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The university’s graduate Social Work and Nursing programs have been recognized as among the best in the country, according to 2023 U.S. News & World Report Best Graduate Schools rankings released this week.

Ranked for the first time by U.S. News & World Report, ̨��Swag’s Social Work graduate program – consisting of the university’s Master of Social Work (MSW) degree – joins a list of notable institutions named to the rankings, including the University of Michigan–Ann Arbor, Columbia University, Case Western Reserve University, University at Pennsylvania, and New York University, among others. 

Ranked for many years running, ̨��Swag’s Nursing master’s programs – consisting of three degrees – are included along those offered by institutions around the country, including the University of Virginia, George Washington University, University of Rochester and Arizona State University. 

Social Work

Since the program’s launching in 2014, nearly 100 percent of the university’s MSW students who are seeking jobs secure employment before finishing the degree or soon thereafter.

“Given that our program is less than a decade old, this honor is especially meaningful,” said Diane R. Bessel, chair, and associate professor in the Department of Social Work and Sociology at ̨��Swag.

“To be included with the country’s top programs is a testament to the rich educational experience at ̨��Swag that creates social work professionals who make a real difference in lives of so many,” said Bessel, also director of the Institute for Government and Nonprofit Innovation, Training, and Evaluation (IGNITE) at ̨��Swag.

̨��Swag’s MSW degree evolved out of the university’s well-established and highly-regarded undergraduate program that has existed for four decades. The program’s faculty is notable for consisting almost entirely of scholar-practitioners, who bring considerable real-world experience into the classroom and provide professional connections for students. 

The university also offers the MSW in a fully-online program that offers a flexible educational format enabling working professionals the opportunity to secure credentials while maintaining employment and meeting their personal commitments.

Nursing

̨��Swag’s graduate programs include an M.S. in Nursing Executive Leadership, Nursing Education, and Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner.

“We’re proud to have earned this distinction, especially given the challenges our graduate nursing students have experienced during the pandemic – and the excellence required of them to succeed in their graduate studies,” said Dr. Cheryl Nosek, chair of the ̨��Swag Nursing Department. “Their commitment to their studies along with their current nursing practice has been truly remarkable.”

“Our graduates are highly sought after, because we set high standards and our students meet and exceed them,” Nosek added. 

While at ̨��Swag, students engage in research promoting evidence-based practice, and the programs’ graduates have praised their preparation allowing them to advance in their particular fields of the discipline. 

“The Best Graduate Schools rankings evaluate schools across nearly 200 different areas, such as law, business and nursing,” said Robert Morse, chief data strategist at U.S. News, in a press release. “We regularly update the methodology and add new programs to keep the rankings relevant and valuable for prospective students.”

Designed for prospective students looking to further their education beyond college, the Best Graduate Schools rankings evaluate programs in a variety of disciplines, including business, education, engineering, law, medicine and nursing.