Two DePaul University programs earned top-10 rankings nationally in U.S. News & World Report’s annual graduate school rankings released April 4. DePaul’s part-time MBA program at the Kellstadt Graduate School of Business placed ninth and the health law program at DePaul's College of Law placed 10th among peer programs across the nation.

This was the ninth consecutive year that the part-time MBA program has earned a spot in the top 10 of its category. U.S. News also has consistently placed the health law program among the 10 best in the nation. The ranked programs are two in a wide range of graduate school offerings available at DePaul, the largest provider of master’s degrees in Illinois.

“Although there are fluctuations in the ranking positions from year to year, DePaul’s part-time MBA program has been rated among the top 10 for nine consecutive years because of its reputation for providing prestigious, accessible degrees that help business professionals advance in their careers,” said Arthur Kraft, DePaul business school dean. “These rankings show our success in creating a practical program that reflects current business trends and is presented in a flexible format.”

Enrolling approximately 2,200 students, DePaul’s part-time MBA program is the largest accredited programs of its kind in the nation. International business, finance and ethics are areas of expertise at the school. The school offers 20 MBA concentrations, as well as six other master’s degrees and two joint degree programs targeted to the educational needs of working professionals. Kellstadt also offers a specialized full-time MBA in International Marketing and Finance, an accelerated one-year MBA program for full-time students and weekend MBA programs.

The health law program is part of DePaul’s Health Law Institute, which was established by the College of Law in 1994 as one of the first programs of its kind in the nation to provide education in and promote dialogue about diverse health law topics. The institute provides law students, practicing attorneys and health care professionals with training in health law and real-world experience through externships. It also offers a Master of Law degree (LL.M.) in health law and a health law certificate.

U.S. News also cited the College of Law for having one of the most racially diverse student bodies among the nation’s 177 accredited law schools. Of the 1,047 students enrolled in the College of Law during the 2002-2003 academic year, 8.4 percent were Asian American, 6.8 percent were African American and 7.9 percent were Hispanic. The College of Law, which was established more than 100 years ago, offers law students state-of-the-art facilities and unique educational opportunities, including joint degree programs in technology, international studies, business and public service administration. It also offers certificate programs in such areas as tax law, health law and three intellectual property concentrations.

“We take seriously our commitments to diversity and to offering superior educational opportunities to students interested in studying law,” said Glen Weissenberger, dean of the College of Law. “While our work is not driven by survey outcomes, it is refreshing to be distinguished among the nation’s most diverse and for our peers to recognize the challenging curriculum, dedicated faculty, committed alumni and energetic students that make up the health law program.”

U.S. News & World Report’s specialty program rankings are based solely on ratings provided by educators at peer schools. Rankings are published in the 2004 edition of the guidebook, “America’s Best Graduate Schools” and the April 14 edition of U.S. News & World Report magazine.