Wright State’s engineering, business online programs among nation’s best, says U.S. News and World Report

U.S. News & World Report has named Wright State University’s online graduate programs in engineering and business as among the best in the nation for 2020.

The magazine based its rankings on instructor engagement with students, student excellence, student services and technology, expert opinion, and faculty credentials and training. Scores were calculated using data that the programs reported to U.S. News in a statistical survey and from data collected in a separate peer reputation survey.

Wright State’s online Industrial and Human Factors Engineering Program offered by the College of Engineering and Computer Science was ranked 35th among the 96 schools responding to the magazine’s survey. The program’s ranking was an improvement over last’s year’s ranking of 41st and tied it with that of Duke University.

Online and on-campus students are integrated in the Master in Industrial and Human Factors Engineering Program, experiencing the same lectures, assignments and instructor interactions. Program graduates work in industries such as automobile, aerospace, health care, military, logistics and supply chain, retail, defense contractors and many others.

“Our Industrial and Human Factors Engineering faculty have continued to take deliberate steps to enhance the quality of their online master’s program,” said Brian Rigling, dean of the College of Engineering and Computer Science. “It is gratifying to see the results of their labors increasingly recognized on a national level.”

“The program aims to provide a high-class online engineering program that gives students the flexibility and also accessibility to faculty and peer-student interactions,” added Subhashini Ganapathy, associate professor of biomedical, industrial and human factors engineering.

U.S. News ranked Wright State’s online Master of Information Systems and Master of Science in Logistics and Supply Chain Management programs offered by the Raj Soin College of Business 26th among the 188 responding schools, positioning the programs in the top 15 percent in the nation. That was an improvement over last year’s ranking of 33rd and ranked the program over those at schools such as Syracuse University, the University of Cincinnati and the University of Oklahoma.

The specialized programs offer a hybrid approach through on-campus and online learning experiences. Each class has one full day of residency then five weeks online, with students taking one class at a time. The programs enable students to continue working full time while obtaining their master’s degree in just one year.

U.S. News ranked Wright State’s online MBA program 138 out of the 335 schools responding to the survey.

“The improvements achieved by Wright State’s rankings in both of the online business degree rankings are a direct result of the continuous efforts of the faculty and staff of the Raj Soin College of Business,” said Thomas Traynor, dean of the College of Business. “In addition to the rankings, these master’s degree programs have been designated ‘Best Online MBA’ and ‘Best Online Master’s in Business (non-MBA),’ respectively, by U.S. News and World Report, indicating that they are rated as excellent programs for professionals seeking an online master’s degree in a business field.”