Gabrielle Russon
University of Central Florida’s (UCF) emergency management program is getting national recognition as the No. 1 ranked program in the country, according to U.S. News and World Report’s latest rankings for graduate schools.
“Our students are equipped to assist communities and organizations in every phase of emergency management — from preparedness and mitigation to response and recovery,” said professor Claire Connolly Knox in UCF’s School of Public Administration. “We are thrilled to be ranked No. 1 and nationally recognized again as a leader in emergency and crisis management.”
Rising in the rankings over the past seven years, the university’s Master of Emergency and Crisis Management program teaches students how to deal with human-made and natural disasters. Graduates have gone on to work in Florida, Washington, D.C., and around the country.
“They are saving lives, helping communities prepare as well as possible to navigate disasters, and putting into practice the lessons they learned from outstanding faculty who contribute to national research and regional solutions related to crises,” the university said in a news release.
UCF released the rankings Tuesday as the Orlando school has received attention for its nursing, game design and other programs in the past few months.
In the latest rankings, “nine graduate programs placed in the Top 50 nationally, including five in public affairs, three in education and one in health. U.S. News will release rankings for the engineering and medicine categories at a later date,” according to UCF.
The rankings also mentioned UCF’s faculty and graduate programs in its 2024 list of “Best Graduate Schools.”
“UCF’s world-class faculty excel at providing our graduate students with the knowledge and skills they need to thrive as innovative leaders and creators,” UCF President Alexander Cartwright said in a statement.
“The U.S. News rankings demonstrate that our students graduate well-prepared to unleash their potential in individual, business and government sectors that are growing in Florida and vital to our economy, health, and quality of life.”
