U.S. News and World Report has ranked UALR’s systems engineering program No. 64 among engineering programs nationally at universities that offer only bachelor’s or master’s degrees in the field. This is the first year UALR’s program has made the prestigious list.

“Being ranked nationally is a significant accomplishment and validation of the growing, excellent reputation for our systems engineering program,” said Dr. Mary L. Good, founding dean of the Donaghey College of Engineering and Information Technology at UALR. “Engineering challenges of the 21st Century require a thorough understanding of the entire ‘system’ and not just one of the components.

“Our focus on the overall principles of engineering and offering specializations in mechanical, electrical, telecommunications, and computer engineering has helped prepare our students to land jobs at industry-leading companies as well as the chance to get graduate degrees at top universities.”

“To see ourselves ranked alongside many of the nation’s top collegiate engineering programs is very gratifying and indicative of the direction systems engineering at UALR is headed,” Good continued.

The U.S. News rankings of undergraduate engineering programs accredited by ABET — formerly the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology — are based solely on the peer judgments of deans and senior faculty who rated each program they are familiar with on a scale from 1 (marginal) to 5 (distinguished). Engineering school deans and faculty members (two surveys were sent to each ABET-accredited engineering program) were surveyed for this ranking in spring 2010.