The University of Central Florida has the third-best graduate engineering program in the country, according to rankings released Wednesday.
Hispanic Business Magazine released its 2010 Best Schools for Hispanics list, which ranks the top 10 graduate programs in the country in medicine, law, business and engineering.
This is the sixth consecutive year UCF’s engineering program has been ranked. It has steadily moved up the list from eighth place, where it debuted in 2005.
“Diversity and inclusiveness are among our core values at UCF and in our college,” said Marwan Simaan, dean of the College of Engineering and Computer Science. “We are very proud for being recognized as a role model for diversity.”
Graduate programs at the Georgia Institute of Technology and Purdue University ranked first and second. MIT ranked sixth. Two other Florida universities were on the list – the University of Florida placed eighth, and Florida Atlantic University was ninth.
“UCF deserves the honor,” said Jorge Guerra, a student majoring in electrical engineering and president of the UCF chapter of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers. “I have been able to learn and grow academically, professionally and personally. It’s such a magnificent university.”
The rankings are based on questionnaires sent in by the schools, enrollments, the percentage of Hispanic faculty members, the number of programs that recruit Hispanic students, retention rates and student services.