature. We are very pleased that they are recognized as among the very best in the nation.”

Mason’s education programs led the list, with special education ranking best in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area, and No. 7 nationally. As a whole, Mason’s education programs climbed five spots this year to No. 41. They are among 11 programs at Mason that also made the Top 50.

“These rankings reflect the well-earned national reputation of a degree in education from George Mason University,” said Bob Baker, interim dean of Mason’s College of Education and Human Development (CEHD). “They further demonstrate the widespread respect held for our exceptional faculty and graduates.”

“Despite the challenges of the pandemic, CEHD education programs are consequential in that we remain committed to making the online experience both rigorous and relevant,” Baker said. “We are recognized for affording a large number of students access to a very high-quality education that professionally prepares them to be career-ready and impactful.”

Other Mason programs in the Top 20 include Education for Veterans (No. 13 nationally and best in the D.C. area), its MBA in Business Analytics (No. 17 nationally and No. 11 among public institutions), its MBA in General Management (No. 19 overall and No. 11 among publics), and Industrial Engineering (No. 19 nationally, tied with George Washington University, and No. 15 among publics).

Mason’s Master of Business Administration (MBA) programs also advanced into the Top 100, rising 25 spots in just two years.

“Mason has always worked to provide the learning and development working professionals need—when, where, and in the way they most need it,” said Maury Peiperl, dean of the School of Business. “Our online MBA continues to do that, and to improve with deeper and deeper engagement with our customers, most of whom are in the Washington region.”

METHODOLOGY: According to its website, U.S. News ranks programs in five categories: student engagement, faculty credentials and training, services and technologies that allow students greater flexibility to take classes and labs from a distance, student excellence, and a survey of “high-ranking academic officials.”

Mason also ranked in these U.S. News categories:

MBA: No. 98 overall, No. 70 among publics.

MBA for Veterans: No. 64 overall, No. 49 among publics.

MBA (business analytics): No. 17 overall, No. 11 among publics.

MBA (general management): No. 19 overall, No. 11 among publics.

Business master's (non-MBA): No. 35 overall (tied with American University), No. 25 among publics.

Information technology: No. 42 overall, No. 29 among publics (tied with JMU and UMBC).

Education: No. 41 overall, No. 40 among publics.

Education for Veterans: No. 13 overall (best in the DMV), No. 13 among publics.

Education (curriculum and instruction): No. 21 overall, No. 21 among publics.

Education (educational administration and supervision): No. 20 overall, No. 19 among publics.

Special education: No. 7 overall, No. 7 among publics.

Engineering: No. 47 overall, No. 35 among publics.

Engineering (industrial): No. 19 overall (tied with George Washington), No. 15 among publics.

Topics

Campus News

U.S. News & World Report

Costello College of Business

College of Education and Human Development

Rankings

College of Engineering and Computing

Graduate Education

Mason has eight graduate programs listed among top 25 nationally, led by part-time law that is best in nation among publics

Mandy Richburg — Tue, 30 Mar 2021 04:01:00 +0000

Mason has eight graduate programs listed among top 25 nationally, led by part-time law that is best in nation among publics Mandy Richburg Tue, 03/30/2021 - 00:01

Mason has 18 programs ranked in the top 50 nationally and 33 ranked in the top 50 among public universities, according to U.S. News and World Report's 2022 graduate program rankings. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Creative Services

George Mason University has eight graduate programs listed among the top 25 nationally according to latest rankings by U.S. News & World Report, reflecting the university’s impact as one of the best institutions for advanced degrees.

The list was led by Mason’s part-time law program at the Antonin Scalia Law School, which was No. 1 in the nation among publics, and also included two programs at the Schar School of Policy and Government that were among the top 10 nationally for public universities. Rounding out the list were programs in criminology in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences as well as elementary education and special education in the College of Education and Human Development.

Overall, Mason has 18 programs ranked in the top 50 nationally and 33 ranked in the top 50 among public universities.

“These rankings highlight the quality of our programs, expertise of our faculty, the impact of our research, and the achievements of our students,” Mason President Gregory Washington said. “Mason is a destination for the nation’s best students and we are very pleased that U.S. News has recognized our graduate programs that provide access to excellence.”

Mason is the largest public research university in Virginia, with campuses in Fairfax, Arlington and Manassas. Each of the top 25 ranked programs is based at Mason’s Arlington Campus, less than five miles from Washington, D.C. The campus is undergoing a $250 million transformation as part of the Rosslyn-Ballston Innovation Corridor, an innovation district that will be the first of its kind in Virginia, and will house the Institute for Digital InnovAtion where the School of Computing will be located.

U.S. News ranks different programs at different times of the year including rankings for online master’s programs, which were released in January, and the annual Best Colleges rankings released each fall.

“The recognition of Mason’s outstanding academic programs as among the highest ranked in the nation affirms the experiences of our students that they are well prepared for success,” said Provost Mark Ginsberg.

The part-time law program at the Scalia Law School is ranked No. 4 among public and private institutions, ahead of such distinguished universities as Temple, Loyola Marymount, University of Maryland, University of Denver and Rutgers.

“Our part-time JD program enables busy professionals to pursue a law degree in a flexible way without sacrificing on quality,” said law school Dean Ken Randall.

Starting this fall, through the increased use of technology, the part-time law program will offer students even more flexibility so students in the first two years of the four-year program can come to campus as few as two nights a week, instead of the traditional five days, Randall said.

“Our advantageous pricing point also makes a part-time legal education possible,” Randall added. “We are delighted that U.S. News has recognized Mason’s programs that connect students to distinguished faculty and unparalleled opportunities in the nation’s capital.”

Five of the Schar School’s specialties (homeland security, international policy, local government management, public management and nonprofit management) are ranked as the top program in Virginia and two (homeland security and international policy) ranked in the top five in the country among public institutions.

The Schar School’s prime location in the heart of U.S. policy provides students with one-of-a-kind professional opportunities that supplement learning from professors with real-world experience in everything from NGOs and nonprofits to lead government agencies like the CIA, National Security Agency and many more.

“In its first five years, the Schar School's rankings have climbed impressively,” said Dean Mark J. Rozell. “These rankings are a testament to the quality of a unique multidisciplinary faculty of leading scholars and policy practitioners who are dedicated to training the next generation of policy thinkers and leaders."

Mason’s criminology program ranked No. 10 nationally and best in Virginia among public institutions. Internationally renowned for its applied research, the program prepares students to pursue competitive positions in law enforcement, courts, corrections, and other government agencies, as well as advocacy and nonprofit organizations.

In partnership with faculty, practitioners, and lead organizations in the criminal justice system, students learn about how to conduct original scholarship that can make the justice system fairer and more effective.

“Criminology, Law and Society’s [CLS] graduate programs are relatively young, so it’s especially gratifying to watch their meteoric rise in the national rankings,” said Dean Ann Ardis, noting that other top tier programs have much far longer histories.

The recognition is a testament to the research and hard work of faculty and graduate students, Department Chair James Willis said, “and to the department’s steadfast commitment to using science and reason to inform policies and practices that best meet what justice requires.”

Mason’s Special Education and Elementary Education programs ranked in the top 20 nationally, coming in at No. 16 and No. 20, respectively.

With expert faculty instruction combined with experiential learning opportunities with K-12 students in local school districts, the School of Education provides Mason students with the knowledge and skills to improve lives and make a difference in their communities.

“These rankings are reflective of the productivity and impact of our faculty and students,” said Interim Dean Robert Baker, adding that students from the College of Education and Human Development are highly sought after upon graduation. “We are unique in that we are not only among the top programs in the country, but we also provide access to excellence as one of the larger programs, as well.”

The Best Graduate Schools rankings for business, education, engineering, law, medicine and nursing are based on expert opinions about program excellence and statistical indicators that measure the quality of a school’s faculty, research and students, U.S. News reported.

The rankings derive from statistical surveys of more than 2,125 programs and from reputation surveys sent to more than 23,000 academics and professionals in fall 2020 and early 2021.

Below is a preview of Mason’s rankings for its graduate programs. It will be updated if additional rankings become available:

LAW

Part-time program: 1 among public institutions; 4 overall

Full-time program: 19 among public institutions; 41 overall (up from 42 last year)

Intellectual Property: 10 among public institutions; 26 overall (up from 31 last year)

Corporate Law: 16 among public institutions; 36 overall

Constitutional Law: 20 among public institutions; 41 overall

Contracts: 21 among public institutions; 45 overall

Tax Law: 35 among public institutions; 73 overall

International Law: 36 among public institutions; 78 overall

Trial Advocacy: 33 among public institutions; 90 overall

Dispute Resolution: 42 among public institutions; 100 overall

Criminal Law: 42 among public institutions; 81 overall

Health Care: 108 overall (up from 114 last year)

Legal Writing: 74 among public institutions; 159 overall

Clinical Training: 58 among public institutions; 129 overall

Environmental Law: 70 among public institutions; 136 overall

CRIMINOLOGY

Among public institutions: 10 (Best in Virginia)

Overall: 10

HEALTH CARE MANAGEMENT

Among public institutions: 17

Overall: 33 (tied with Georgetown University)

NURSING

Master’s: 21 among public institutions; 37 overall (up from 51 last year)

DNP: 31 among public institutions; 51 overall

PUBLIC AFFAIRS

Among public institutions: 34

Overall: 48 (up from 49 last year)

Homeland Security: 4 among public institutions (Best in Virginia); 7 overall

International Policy: 5 among public institutions (Best in Virginia); 14 overall

Local Government Management: 18 among public institutions (Best in Virginia); 22 overall

Public Management: 18 among public institutions (Best in Virginia); 26 overall (up from 28 last year)

Nonprofit Management: 23 among public institutions (Best in Virginia); 32 overall

Public Policy Analysis: 11 among public institutions; 23 overall

PUBLIC HEALTH

Among public institutions: 36 (tied with University of Virginia for best in state)

Overall: 60

BUSINESS (Part-time MBA)

Among public institutions: 40

Overall: 66

FINE ARTS

Among public institutions: 41

Overall: 73 (tied with Georgetown University)

HISTORY

Among public institutions: 42

Overall: 73

COMPUTER SCIENCE

Among public institutions: 42

Overall: 68 (tied with William & Mary)

POLITICAL SCIENCE

Among public institutions: 46

Overall: 76

ECONOMICS

Among public institutions: 48

Overall: 77

EDUCATION

Among public institutions: 52

Overall: 70

Elementary Education: 17 among public institutions; 20 overall

Special Education: 15 among public institutions; 16 overall

ENGINEERING

Among public institutions: 55

Overall: 93 (up from 102 last year)

Industrial Engineering: 24 among public institutions; 37 overall

Bioengineering: 53 among public institutions; 89 overall (up from 93 last year)

Civil Engineering: 68 among public institutions; 95 overall

Computer Engineering: 46 among public institutions; 76 overall

Electrical Engineering: 52 among public institutions; 85 overall (up from 87 last year)

STATISTICS

Among public institutions: 55

Overall: 83

SOCIOLOGY

Among public institutions: 57

Overall: 84

PSYCHOLOGY

Among public institutions: 57

Overall: 90

ENGLISH

Among public institutions: 63

Overall: 99

SOCIAL WORK

Among public institutions: 68

Overall: 96

CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY

Among public institutions: 75

Overall: 101 (tied with George Washington and Catholic University)

MATHEMATICS

Among public institutions: 76 (tied with Maryland-Baltimore County)

Overall: 117 (tied with Maryland-Baltimore County)

PHYSICS

Among public institutions: 93

Overall: 138

BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES

Among public institutions: 127

Overall: 190

Topics

Rankings

Campus News

Antonin Scalia Law School

College of Humanities and Social Sciences Department of Criminology

Schar School of Policy and Government

College of Education and Human Development

Graduate Education