Mason Recognized in U.S.News Rankings

U.S.News & World Report has recognized several of George Mason’s programs in the newest edition of its graduate school rankings. The Industrial/Organizational (I/O) Psychology Program, the PhD in History Program, and the School of Law are all ranked among the nation’s best.

The I/O Psychology Program is ranked sixth nationally, up from an eighth-place spot in 2003. Mason’s program is tied with those of the Georgia Institute of Technology and the University of Akron.

“While the faculty and a very strong corps of graduate students share in this achievement, I especially want to thank Rich Klimoski [dean of the School of Management], who led the program into national ranking, and Lois Tetrick [program coordinator], who led it to its current ranking,” says Robert Smith, Psychology Department chair.

Jumping ahead some 30 spots from its last ranking in 2002, the PhD in History Program was ranked 51st in the country. In its fourth year, the PhD in History Program is one of the youngest such programs ranked by U.S.News.

Jack Censer, chair, credits the size of the department, the excellent scholars and academics on the history faculty and administration, and the department’s excellence in new media for the outstanding ranking.

“The contributions of every single person boost the department,” says Censer. “We have been fortunate in getting some very famous and outstanding faculty, and our Center for History and New Media is the best of its kind in the country. In addition, we are ranked right alongside programs that have been in existence for more than 30 years, which have a lot of resources and great track records. We could not be more pleased.”

The George Mason University School of Law maintained its claim among the nation’s top law schools with a rank of 41. The newest placement ties Mason with five other law schools and marks its fourth consecutive year in the top tier. The new ranking is a slight decline from last year’s school-high rank of 38.

Dean Daniel Polsby was pleased with the school’s spot in the top tier. “We are gratified that George Mason remains the youngest law school in the top 50, which is a testament to the high caliber of our students, faculty, and staff. As we build upon our recent successes, we are confident that George Mason’s national reputation will continue to improve.”

Schools tied with Mason for the 41 spot are Tulane University, the University of Alabama-Tuscaloosa, the University of Arizona, the University of Florida, and the University of Maryland.

U.S.News rankings are based solely on the results of peer assessment surveys that were sent to academics in the discipline in fall 2004.