Western Michigan University once again had eight graduate programs listed in the U.S. News and World Report Top 100 list for 2017. In the latest round of rankings released March 14, seven of the eight programs (and all four ranked in the top 50) are housed here in the College of Health and Human Services.
Occupational therapy student and faculty
- The Department of Occupational Therapy once again finds two programs in the top 100 list. The master's program in Kalamazoo is the highest ranking program in its field in the state of Michigan at number 32. The graduate program out of Grand Rapids is listed at number 58.
- The rehabilitation counseling/teaching program co-sponsored by the Department of Blindness and Low Vision Studies and the Department of Counselor Education and Counseling Psychology (in the College of Education and Human Development) was ranked 37.
Students participate in audiology research
- The Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences finds two of its programs in the ranking. First its master's degree in speech-language pathology was ranked 46, while the Doctor of Audiology program came in at 48.
- The Master of Science in Medicine offered by the Department of Physician Assistant repeated at number 57 again this year.
- The School of Social Work's Master of Social Work program was ranked 71.
"Of course we are very pleased," said Dr. Ann Tyler, acting dean of the college. "These programs have consistently been highly ranked by U.S. News & World Report. It is a wonderful reflection of the hard work of our faculty, staff and students in the College of Health and Human Services to make these programs academically challenging and professionally rewarding."
The college is not content to rest on past success. It continues to develop new graduate programs and hopes to add more to the national rankings in the coming years. In fall 2016, the Master of Public Health program welcomed its first cohort at the WMU-Grand Rapids regional location. Preparations are underway for the new Department of Physical Therapy and Doctor of Physical Therapy program, which will host its first students in fall 2019.