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Based on the strength of its full-time faculty and reputation for intense personal learning, two Longwood University graduate programs are now ranked in the top 5 in Virginia, according to a U.S. News & World Report list released today.

Longwood’s Online MBA program rose five spots overall in the nationwide ranking list to No. 132, making it the fifth highest ranked program in the Commonwealth.

Longwood’s online master’s programs in education—a master of education in Reading, Literacy and Learning, and a master of science in Education in Health and Physical Education—rose to No. 97 in the country, also putting it at the fifth highest ranked program in the Commonwealth.

“These programs have worked hard to make a quality graduate education accessible to their students,” said Dr. Jeannine Perry, dean of the college. “Their reputations are growing as programs that combine the flexibility of an online program with the highly interactive teaching and mentorship from full-time graduate-level professors. We are proud that these programs are not only growing in size, but are gaining stature across the country.”

Online master’s level programs were assessed using five categories: engagement, peer assessment, faculty credentials, student excellence, and student support technology.

“The strength of our MBA program lies in our faculty’s commitment to the kind of connection and mentorship that Longwood is known for, while allowing students to graduate in as few as 10 months,” said Sara Neher, interim dean of the College of Business and Economics. “That engagement is at the heart of what we do, and we hear from MBA graduates that is the aspect of our program they most appreciate—the one-on-one attention and mentorship while they advance the skills to succeed in business.”

“We are proud of the swift rise in reputation of our online education graduate programs,” said Dr. Angela McDonald, dean of the College of Education, Health, and Human Services. “Developing educators has long been a strength of Longwood University. Through the expertise and innovation of our faculty, our reputation is growing across the country with the online options we offer to working professionals—bringing more educators into the classroom.”

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