The CU College of Nursing was ranked among the top ten nationally in Best Online Nursing Programs, according to a report released today by US News & World Report.
Spring 2014 commencement, College of Nursing, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.
The College of Nursing at the Anschutz Medical Campus scored ninth in the report’s online nursing program category among the nation’s masters degree-granting institutions. Among Colorado academic institutions, CU Anschutz and the University of Colorado Colorado Springs alone earned ranked scores in this category.
“The CU College of Nursing is proud to be among the top ten nationally ranked online graduate nursing programs,” said dean and professor Sarah Thompson, PhD, RN, FAAN. “This recognition reflects the commitment and savviness of our faculty, as well as the diligence and brilliance of our students. Our College has employed skilled distance educators for nearly two decades, and we look forward to continuing as forerunners in the delivery of excellent online nursing education.”
Distance educator Diane Skiba, PhD, professor and specialty director of health care informatics at the CU College of Nursing, said the distinguished recognition reflects the institution’s rich history of providing online programs to nursing students, which it has offered since 1998.
US News only ranked such programs offered 100 percent online; blended programs that combine teaching in brick-and-mortar classrooms and online education were not included in the rankings.
“Our dedicated faculty have designed online programs are that learner-centric and based on best practices,” Skiba said. “Faculty continuously modify their online courses to leverage new technologies and the latest research in the field of online learning.”
Programs were ranked using key factors including faculty credentials and training, student engagement, admissions selectivity, peer reputation and student services and technology. U.S. News has ranked distance education programs for six years and believes online learning is becoming integral to all types of education and that consumers are hungry for information related to online degrees.