DePaul University’s part-time Master of Business Administration (MBA) program has been ranked ninth in the nation by U.S.News & World Report in the magazine’s 2008 graduate degree rankings, which were issued March 30.

DePaul’s career-focused MBA program for working professionals has earned a top-10 rating a dozen times in the magazine’s annual rankings, which are closely watched by students and higher education institutions across the country. The majority of MBA students nationally study in part-time programs, which allow students to work full-time while attending classes in the evenings, on weekends, on multiple campuses and using Internet technology.

“DePaul’s repeated top-10 showing acknowledges our success in offering a high-quality, flexible MBA program that provides students with the practical knowledge they need to advance in their careers,” said Ray Whittington, dean of DePaul’s Kellstadt Graduate School of Business.

Founded more than 50 years ago, DePaul’s MBA program offers students 26 concentrations of study. The college’s faculty represents a diverse blend of leading scholars and distinguished business professionals who bring real world experience to the classroom. Alumni benefit from DePaul’s extensive and active alumni network.

To complete the program, students with previous business course work are required to take 14 to 15 classes while students with no undergraduate business education take up to 18 courses. About 1,700 students are enrolled, making it the second largest part-time MBA program in the nation accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business - International (AACSB).

Bolstering DePaul’s MBA programs are the business school’s innovative business research and education centers, which foster links to the business community and a better understanding of relevant business issues. They include the Coleman Entrepreneurship Center and Ryan Center for Creativity and Innovation, which have earned high rankings nationally in Entrepreneur and Fortune Small Business magazines, respectively, as well as the Real Estate Center, Driehaus Center for Behavioral Finance, Driehaus Center for International Business, Institute for Business & Professional Ethics, Center for Strategy, Execution, and Valuation, and Kellstadt Center for Marketing Analysis and Planning. Two new centers have been launched this year – the Arditti Center for Risk Management and the Center for Financial Services.

In other U.S. News rankings, the DePaul College of Law’s health law program was ranked ninth in that category of law specialty programs and the law school overall made the top 100. The law school’s diverse student body also was noted in the rankings.

U.S.News & World Report’s specialty graduate program rankings are based on ratings provided by educators at peer institutions. Selected rankings are published in the “America’s Best Graduate Schools 2008” guidebook and in the April 9 edition of U.S.News & World Report magazine, both available on newsstands April 2. The rankings also are posted on usnews.com Premium Online Edition.

The U.S.News 2008 top-10 ranked part-time MBA programs are:

1. New York University (Stern)

2. University of Chicago

3. Northwestern University (Kellogg)

4. University of California-Los Angeles (Anderson)

5. University of California-Berkeley (Haas)

6. University of Southern California (Marshall)

7. University of Michigan-Ann Arbor (Ross)

8. Georgia State University (Robinson)

9. DEPAUL UNIVERSITY (KELLSTADT)