91PORN

Article via the Health Science Center

The School of Health Professions achieved a national ranking of three of its graduate health programs in U.S. News & World Report’s Best Grad Schools for 2016.

The graduate program in physician assistant studies is among the top 25 percent of all ranked schools (33/141). The occupational therapy program improved its position to 44th from last year’s ranking of 54th out of 163 programs that received rankings, placing it in the top one-third nationally. And the physical therapy program continues to place in the top half of PT programs in the nation ranked by U.S. News & World Report (79/193).

“The School of Health Professions’ rankings support our goal of providing outstanding professional training for our students and achieving recognition of our programs as among the best in the country,” said David C. Shelledy, Ph.D., RRT, FAARC, FASAHP, dean and professor.

All the health rankings are based solely on the results of peer assessment surveys sent to deans, other administrators and/or faculty at accredited degree programs or schools in each discipline. All schools surveyed in a discipline were sent the same number of surveys. Respondents rated the academic quality of programs on a scale of 1 (marginal) to 5 (outstanding). Only fully accredited programs in good standing during the survey period are ranked. Those schools with the highest average scores appear in the rankings.

Surveys in the respective disciplines recognized included:

• 164 graduate programs in occupational therapy accredited by the American Occupational Therapy Association
• 217 physical therapy programs accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education
• 154 physician assistant programs accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant