Published on March 22, 2017 by Philip Poole  
Law BSOB

Samford University’s national reputation was enhanced recently when two graduate professional programs had significant increases in new national rankings released by U.S. News & World Report.

The trial advocacy program in Cumberland School of Law was ranked sixth nationally by U.S. News, a jump from the previous year’s ranking of 14th.

The part-time, evening Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) degree program moved up to 115th in the nation. Earlier in the year, the online M.B.A. program also made a significant jump in U.S. News online graduate program rankings to 72nd in the nation.

Each year, U.S. News ranks programs in six specialty areas, including business and law, in the more than 4,000 higher education institutions in the United States. The rankings in these areas are based on expert opinions about program excellence and statistical indicators that measure the quality of a school’s faculty, research and students.

In trial advocacy courses, students argue cases before mock judges and juries, and may compete in national or regional mock trial competitions. The U.S. News ranking is based on a survey of faculty from accredited law schools nationwide.

Samford’s trial advocacy teams regularly place high in regional and national competitions.

“Cumberland School of Law has a long tradition of excellence in trial advocacy,” said Dean Henry C. Strickland III. “We are proud of our outstanding advocacy instruction and the continued national success of our mock trial teams. The ranking confirms the great work of our faculty, coaches and students.”

According to U.S. News, part-time M.B.A. programs are “vital and offer people who cannot go to school full time an option for pursuing a graduate degree.” 

“We are very proud of the fact that our M.B.A. program is receiving the national recognition from U.S. News & World Report,” said Howard Finch, Brock School of Business dean. “Our world-class faculty rank among the best in teaching skills that our M.B.A. students will use in real-world settings, and we’ve worked hard over the years to ensure our students get the best possible graduate education.”

Kara Kennedy in Brock School of Business and Polly Allen Manuel in Cumberland School of Law assisted with reporting for this story.

 
Samford is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, Samford is the 87th-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Samford enrolls 6,101 students from 45 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Samford fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and ranks 6th nationally for its Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.