UNT’s College of Education online graduate program is ranked No. 4 in the nation

January 30

20:20 2018

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The U.S. News & World Report recently ranked UNT’s College of Education online graduate program No. 4 out of 275 programs in the nation.

The online program currently has around 400 students enrolled and offers face-to-face, blended and entirely online courses in the education field, a spokesperson said. Last year the program was ranked No. 16.

Each year, enrollment rates increase, predominately for the Masters in Educational Leadership program which is the most popular, said Rossana Boyd, director of the Bilingual/ESL Teacher Education Program.

The online graduate program is what is called the “summer-to-summer program,” said Robin Henson, educational psychology department chairman and professor. Students can start their degree one summer and complete it the following summer in the 15-month program.

“It has been a process of developing courses and putting them online,” Henson said. “Our summer-to-summer format, which is probably a key element to what we are doing here, has evolved.”

Randy Bomer, dean of the College of Education, said the College of Education is always getting better, whether due to its faculty or its students.

“The faculty teaching in these programs have worked very hard to make sure student experience is high quality, and that’s what is recognized in this very significant leap in the rankings,” Bomer said. “The ranking itself is nice, but not really the point. It’s all about the quality of what we are doing for students.”

The No. 4 ranking means the criteria the graduate students learn from the instructors is ensuring the students will have what is necessary to succeed in the education field, Bomer said. It could also bring recognition to the college, drawing in new participants.

“It means that we are paying attention to students in those programs,” Bomer said. “And it certainly suggests to other universities that we have something special going on in online programs at UNT.”

Education junior Madi Nikolas is considering enrolling in UNT’s graduate education program.

“I feel like I have a really great opportunity at UNT and I need to take it,” Nikolas said. “Knowing we’re No. 4 in the nation makes me realize how great the quality of education I am receiving actually is, and it motivates me to do better in school, and listen to my professors and their experiences because with our ranking they obviously know what they’re talking about.”

Featured Image: The university’s online graduate program for the College of Education was recently ranked 4th in the nation. Garen Powers