Methodology: Graduate Social Sciences and Humanities Rankings

Rankings of doctoral programs in the social sciences and humanities are based solely on the results of peer assessment surveys sent to academics in each discipline. Each school offering a doctoral program was sent two surveys (with the exception of criminology, where each school received four). The questionnaires asked respondents to rate the academic quality of the program at each institution on a scale of 1 (marginal) to 5 (outstanding). Individuals who were unfamiliar with a particular school's programs were asked to select "don't know."

Scores for each school were determined by computing a trimmed mean (eliminating the two highest and the two lowest responses) of the ratings of all respondents who rated that school; average scores were then sorted in descending order. Surveys were conducted in the fall of 2008 by Synovate.

[See our Best Social Sciences and Humanities Schools rankings.]

Questionnaires were sent to department heads and directors of graduate studies (or, alternatively, a senior faculty member who teaches graduate students) at schools that had granted a total of five or more doctorates in each discipline during the five-year period from 2001 through 2005, as indicated by the 2006 Survey of Earned Doctorates.

The American Association of Doctoral Programs in Criminology and Criminal Justice provided the list of criminology programs and the respondent names of those surveyed at those programs. The surveys asked about Ph.D. programs in criminology (response rate: 90 percent), economics (34 percent), English (31 percent), history (23 percent), political science (37 percent), psychology (25 percent), and sociology (43 percent).

The American Psychological Association supplied the names of the psychology programs. This list was then narrowed to have each school represented once on the survey—usually by the department of psychology—even for schools that grant a doctoral degree in psychology in multiple departments. Programs in clinical psychology are ranked separately in the health professions section.

Specialty rankings are based solely on nominations by department heads and directors of graduate studies at peer schools from the list of schools surveyed. They ranked up to 10 programs in each area offering the best programs in each of those specialty areas. Those with the most votes appear

The number of schools surveyed were: Criminology—36; Economics—131; English—149; History—146; Political Science—117; Psychology—241; and Sociology—114.

Rank Not Published means that U.S. News did calculate a numerical ranking for that school/program, but decided for editorial reasons that since the school/program ranked below the U.S. News cutoff that U.S. News would not publish the ranking for that school/program on usnews.com. U.S. News will supply schools/programs listed as Rank Not Published with their numerical rankings, if they submit a request following the procedures listed in the Information for School Officials in the About the Best Graduate Schools Rankings section on usnews.com.

Schools/programs marked as Rank Not Published are listed alphabetically. Schools in the Ph.D. social sciences and humanities whose ranking is based solely on a 5.0 peer assessment score are number ranked down to a peer assessment score of greater than or equal to 2.0. Schools with scores beneath 2.0 are listed in alphabetical order as Rank Not Published.

Schools in the specialty rankings, which are based solely on nominations from school officials, are numerically ranked in descending order based on the number of nominations they received as long as the school/program receives seven or more nominations in that specialty area. This means that schools ranked at the bottom of each specialty ranking have received seven nominations.

Unranked means that U.S. News did not calculate a numerical ranking for that school or program. The school or program did not supply U.S. News with enough key statistical data to be numerically ranked by U.S. News. Schools or programs marked as Unranked are listed alphabetically and are listed below those marked as Rank Not Published.

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