“The school will strengthen our ability to train globally minded and locally engaged future leaders in healthcare.”
— Su-I Hou

The department was created in 2008 and moved to UCF Downtown in 2019 when the campus first opened. With a strong downtown presence and proximity to major healthcare partners, such as Advent Health and Orlando Health, the UCF Downtown campus gives students opportunities to immerse themselves in the healthcare industry. The location also extends community engagement and collaborations for faculty members’ research and service-learning projects.

The new school designation provides an opportunity for continued growth in the form of academic research centers or institutes.

“We’re excited because the school designation elevates our visibility and broadens our mission capacity for greater reach and impact, both locally and globally,” says Su-I Hou, interim school director and professor of health management and informatics. “Healthcare is among the fastest-growing occupations with strong job markets. The school will strengthen our ability to train globally minded and locally engaged future leaders in healthcare.”

Over the past few years, the research and academic aims have expanded to include health policy and global healthcare. A recent survey conducted by the found that over 40% of the school’s faculty reported international expertise or ties to more than 50 countries across the globe.

Faculty members are experts in a range of areas, including public health, global healthcare, health policy, long-term care, healthcare leadership and health informatics. In fact, the health administration programs at UCF are one of the largest accredited programs in the country, according to the Association of University Programs in Health Administration and the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education.

Given the connections of the faculty members, the school can not only contribute to global healthcare and informatics research due to these international and interdisciplinary perspectives, but also to extending this knowledge and experience to students in the form of study abroad opportunities.

The school currently has partnerships with universities in Argentina, Canada, Colombia, Georgia, India, Italy, Mexico, Russia, Taiwan and the United Arab Emirates. Through these intercultural global exchanges and short-term study abroad programs, students learn about that country’s healthcare system and policies and are given the opportunity to compare to U.S. policies and systems.

“The new name of our School of Global Health Management and Informatics better acknowledges the reach of engagement of the community with which our faculty, staff and students work in issues related to health management, administration and informatics,” says Pamela Carroll, dean of the College of Community Innovation and Education. “We are proud of the many global connections that exist within the school today and look forward to expanding our impact further as the name, and our work, becomes even better known.”

The School of Global Health Management and Informatics has three health service administration degrees and two informatics degrees, all of which include undergraduate and graduate-level academic programs. The bachelor’s of health informatics and information management and master’s in healthcare informatics are available fully online. The school’s faculty members also support the interdisciplinary doctoral program in public affairs and the state of Florida’s first healthcare risk management licensure program.

Repeating from last year, the Counselor Education program earned �����’s highest ranking, moving up a notch to No. 9 nationally. The program prepares students for careers as counselors and practitioners in schools, community mental health agencies, hospitals, institutions and private practice.

“This ranking exemplifies the hard work of our Counselor Education faculty and staff and the progress we have achieved,” said Pamela S. Carroll, dean of the College of Education and Human Performance. “What an honor to be listed in the top 10 in the nation in this field.”

The next highest UCF rankings were No. 14 for the atomic, molecular and optical sciences programs in the College of Optics & Photonics, and No. 17 for the Nonprofit Management program in the College of Health and Public Affairs, a jump of eight places.

Two more programs in the College of Health and Public Affairs were ranked in the top 50 – Criminal Justice (26) and Healthcare Management (38) – and Industrial Engineering was ranked at No. 39.

Others in the top 100 were: Communication Sciences and Disorders (53), Public Administration (63), Computer Engineering (64), Materials Science and Engineering (65), Electrical Engineering (66), Civil Engineering (75), Environmental Engineering (75), Social Work (78), College of Engineering & Computer Science (82), Physics (85), Medical Research (88), Computer Science (90), College of Education & Human Performance (91), and Doctor of Nursing Practice (100).

The Best Graduate Schools 2017 edition will be available on newsstands April 5.

The U.S. News rankings were announced one day after The Princeton Review and PC Gamer magazine named �����’s Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy the best video game graduate school in North America.

The Counselor Education program earned �����’s highest 2016 ranking at No. 10. The program prepares for careers as counselors and practitioners in schools, community mental health agencies, institutions, hospitals and private practice.

“We are extremely proud of the work being done by our faculty and staff in the area of Counselor Education, and pleased to acknowledge the recognition the program continues to receive on a national level,” said Grant Hayes, interim dean of the College of Education and Human Performance.

�����’s College of Optics and Photonics ranked No. 14 in the top atomic, molecular and optical sciences programs, and the Nonprofit Management program in the College of Health and Public Affairs was listed at No. 25.

Two other programs in the College of Health and Public Affairs made the top 50 – Criminal Justice (26) and Healthcare Management (39) – and Industrial Engineering was ranked at 45th.

Others in the top 100 are: Electrical Engineering (52), Computer Engineering (58), Public Administration (59), ), Environmental Engineering (70), Communication Sciences and Disorders (73), Civil Engineering (74), College of Nursing (83), College of Education & Human Performance (83), College of Engineering & Computer Science (85), Physics (85), Social Work (89), Computer Science (90), Physical Therapy (99) and Mechanical Engineering (100).

The Best Graduate Schools 2016 edition will be available on newsstands April 7.

The Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy’s No. 2 ranking was released today by The Princeton Review and PC Gamer Magazine. FIEA has been ranked among the top five in all four Princeton Review sets of rankings since the school opened in downtown Orlando nine years ago.

Since opening its doors in 2005, FIEA has graduated 359 alumni working at 124 companies around the world, including Google, Electronic Arts, Blizzard, Ubisoft, Disney and Microsoft. The average starting salary for FIEA graduates is $54,581.

“I’m glad to see the Princeton Review recognize the hard work put in by our faculty and staff at FIEA,” said FIEA executive director Ben Noel. “We spend every day ensuring our students are as ready as possible to have valuable careers in the video game, film and simulation ���Ի�ܲ��ٰ������.”

In other rankings released today, U.S. News & World Report ranked 23 UCF graduate programs among the top 100 in their fields. Last year, 21 UCF programs were ranked in the top 100 in their fields. The Best Grad Schools 2015 rankings are available online at https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools, and the Best Grad Schools 2015 guidebook will be available on newsstands beginning April 8.

The Counselor Education program earned �����’s highest ranking at No. 7, up two spots from its 2014 ranking. Counselor Education educates and prepares students interested in working as counselors and practitioners in schools, community mental health settings, institutions, hospitals, and private practice.

�����’s Special Education program also earned a Top 20 ranking, jumping up four places to No. 12. The program provides course work needed to meet state certification requirements in special education of children and youth with disabilities

“We’re very pleased with the recognition our programs have received,” said Sandra Robinson, dean of the College of Education and Human Performance. “Faculty, staff and students have earned these accolades through their hard work and professionalism.”

�����’s College of Optics and Photonics ranked No. 14 among the nation’s atomic, molecular and optical sciences programs. The Nonprofit Management program in the College of Health and Public Affairs ranked No. 25.

Two other programs in the College of Health and Public Affairs also made the top 50 – Criminal Justice (26) and Healthcare Management (46) – along with the College of Engineering and Computer Science’s Industrial Engineering program, which ranked No. 42.

“These rankings clearly demonstrate the national recognition our programs have achieved in both health and public affairs,” said Michael Frumkin, dean of the College of Health and Public Affairs. “They are truly a testimony to the commitment and hard work of our faculty and the excellence of our students.”

Others from UCF in the top 100 of their specific fields are: Computer Engineering (58), Public Administration (59), Materials Engineering (61), Electrical Engineering (64), Environmental Engineering (68), Communication Sciences and Disorders (73), Civil Engineering (76), College of Nursing (79), College of Engineering & Computer Science (81), Physics (85), Social Work (89), Computer Science (90), Business Part-Time MBA Program (94), Mechanical Engineering (97), College of Education (98) and Physical Therapy (99).

More than 1,300 programs are reviewed nationwide for the magazine’s annual graduate-school guide. Scores are based on expert opinions about programs and statistical indicators that reflect the quality of faculty, researchers and students at each institution.

In a separate set of rankings released in January, UCF ranked No. 24 among the Best Online Graduate Nursing Programs, up from No. 45 in 2013.

The program placed ninth in the nation in rankings released today, up two spots from last year. A second College of Education program – Special Education – ranked No. 16.

“It is gratifying to see our programs in Counselor Education and Special Education receive this recognition on a national stage,” said Dean Sandra L. Robinson of the College of Education. “Our faculty and staff bring passion and excellence to their work and that is reflected in the success of our students as well as our programs.”

Twenty-one UCF programs were ranked in U.S. News & World Report‘s top-100 list of Best Graduate Schools for 2014. Today’s rankings are available online at usnews.com/best-graduate-schools, and the Best Graduate Schools 2014 guidebook will be available on newsstands beginning April 9.

�����’s College of Optics and Photonics ranked No. 13 among the nation’s atomic, molecular and optical sciences programs. The Nonprofit Management program in the College of Health and Public Affairs ranked No. 25.

Two other programs in the College of Health and Public Affairs also made the top 50 – Criminal Justice (26) and Healthcare Management (46) – along with the College of Engineering and Computer Science’s Industrial Engineering program, which moved up 13 places to No.35.

Others from UCF in the top 100 of their specific fields are: Electrical Engineering (55), Computer Engineering (58), Public Administration (59), Environmental Engineering (64), Materials Engineering (70), College of Engineering & Computer Science (72), Communication Sciences and Disorders (73), College of Nursing (79), Social Work (89), Civil Engineering (90), Computer Science (91), College of Education (91), Mechanical Engineering (93) and Physical Therapy (99).

More than 1,200 programs are reviewed nationwide for the magazine’s annual graduate-school guide. Scores are based on expert opinions about programs and statistical indicators that reflect the quality of faculty, researchers and students at each institution.

The ninth-ranked UCF Counselor Education program is designed to educate and prepare individuals interested in working as counselors and practitioners in schools, community mental health settings, institutions, hospitals, and private practice.

“This was a pretty fast progression, especially since many of the other programs in the top 10 have been there a long time,” said program director Bryce Hagedorn. “Our curriculum is designed with a heavy emphasis on experiential and clinical work for master’s students, and teaching research and supervision for doctoral students.”

Three additional graduate programs from the university’s College of Health & Public Affairs were ranked near the top: Criminology (Criminal Justice at UCF) was ranked 26th in its category, Healthcare Management (Health Services Administration) was ranked 46th, and Public Affairs (Public Administration) was listed at 59th.

All four of the COHPA programs moved up in their rankings this year.

“Peer rankings such as these reflect our faculty’s dedication and commitment to offering the highest quality graduate programs,” said Michael Frumkin, dean of the College of Health & Public Affairs. “I’m extraordinarily proud of our growing national reputation.”

The College of Education also had two programs ranked in the top 25. Its graduate counselor education program ranked 11th and its special education graduate program ranked 14th. The College of Optics and Photonics (CREOL) also had a program listed at number 13.

Others from UCF in the top 100 of their specific fields were: Industrial Engineering (48), Computer Engineering (57), Electrical Engineering (62), Environmental Engineering (68), Best Engineering School (72), Materials Engineering (74), Speech-Language Pathology [Communication Sciences and Disorders] (73), Nursing (79), Social Work (89), Civil Engineering (81), Physical Therapy (99) and Best Education School (100).

More than 1,200 programs were reviewed for the magazine’s annual graduate-school guide. The scores are based on expert opinions about programs and a variety of statistical indicators that gauge the quality of faculty, researchers and students at each institution.

Highlights of the rankings will be on sale in the Best Graduate Schools book at newsstands beginning April 3.

View the full list of �����’s rankings.