UNE's College of Osteopathic Medicine, OT, PT, Nurse Anesthesia, Physician Assistant programs and online M.S.Ed. recognized among the best by U.S. News & World Report's 2014 guides

U.S. News & World Report has released its 2014 Best Graduate Schools guide, and the University of New England has once again been recognized for outstanding programs in medicine and the health sciences.

The University of New England's College of Osteopathic Medicine (UNECOM) has been recognized by U.S. News & World Report in its 2014 rankings for its national leadership in primary care training, geriatrics, rural medicine and family medicine.

In addition UNE's Westbrook College of Health Professions' graduate programs in occupational therapy, physical therapy, nurse anesthesia and physician assistant are all recognized by U.S. News & World Report as among the best in the nation..

UNECOM

U.S. News' overall medical school rankings include 23 accredited schools of osteopathic (DO granting) medicine, as well as 126 accredited allopathic (MD granting) programs. The rankings are based on expert opinions about program quality and statistical indicators that measure the quality of a school's faculty, research, and students.

Primary Care

UNECOM's mission of educating the nation's primary care leaders is reflected in the US News 2014 rankings, which rank the College as seventh in the nation for schools that turn out the most graduates entering primary care residency training programs. These programs include family medicine, general internal medicine and pediatrics.

Medical school deans and senior faculty also selected the best program specialties using peer assessment surveys. 

  • Family Medicine: In the Best Medical Schools specialty ranking for family medicine UNECOM was ranked 17th nationwide.
  • Geriatric Medicine: UNECOM's Geriatric Medicine program was ranked 16th nationwide, once again reflecting the program's world-class reputation for its innovative curriculum, which includes the nationally recognized "Learning by Living" program, which places medical students in area nursing homes to live the lives of a resident.
  • Rural Medicine: UNECOM also ranked 15th in the nation for rural medicine, up 7 spots from last year.

Westbrook College of Health Professions

In addition U.S. News & World Report also ranks four of UNE's Westbrook College of Health Professions' graduate programs among the best in the nation. 

  • Occupational Therapy (M.S.O.T.), which is accredited by the American Occupational Therapy Association.
  • Physical Therapy (D.P.T), which is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education.
  •  Nurse Anesthesia (M.S.N.A.), which is accredited by the Council of Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs.
  •  Physician Assistant (M.S.P.A.), which is accredited by the Accreditation Review Committee on Education for the Physician Assistant.

University of New England is one of only a handful of private universities with a comprehensive health education mission including a medical school, pharmacy, dental hygiene, allied health, and dental medicine. Its two distinctive campuses on the coast of southern Maine offer students a quality education with more than 40 undergraduate, graduate and professional programs.

Online Education

UNE's online Master of Science in Education program was recognized by U.S. News & World Report in its 2013 rankings of the Best Online Education Programs. Only regionally accredited schools that met the federal standard of 100 percent online course delivery were evaluated.

The programs were evaluated based on admissions selectivity, student engagement, faculty credentials and training, and student services and technology. UNE's online M.S.Ed program offers concentrations in career and tech ed online; curriculum and instructional strategies; educational leadership; inclusion education; and literacy education K-12.

While the 2013 rankings evaluate online programs, many of the top-performing schools, including UNE, also have physical campuses, where face-to-face contact is available to students.

2013 America's Best Colleges

The 2013 edition of U.S. News & World Report's "America's Best Colleges" list once again ranked the University of New England in the top tier of universities in the North that offer "a full range of undergraduate and master's programs."