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The UF College of Education remains a leader in online education

#2 2020 Rankings - Online Masters - Education Programs

The College of Education at the University of Florida continues to stake claim as one of America’s Best Online Graduate Education Programs, according to the most recent annual rankings released by U.S. News & World Report.

UF earned the No. 2 spot nationally among 298 other education colleges, and the top spot in the state of Florida, for online graduate degree programs in education. The college has been a leader in online education, ranked in the top two, for the past five years – securing No. 1 in 2015, 2016 and 2019. This year, Clemson University edged out UF by 1 point for the top spot.

“The UF College of Education online master’s degree programs excel as an accessible means for working professionals to develop advanced knowledge and skills and climb the career advancement ladder,” said Tom Dana, senior associate dean. “We are proud to be recognized yet again as one of the very best universities all-in on transforming our nation’s education workforce.”

According to U.S. News, a master’s degree in education can help further careers in teaching, instructional design and educational administration. Programs are ranked based on five general categories: student engagement (30 percent), student services and technology (23 percent), expert opinion (20 percent), faculty credentials and training (15 percent), and student excellence (12 percent).

Specialty Area Rankings

New this year are rankings in specialty areas of Curriculum and Instruction, Educational Administration and Supervision, Special Education and Educational/Instructional Media Design. U.S. News says the intent is “to help guide prospective students who have particular interest in pursuing a degree or coursework with one of these focuses.”

#2 2020 Rankings - Online Masters - Special Education

#3 2020 Rankings - Online Masters - Education Administration

#3 2020 Rankings - Online Masters - Curriculum and Instruction

#4 2020 Rankings - Online Masters - Instructional Media Design

The college was recognized as leaders in all of these specialty areas as well, with the following rankings:

No. 2 – Special Education
No. 3 – Educational Administration and Supervision
No. 3 – Curriculum and Instruction
No. 4 – Educational/Instructional Media Design

These specialty area rankings are based on peer assessment of academic reputation. Eligibility requirements include the institution having “received at least five ratings from peer institutions, been ranked in the main online master’s in education rankings, and verified in the peer assessment they offer the specialty or else had this verified by U.S. News.”

“Our faculty and staff have collaborated with ever-increasing effectiveness over the past five years to deliver education of the highest caliber to our distance learning students,” said College of Education Dean Glenn Good. “These efforts, along with the success of our students, have elevated the college’s academic reputation, which is recognized by our peers across the nation.”

The UF College of Education offers nine web-based degree programs, geared mainly to working teachers and school administrators seeking additional certifications, career advancement or professional development. In 2019, online course enrollments totaled 2,399.

The college’s instructional design team partners with professors to implement best practices and customize an online learning environment that incorporates audio, video and interactive elements aimed at improving student success.

“Our instructional design and media creation teams are working closely with faculty to build highly engaging online course content for our students,” said Jason Arnold, director of e-Learning, Technology and Communications. “We are always improving our work, reviewing what is having a positive impact and utilizing what the most current research tells us.”

Most of our faculty in the School is Special Education, School Psychology, and Early Childhood Studies are former P-12 classroom teachers and practitioners who served students with a wide range of needs. These experiences and their expertise translate to how they approach adult learning experiences. In order to prepare effective, inclusive practitioners, we design and model the pedagogy we intend for them to embrace and implement. Beyond pre- and in-service practitioner development, we offer courses and programs that appeal to students of all backgrounds and disciplines and make the content applicable to various fields such as social services, medicine, and law and policy. Our faculty continue to innovate, identify new ways to support lifelong learning, and maintain the integrity of learning experiences even at a distance.

Erica D. McCray, Ph.D.
Director, School of Special Education, School Psychology, and Early Childhood

Our graduates take on leadership roles in their district and organizations due to the rigor of the program – our programs are designed to be relevant to meet the challenges of the diverse world of today and tomorrow. Courses are taught by nationally renowned faculty expert in and passionate about the area, designed around the latest principles of high-quality online instruction, and provide personalized mentoring by UF faculty.

Additionally, our own, nationally recognized, expert faculty teach students in these programs; not adjuncts or external faculty.

We pride ourselves on personalized mentoring by our program faculty for successful completion of the program and building a strong community of practice among the students in the program.

Ester de Jong, Ed.D.
Professor and Director, School of Teaching and Learning

We are especially proud of our Online programs. This high ranking shows that we have been able to hire some of the best faculty in the country who have have developed and teach high quality courses in strong programs. We also admit high quality students who work with the faculty to take advantage of this opportunity for growth and professional development.

David M. Miller, Ph.D.
Professor and Director, School of Human Development and Organizational Studies in Education

Bachelor’s Program Rankings

In U.S. News’ Best Online Bachelor’s Programs Rankings, UF Online earned the No. 4 spot in the nation, moving up one spot over last year’s rankings.

Included with this ranking is the college’s new Bachelor of Arts in Education Sciences. The program establishes a foundation of knowledge about the different contexts of education, used as a launchpad to propel students into any direction in the field of education. With four areas of specialization, this degree program prepares today’s college students for emerging workforce opportunities.

For more information on the college’s distance learning program, visit online.education.ufl.edu.

A group of students sitting around a table talking.

Contacts

Source: Tom Dana, senior associate dean, UF College of Education, 352-273-4134

Source: Jason Arnold, director of e-learning, UF College of Education, 352-273-4442

Writer: Kevin Coulson, communications manager, UF College of Education, 352-273-4370