This week, U.S.News & World Report released their 2013 rankings of graduate schools. The Curry School of Education is enjoying another year of resounding success in the rankings, holding steady in a top 25 ranking with seven programs ranking among the top in the country, including the Teacher Education program having three of those programs in the top ten.
“We are extraordinarily proud to be among the top 25 schools of education for the 3rd year in a row,” said Curry School of Education Dean Bob Pianta. “Our consistent performance reflects the incredibly hard work and persistence of our faculty and students. “
The Curry School’s Educational Psychology program was ranked for the first time this year, coming in as the 17th best program in the U.S. This rising star at the Curry School is being noticed by students across the country.
“This admissions cycle, we have seen our doctoral applications nearly double,” shared Educational Psychology program coordinator Sara Rimm-Kaufman.
Three programs at the Curry School were ranked among the top 15 in the U.S.News & World Report rankings. The Curriculum and Instruction program was ranked number 13. The Administration & Supervision program and Education Policy program both came in as the twelfth best programs in their respective categories.
The last two years have been an exciting time for the Administration & Supervision program with the redesign of its doctoral program and with the Curry School’s selection to serve as headquarters for the University Council for Educational Administration (UCEA).
“Curry’s programs and initiatives in educational leadership are poised to make a notable impact on the preparation of professionals for leadership roles in our nation’s schools,” said Curry School Dean, Bob Pianta.
The Education Policy program is one of the newest at the Curry School at less than five years old.
“There are many aspects of the development of education policy at UVa with which I am very pleased—our PhD program has blossomed with our partnership with the Batten Masters in Public Policy program and the Center for Education Policy and Workforce Development has developed some good traction,” said Jim Wyckoff, professor of Education Policy and director of the Center for Education Policy & Workforce Competitiveness. “I am most pleased with the expanding group of faculty and students who are creating an intellectually vibrant and productive teaching and research environment in education policy.”
“It is a remarkable achievement that Curry’s program in educational policy has risen far and fast in the rankings,” said Pianta. “The exceptional faculty and partnerships with the Batten school and departments such as Economics have made this area a fertile one for exceptional training and research that connects to the needs of the field.”
Perhaps the most impressive cluster of program rankings comes from three areas in the Curry School’s Teacher Education program. The Elementary Education program held steady at number 10. The Secondary Education program climbed an impressive three spots to come in as the eighth best in the country. And the Curry School’s Special Education program moved up one spot to number 5.
“These top ten rankings from our peers have been a consistent feature of our teacher preparation programs’ recognition for more than a decade,” said Dean Pianta. “They reflect our faculty’s attention to the preparation of teachers as a real craft - a source of great pride and focus of great commitment and skill.”
“These rankings result from the combination of wonderful students in each of the areas and the shared efforts of the teacher education faculty working together to build uniformly strong programs.,” said Professor Sandi Cohen, director of Teacher Education.
The USNews & World Report rankings reflect a level of excellence in vision, design and execution in the academic programs at the Curry School. Through a unique variety of learning opportunities, from research in laboratories, field and clinical experiences to mentorships, the faculty and students at the Curry School continue to propel forward and upward the meaningful work of human development, teaching and learning.
