Published on March 11, 2015 by Katie Stripling  
Male nursing student performing eye exam

For the first time, master’s programs in Samford University’s Ida V. Moffett School of Nursing are ranked among the best in the nation according to analysis and reports released March 10 by U.S. News and World Report.

“This new ranking is a strong affirmation of the exceptional growth – both academically and numerically – of our graduate programs in nursing. To be among the top 100 schools nationally the first time we enter this ranking affirms the efforts of our nursing faculty and administration to make Samford’s Ida V. Moffett School of Nursing a recognized leader in nursing and health care education,” said Samford University President Andrew Westmoreland.

Samford’s nursing programs are in the top 17 percent of all accredited master’s programs in the country. Rankings were based on 13 quality indicators related to student selectivity and achievement, faculty resources, research activity, and peer assessments of quality and specialties.

Ida V. Moffett School of Nursing currently offers master’s concentrations in family nurse practitioner, nurse educator and nurse anesthesia. The school also has an RN to MSN option in addition to programs at the baccalaureate and doctoral levels.

“Our programs are still young compared to many across the U.S.,” said Jane S. Martin, Ida V. Moffett School of Nursing associate dean for graduate programs. “It’s remarkable to think that in 1997 we graduated our first class of just two students; fast-forward to today and we have 400 enrolled in our graduate programs and alumni living in 40 different states and in countries around the world,” she added.

Numerous factors have attributed to the school’s growth in graduate education, including a burgeoning national reputation for online education and the preparation of nurse educators, Martin noted. With the exception of the nurse anesthesia program, all master’s programs are taught online and have been recognized among the best in the country for online education by U.S. News & World Report for the past two years. In addition, through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) Nurse Faculty Loan Program the school has received more than $5.4 million dollars to support graduate students pursuing a career in nursing education.

“Our programs are designed to meet the needs of not only our students and graduates, but also the nursing profession and health care community,” added Martin. 

 
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.