Western New England University has joined the ranks of doctoral universities in the latest update to the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. Western New England joins the newly created Doctoral/Professional Universities category, after being categorized among master's colleges & universities in the previous framework. The latest classification update incorporated changes to better accommodate doctoral degrees in professions such as law, pharmacy, and medicine.
"This new Carnegie classification, which includes many of the nation's finest universities, is a point of pride for us and certainly another sign of the long-term growth of the University," according to Anthony S. Caprio, Western New England University president. "We have consistently focused on the integration of liberal and professional learning, and the fact that we are a University categorized as Doctoral/Professional Universities further reinforces our brand."
First published in 1973, the Carnegie Classification provides a tool to compare types of higher education institutions. It is considered the leading framework for describing the diversity of U.S. colleges and universities, and is widely used by lawmakers, federal agencies, grant-making institutions, news media, and others in decisions and reporting related to colleges and universities.
"It seems fitting that this new classification has been accorded in this our Centennial year 2019," said President Caprio. "During this year we have reflected upon our past 100 years and have recognized the extent to which our mission and institutional vision have remained constant, guiding us as we have developed the unique and rich curriculum that has served our graduates so well as they embark upon their professional careers."
Western New England University is among the 9.6% of colleges and universities in the United States that are categorized as Doctoral. A total of 152 institutions fall within Carnegie's Doctoral/Professional Universities category, while another 266 institutions are classified as Doctoral/Very High Research Activity or High Research Activity.
Western New England University confers the degrees of Juris Doctor and Doctor of Pharmacy through its School of Law and College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. The institution will graduate its first Doctor of Occupational Therapy class in 2020. Additionally, the University offers research-based Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees in Behavior Analysis and in Engineering Management through its College of Arts and Sciences and College of Engineering.
