Three SHU Graduate Programs Rank Among America’s Best
U.S. News & World Report based placement on peer assessment, employment success and other factors
Three Sacred Heart University graduate programs―doctor of nursing practice (DNP), part-time master of business administration (MBA) and master of social work (MSW)―are among the nation’s best, according to U.S. News & World Report’s latest ranking.
The publication’s “2023 Best Graduate Schools” edition counted SHU’s graduate social work program―which includes an online component―among the best for the first time.
“We are proud of our graduate programs here, and we’re glad to see them recognized among the best in the nation,” said University Provost Robin Cautin. “We offer forward-thinking academics that provide the skills required to be successful in today’s marketplace, paired with the flexibility and support working professionals need to accomplish their goals.”
Doctor of nursing practice
To evaluate schools and programs for annual rankings, U.S. News & World Report considers peer assessments of nearly 300 graduate-level social work programs, and each DNP program was evaluated on 14 distinct factors, including faculty research and achievements, student excellence, placement success for alumni and other qualitative categories.
The DNP program, offered in SHU’s Dr. Susan L. Davis, R.N., & Richard J. Henley College of Nursing, enables nurses to earn their doctorate and expand their qualifications, preparing them for leadership roles. The program consists of 69 graduate credit hours and is designed to prepare a registered nurse with a bachelor’s degree to become a certified family nurse practitioner. The DNP program holds accreditation from the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education and offers full- and part-time plans of study.
Master of business administration
The part-time MBA program is part of the Jack Welch College of Business & Technology―one of fewer-than-5% of elite business schools worldwide to be accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International. The flexible program offers eight areas of concentration: accounting, business analytics, finance, health care administration, management, innovation management, marketing (including courses in digital marketing) and strategic human resources management. The school offers world-class facilities at West Campus, including SHU’s IDEA Lab.
The ranking for “Best Part-Time MBA Programs” was based on factors such as peer assessments, undergraduate GPA, alumni assessments and graduate-level test scores.
Master of social work
Sacred Heart’s MSW program, offered in the School of Social Work, is guided by ethical principles of service, respect for human dignity, social and economic justice and the needs of vulnerable and diverse populations. Full-, part-time and online options are available, in addition to a Ph.D. in social work offered with part-time, online components. The program prepares students for social work research, scholarship and education, as well as community-based leadership and service.
Evaluations of schools and programs that U.S. News & World Report included in its health categories were based solely on the results of peer assessment surveys from deans, faculty and administrators from accredited degree programs and schools.