GAINESVILLE, Fla. – University of Florida online degree programs saw new gains in the 2020 U.S. News & World Report rankings released this week. UF Online, the University of Florida’s online undergraduate program, rose to the No. 4 spot in the country – up from No. 5 last year – in the U.S. News rankings for best online programs.
“I am pleased to see UF continue its excellent performance in the U.S. News online rankings list. It reflects the outstanding work being done by our faculty and staff and demonstrates that our students and the state of Florida overall are receiving a tremendous return on investment. UF Online, in particular, has been on a meteoric trajectory since it was created just six years ago,” said Joe Glover, UF provost.
The UF/IFAS College of Agricultural and Life Sciences offers two majors through UF Online: environmental management in agriculture and natural resources (an interdisciplinary major), and microbiology and cell science. Students in these majors learn from the same faculty who teach students on campus.
Students in the online environmental management in agriculture and natural resources major benefit from a tailored full-time internship requirement as part of the degree program. This experience affords students the opportunity to discover their goals and career interests before graduation. Upon graduation, 90 percent of students in this major are employed or continuing their education through an advanced degree program.
CALS students in the online microbiology and cell science major participate in unique “boot camp” labs, where they complete two in-person lab requirements during one week on campus. Additionally, full-time students in this major who transfer with an associate’s degree from a Florida college may be eligible to receive a scholarship that has an average annual award of $5,700. To apply for this scholarship, visit microcell.ufl.edu/s-stem.
“Keeping consistent with UF’s land-grant ideals of access, innovation and relevance, our online degree offerings allow a diverse population of students to exchange knowledge and ideas,” said Elaine Turner, CALS dean. “Because of this, our students’ experiences are enriched by collaboration with others to provide thoughtful solutions to our world’s critical challenges related to agriculture, food systems, human well-being, natural resources and sustainable communities.”
The online rankings further expand UF’s growing leadership role in the U.S. News arena. In September, UF rose to No. 7 in the U.S. News Top Public Schools list, marking the third consecutive year with UF in the top 10. The full U.S. News online degree program rankings are available here.
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The College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS) administers the degree programs of the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS). The mission of the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences is to deliver unsurpassed educational programs that prepare students to address the world’s critical challenges related to agriculture, food systems, human wellbeing, natural resources and sustainable communities. The college has received more total (national and regional combined) USDA teaching awards than any other institution. Visit the CALS website at cals.ufl.edu, and follow CALS on social media platforms at @ufcals.
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