U.S. News and World Report Recognizes UA Little Rock Undergraduate Programs
U.S. News and World Report has recognized the University of Arkansas at Little Rock for the university’s excellent academic programs in nursing, business, and computer science.
UA Little Rock’s academic rankings in U.S. News and World Report 2024 Best College Rankings include:
- Best Undergraduate Nursing #183
- Best Undergraduate Business #211
- Best Undergraduate Computer Science #249
U.S. News rankings are widely recognized as symbols of excellence in higher education that are conferred by an unbiased trust agent. With more than 15 measures of academic quality, the U.S. News Best Colleges report provides data-driven information and guidance to help prospective students and their families understand their higher education options.
UA Little Rock’s nursing ranking is up more than 20 spots from last year’s ranking. The School of Nursing, which holds the university’s largest undergraduate program, has a variety of well-respected undergraduate degree programs, including the Student to RN, Student to BSN, Online RN to BSN, and LPN/Paramedic to RN.
“I continue to be amazed at how our wonderful faculty, staff, and particularly our students at UA Little Rock School of Nursing step up to the plate and knock it out of the ballpark every semester,” said Dr. Sloan Davidson, director of the School of Nursing. “Our programs provide a smooth transition from earning an associate degree in nursing which allows the graduate the opportunity to sit for the registered nurse licensure exam, begin working as a nurse quickly, and then earn the bachelor’s degree in nursing conveniently online. The scaffold approach brings more prepared registered nurses to the bedside quickly while providing the next step to a higher degree that is manageable in this fast-paced environment.”
The Center for Simulation Innovation, which provides critical nursing simulation education to all of UA Little Rock’s nursing majors, was internationally recognized this year for excellence in nursing education. The center received the 2023 Frontline Simulation Champion Excellence Award from the International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning.
UA Little Rock’s business ranking also inched up eight spots over last year’s ranking. The School of Business serves as a catalyst to advance education and economic development in the state of Arkansas. Teaching, research, and service are the core foundations for a student’s education in the School of Business. Located in the economic heart of Arkansas, students have unparalleled advantages for real-world opportunities and internships with top leaders in business and government.
“We are proud of our high-quality business program,” said Dr. Robert Mitchell, director of the School of Business. “Each undergraduate major in the School of Business at UA Little Rock meets strict accreditation guidelines of AACSB, the premier business accrediting body. Our faculty assure students develop the knowledge, skills, and abilities demanded for career success in their chosen fields of expertise. A focus of our programs is to assure students have the technical skills needed throughout an organization. Most recently, we are integrating the use of Coursera to complement technical and specialized business skill development in not only our business information systems and analytics program but also in accounting, economics, finance, management, and marketing.”
Another program making the list is the UA Little Rock Computer Science program. As the first Computer Science program accredited in the state, the UA Little Rock Department of Computer Science has a history of laying a strong foundation for the education of its students. The department offers a minor in information insurance, a bachelor’s degree in computer science with an option that focuses on games, a bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity, a master’s degree in computer science, and a Ph.D. in computer and information science. Students study a wide range of in-demand fields including cybersecurity, virtual and augmented reality, data visualization, artificial intelligence and machine learning, and mobile, smart systems, and software for Internet of Things.
UA Little Rock has continued to be a leader in the field of cybersecurity. Earlier this year, the university received a $1 million grant from the Department of Energy’s Office of Cyber Security, Energy Security, and Emergency Response to expand a center to further strengthen the fight against the escalating threat of cybersecurity attacks in the center.
Last year, UA Little Rock received a $1.96 million workforce development grant from the Arkansas Office of Skills Development to create the Cyber Learning Network, a consortium of seven University of Arkansas System campuses to expand and diversify workforce education in emergency cyber technologies throughout the state. In the past year, the Cyber Learning Network began offering two certificates in cybersecurity fundamentals to help students and working professionals gain essential skills for the workforce.
“The faculty and teaching staff deserve all the credit for our having again been selected as a U.S. News & World Report Best Undergraduate Computer Science program,” said Dr. Albert Baker, chair of the Department of Computer Science. “The faculty continuously improve course content and raise expectations of our students. In addition, we provide undergraduate students with the opportunity to participate in funded research and development projects. Many of our graduates already have experience working on projects that are managed professionally, have defined deliverables, with firm delivery deadlines. Our graduates quickly produce positive outcomes for their first employers.”
Learn more about UA Little Rock undergraduate programs at https://ualr.edu/academics/undergraduate.
