NSF-funded survey puts UCF in the company of top computer science programs

The University of Central Florida's doctoral program in computer science ranks among the best in the nation, according to computer science graduate students and newly minted Ph.D. graduates who graded their own institutions. The 10th place ranking places UCF's Computer Science doctoral program ahead of well-known, top programs such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Stanford University. The national survey, which was conducted by the National Association of Graduate-Professional Students and funded by the National Science Foundation, sought to evaluate doctoral programs across disciplines from institutions nationwide. The study is based on how well some 32,000 graduate students and recent Ph.D. graduates assessed their own doctoral programs. The survey results highlight model doctoral programs, and they suggest strategies that faculty and administrators can use to improve students' educational experiences.

Real Student Input
Students rated their satisfaction on nine aspects of each program, including career counseling, workload expectations, curricular breadth and flexibility and the quality and scope of mentoring. Only programs receiving 10 or more evaluations were ranked in the NAGPS study. Combined scores from each program were compared against one another to determine the outcome. In the ranking, the UCF doctoral program in computer science missed joining the top nine computer science programs in the United States by a single point, earning an aggregate numeric grade of 67. UCF shared the 10th position in computer science doctoral programs with Columbia University, SUNY-Stony Brook, University of Cincinnati and the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

First-Time Recognition
"This is the first time that any UCF program has been ranked nationally anywhere," Erol Gelenbe, SEECS director, said. "It indicates that our students are highly satisfied. I expect this will increase the number of excellent candidates we will receive." Gelenbe adds the reminder that this ranking is funded by the NSF, which means the NSF will likely notice the survey results. He said, "The university's funding from the foundation significantly increased in fall 2001. I expect it to grow even more now." Dr. Frederica Darema, Senior Science and Technology Advisor for the NSF/CISE, said "(The survey) is great news for all, foremost for the director and the department, and also for your institution, your students and the agencies that provide research funding at UCF." The highest graded program in the NAGPS survey was at University of Washington-Seattle, which earned a 78-point grade. Other programs in the top 10 - Carnegie Mellon, University of California-San Diego, Harvard, Georgia Tech, Johns Hopkins, Cornell, University of California-Berkeley and University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill - earned point grades ranging from 67 to 72. The survey results can be found at http://survey.nagps.org.

NAGPS National Ranking for Top 20
Computer Science Doctoral Programs
Institution
Score
1.University of Washington-Seattle
78
2.Carnegie Mellon University (CMU)
72
3.University of California-San Diego (UCSD)
71
4.Harvard University
70
5.Georgia Tech University
69
6.John Hopkins University
68
6.Cornell University
68
6.University of California-Berkeley
68
6.University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill
68
10.Columbia University
67
10.University of Central Florida
67
10.University of Cincinnati
67
10.SUNY-Stony Brook
67
10.University of Wisconsin-Madison
67
15.University of Delaware
66
15.Stanford University
66
17.Rice University
65
18.Princeton University
63
18.Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
63
18.University of Texas-Austin
63
18.Texas A&M
63

seecs network - issue 1 - spring 2002

For information or to submit story ideas contact Michelle Berberet, Information Specialist, at (407) 823-2750 or email: michelle@cs.ucf.edu

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