UAlbany's School of Criminal Justice and Dept. of Public Administration Among Top 10 in US News and World Report

Contact:  Lisa James Goldsberry (518) 437-4989

The University at Albany's School of Criminal Justice and Department of Public Administration are among the top ten in the nation, according to the U.S. News and World Report's annual rankings of "America's Best Graduate Schools."

UAlbany's School of Public Administration was ranked #8, up from #11 last year and the School of Criminal Justice was ranked #4.

"The strong ranking testifies to the fact that Rockefeller College is one of the premier places in the country to study public administration, policy and government," said Frank Thompson, dean of the Nelson A. Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy. "Rockefeller College is in the top five percent of such schools across the nation year after year. Our programs attract fine faculty and students from all over the world and address national and global issues, but we feel a special commitment to engaging the needs of the Capital District and state."

The Albany School of Criminal Justice became the first Ph.D.-granting program in the field following a program design now known as "The Albany Model" which is emulated across the country. The School is committed to the interdisciplinary study of criminal justice. The major emphasis is sophisticated research on crime measurement and causation, as well as research into questions of appropriate and effective methods of crime control in a democratic society.

The public administration and policy program offers an array of specialties from public finance to information management to democracy and administration. Students have abundant opportunities to supplement their knowledge with internship experiences in the Capital District or in Washington, D.C.

The results appeared in the 2002 America's Best Graduate Schools guidebook. The current issue of U.S. News contains select rankings. The guidebook, with all the rankings and other features, is available as well. All of the rankings and articles from Best Graduate Schools can also be found at U.S. News Online (http://www.usnews.com).

The rankings are only one of many important criteria students should consider when choosing a graduate school. U.S. News first ranked graduate schools in 1987 and has done so annually since 1990.