Sept. 28, 2010
Contact:
Andrea Jones, 404-413-1351
University Relations
ATLANTA— A record 17 of Georgia State University’s doctoral programs received national rankings in a report released today by the National Research Council. The report assesses U.S. doctoral programs and includes data on over 5,000 programs in 62 fields at 212 universities around the nation.
Georgia State’s research doctoral programs have grown steadily and improved significantly over the last 15 years, according to the study. In fact, the number of programs ranked is more than double those released in 1995, in which seven of GSU’s programs were listed. As example, Georgia State’s Public Policy and GSU’s Computer Science program, both new since that time, both earned high overall ranks.
The data for the report was collected in 2005 and 2006 and compares programs based on such factors as faculty publications, citations, reputation and GRE scores. The new report, a sequel to the influential 1982 and 1995 editions, has been billed as more data-driven and comprehensive. It uses a complex system of assessment that offers several sets of rankings in each field, making it more difficult to compare programs across universities.
Georgia State’s programs received high marks among a broad range of programs in disciplines that span the university.
In the 5th centile ranking of student support and outcomes, GSU had seven programs ranked in the top 10: Computer Science, Sports Science, Communication, Astronomy, Biology-Neuroscience & Neurobiology, Chemistry, and Biology-Applied & Environmental Microbiology.
In the 5th centile ranking for diversity, GSU had 10 programs ranked in the top ten: Physics, Political Science, Computer Science, Biology-Molecular Genetics & Biochemistry, Sports Science, Nursing, Chemistry, Biology-Applied & Environmental Microbiology, Biology-Neuroscience & Neurobiology, and English.
GSU’s doctoral programs are the heart and foundation of our growing research and scholarly strength as a large, urban research university, said Robin Morris, Georgia State’s Vice President for Research.
“Attracting the best doctoral students and providing them with a state-of-the art education is a core goal of Georgia State University,” Morris said. “This NRC data has provided us with a nationally-relevant, independent benchmark for developing even stronger doctoral programs that will further advance our mission towards the development of new knowledge that contributes to the betterment of Georgia and society. We see much success in these results, with much work to do."