Southern Miss College of Nursing Ranked Among Nations Best for Online Graduate Programs
Tue, 01/17/2017 - 02:01pm | By: Van Arnold
The University of Southern Mississippi's College of Nursing has been recognized as one of the nation's best online graduate nursing programs in rankings recently released by U.S. News & World Report. In its 2017 rankings edition, U.S. News places the Southern Miss College of Nursing at No. 57 nationally – the highest spot for any Mississippi college or university.
Dr. Katherine Nugent, dean of the College of Nursing, points out that the prestigious ranking serves as a tribute to the college's faculty who remain committed to student success.
“I am very pleased that our online graduate programs were once again ranked by the U.S. News & World Report as this report is based on quantitated data relating to our program, as well as peer ratings provided by other nursing programs,” said Nugent. “Offering our programs online enables nurses to continue to work and to pursue a master's degree that will prepare them to be certified as nurse practitioners. In turn, these graduates will provide high-quality, cost-effective care for patients in a variety of out-patient and in-patient settings.”
The USM College of Nursing currently has 178 students enrolled in online graduate programs, which represents a significant jump from 150 last semester. This includes the Family Nurse Practitioner and Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Programs, as well as the Post Graduate Certificate Programs for each.
“We have really seen an increased interest in these programs, especially the Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner program. This increase is likely in part due to the continuing need for mental healthcare professionals in the state,” said Dr. Lachel Story, assistant dean for research and evaluation.
For the 2017 edition of the Best Online Graduate Nursing Programs rankings, U.S. News ranked schools using five categories: faculty credentials and training (25 percent); student engagement (20 percent); admissions selectivity (20 percent); peer reputation (20 percent), and student services and technology (15 percent).
To see the complete ranking by U.S. News & World Report, visit: http://www.usnews.com/education/online-education/nursing
To learn more about online degree programs in the College of Nursing call 601.266.5445 or visit: https://www.usm.edu/nursing/introduction-advanced-practice. For more information about online programs at USM, visit: https://online.usm.edu/programs/