By Sheri Hall

The College of Human Ecology’s Sloan Program in Health Administration has moved up to be ranked the ninth best health care management program in the nation in the 2019 U.S. News and World Report ranking of health care management programs.

Previously, the Sloan Program was ranked 14th in 2011 and 2015. And only 15 years ago, it was ranked 29th. (Rankings are only published every four years).

“The rankings matter,” said Sloan Director Sean Nicholson. That’s because more students apply to higher ranked programs, which allows the program to admit even stronger students. And rankings are important to alumni because advanced degrees are like assets, he said. “If people in the health care industry start to think more highly of the program, it may give them a boost in their organization or when they are applying for jobs.”

Sloan leadership has worked to improve the program by creating new courses, hiring strong faculty and improving the educational experience, Nicholson said.

In addition, Sloan administrators touted the strengths of Sloan to health administrators and program directors across the country. “Given the way U.S. News and World Report constructs the rankings, you have to tell the world about the wonderful things you are doing,” Nicholson said. “We attend conferences and events, meet with other program directors and send out written materials to explain what a great program this is.”

Moving forward, Sloan leaders aim to continue to improve the program and ranking. They are taking a concrete step in that direction with the launch this spring of a new online Executive Master of Health Administration degree, a distance-learning program for health care executives that will allow students to take classes online while continuing in their jobs.

“Bringing 40 executives into the Sloan family will offer networking opportunities to our younger students, help us offer more courses, recruit better teachers and generate scholarship funds to attract more accomplished students,” Nicholson said.

You can learn more about the Sloan Program in Health Administration at human.cornell.edu/sloan.

–Sheri Hall