FORT WORTH, Texas -- The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth’s School of Public Health has again been ranked in the top 20 national master’s degree programs in community health by U.S. News and World Report.

The magazine published its rankings of graduate community health and preventive medicine programs in its annual issue that focuses on the top graduate schools in the country.

These rankings of the health professions programs are based on the results of surveys sent to deans, faculty and administrators of accredited graduate programs. The UNT Health Science Center tied for 19 with Temple University and Arizona State University.

"I am pleased that we were again included in this prestigious ranking," said Fernando Treviño, Ph.D., dean of the health science center’s School of Public Health. "It demonstrates the continuing quality of our public health program."

The health science center established the School of Public Health in 1999 to train highly qualified individuals in the areas of public health practice and research. The School allows the center to expand upon its Master of Public Health (MPH) degree program that was launched in 1995.

Enrollment in the MPH program quickly exceeded initial expectations. More than 160 students are now working toward their MPH degree. This spring, the inaugural class of 14 doctoral students began working toward a doctorate of public health (DrPH) degree.

Among its many achievements during its first year in operation, the School of Public Health received full accreditation for its MPH program from the Council on Education for Public Health, and established the Institute for Public Health Research to focus on multidisciplinary population-based research.

Complete survey results are available online at: http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/beyond/gradrank/gbcomhea.htm.

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