MET Online Programs among Best in Nation, According to U.S. News
U.S. News & World Report has announced its 2015 rankings of Best Online Programs—and Metropolitan College has placed high with the Master of Criminal Justice (#2); the Master of Science in Computer Information Systems (#3); and the master’s degree programs in management (#9). While the MSCIS and management programs were ranked last year, this is the publisher’s first ranking of Best Online Graduate Criminal Justice Programs.
Press Release
U.S. News & World Report Ranks Metropolitan College Online Programs
among Best in Nation
January 7, 2015—U.S. News & World Report has released its 2015 comparison of the nation’s Best Online Programs, and ranked the Boston University Metropolitan College (MET) Master of Criminal Justice program #2; the Master of Science in Computer Information Systems #3; and the master’s degree programs in management #9.
This is the publisher’s first-ever ranking of Best Online Graduate Criminal Justice Programs, and MET’s fully online Master of Criminal Justice was among 55 graduate programs listed, tying for the number two spot with Arizona State University and Pace University, and preceded only by University of California—Irvine. Robert Morse, U.S. News & World Report’s chief data strategist, explained that the study of criminal justice was included because, “according to the National Center for Education Statistics and other sources, it is one of the most popular and fastest-growing disciplines on which U.S. News was not already collecting data.”
In a comparison of the Best Online Graduate Computer Information Technology Programs, MET’s fully online master’s in Computer Information Systems placed within the top three for the second year in a row out of the 42 schools listed, preceded only by the University of Southern California and Virginia Tech.
Out of the Best Online Graduate Business Programs, MET’s master’s degree programs in management—also fully online—tied for ninth with University of San Diego among the 127 listed schools.
U.S. News & World Report assessed U.S. schools and took into account a variety of factors, including faculty credentials and training, admissions selectivity, student services and technology, student engagement, and peer reputation. “These rankings serve as an important tool for prospective students as they select an institution,” says MET Dean ad interim Tanya Zlateva. “MET’s outstanding results reflect and affirm the superior online learning experience offered by our faculty, facilitators, and staff.”
Dean Zlateva underscores one factor in particular: “At the heart of every MET academic activity is the quality of our students. Their commendable motivation—along with their professional credentials, academic contributions, and dedication—continues to make MET a unique and vibrant academic community.”
Since 2001, Boston University has pioneered a trusted model of digital learning unparalleled in American higher education. The University’s distinguished faculty and office of Distance Education work in close partnership in designing BU’s 31 online programs, bringing the University’s groundbreaking research, academic innovation, and internationally renowned faculty to students around the globe. Metropolitan College alone accounts for over twenty online degree and certificate programs.
“We take a tremendous amount of pride in our work to create outstanding experiences for online students that are built on a quality, pedagogically sound foundation,” says Director of Distance Education Eric Friedman. Boston University has been recognized with an array of honors and awards for its online programming, most recently the 2014 Blackboard Catalyst Award, Directors Choice for Courses with Distinction and the 2014 U.S. Distance Learning Association (USDLA) Best Practices Platinum Award.
The Master of Criminal Justice, offered through MET’s Department of Applied Social Sciences, has the distinction of being Boston University’s first online degree program, introduced in 2002. The degree is also offered on campus.
MET’s Department of Computer Science—established in 1979 as the first such department at Boston University—introduced the online version of its master’s in Computer Information Systems in 2004, and has continued to add relevant degree concentrations over the past decade.
The high quality of MET’s Administrative Sciences programs is underscored by accreditation from the European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD) Program Accreditation System (EPAS) and the Project Management Institute Global Accreditation Center for Project Management Programs (GAC)—as well as BU’s membership in AACSB International. The department offers 20 degree and certificate programs, including the five online degrees in management (introduced in 2005).
Lou Chitkushev, MET’s associate dean for academic affairs, notes that, “Recognition must go to MET’s outstanding faculty, academic departments, and chairs, as well as to our dedicated online program directors, remarkable online facilitators, and the offices of Distance Education and Educational Technology Research—who all demonstrate a superior level of collaborative commitment to producing a rewarding digital learning experience.”
Dean Zlateva concludes, “The U.S. News & World Report rankings are an acknowledgement that Boston University’s innovative approach to digital teaching is among the best in the world.” Indeed, U.S. News currently ranks Boston University 37th among the Best Global Universities.
About Boston University’s Metropolitan College
Founded in 1839, Boston University is an internationally recognized institution of higher education and research. With more than 33,000 students, it is the fourth-largest independent university in the United States. BU consists of 16 schools and colleges, along with a number of multi-disciplinary centers and institutes integral to the University’s research and teaching mission.
As one of the University’s 16 degree-granting bodies, Metropolitan College offers over 60 part-time undergraduate and graduate degree and certificate programs, providing a flexible learning environment that supports the academic, professional, and intellectual needs of working adults. Along with convenient evening classes, Metropolitan College also offers a variety of high-quality online and blended-format programs. For more information, visit bu.edu/met.