News Archive, 1999 - 2020
University of Maryland School of Nursing's Doctor of Nursing Practice Program Ranked Sixth In The Nation
March 12, 2019
UMSON Nursing Informatics specialty remains No.1 in the nation for fifth straight year.
Baltimore, Md. — In the newly released 2020 edition of U.S. News & World Report’s “America’s Best Graduate Schools,” the University of Maryland School of Nursing (UMSON) has climbed in the rankings for its Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) and master’s programs. The School’s master’s-level Nursing Informatics program remains No. 1 in the nation for the fifth year in a row.
For the rankings, U.S. News & World Report surveyed 584 accredited nursing schools with master’s or doctoral programs. UMSON’s overall DNP program ranked No. 6, and its top-ranked DNP specialties include Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner/Adult-Gerontology Clinical Nurse Specialist (No. 7), Nurse Anesthesia (No. 10), Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (No. 11), and Family Nurse Practitioner (No. 11). The Nurse Anesthesia specialty rankings were released in the 2017 edition of “America’s Best Graduate Schools” and will remain in effect until 2021.
Two of UMSON’s master’s programs— the Clinical Nurse Leader option (No. 2) and Nursing Administration (No. 5), which represents UMSON’s Health Services Leadership and Management specialty — joined Nursing Informatics in the top five.
At the forefront of responding to the need to increase the number of nurses with a doctoral degree, UMSON’s DNP program launched in 2006 with fewer than 10 students and was one of only 20 such programs in the nation at the time. Today, there are more than 330 DNP programs nationwide, and UMSON enrolls 570 DNP students.
“It is gratifying to continue to be recognized in the top ranks nationally for our master’s and Doctor of Nursing Practice programs,” said UMSON Dean Jane Kirschling, PhD, RN, FAAN. “This is truly a testament to the dedication of our faculty, staff, students, and alumni to excellence in nursing education, research, and practice. We are committed to continuing to increase the number of nurses with advanced degrees and ensure that they are well prepared to meet the needs of our increasingly diverse communities and address the challenges of our complex health care system.”
Rankings are based on a variety of indicators, including student selectivity and program size, faculty resources, and research activity, and on survey data from deans of schools of nursing that are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education or the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing.
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The University of Maryland School of Nursing, founded in 1889, is one of the oldest and largest nursing schools in the nation and is ranked among the top nursing schools nationwide. Enrolling nearly 2,000 students in its baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral programs, the School develops leaders who shape the profession of nursing and impact the health care environment.