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Terms & Conditions

U.S. News & World Report ("U.S. News") makes available a graphic (the "2009 Badge") to ranked graduate schools (each, a "Graduate School") that meet the criteria set forth below and who desire to display the 2009 Badge on their website. The use of the 2009 Badge is subject to the following conditions:

• The 2009 Badge is for website usage only. Display of the web-format 2009 Badge must link back to the U.S. News website, www.usnews.com, using the link provided by U.S. News on the confirmation page where the 2009 Badge is available for download.
• Business, Education, Engineering, Law, and Medicine schools must use the 2009 Badge that specifies their category of graduate school. Other schools (e.g., science programs or Master of Fine Arts programs) must use the 2009 Badge that does not specify a category of graduate school.
• To be eligible to use the 2009 Badge, the Graduate School should appear in at least one of the following rankings categories, either in the book America's Best Graduate Schools or in the Premium Online Edition on USNews.com:
  • Numerically ranked schools of business and all business specialty rankings
  • Numerically ranked schools of education and all education specialty rankings
  • Numerically ranked schools of engineering and all engineering specialty rankings
  • Numerically ranked schools of law and law specialty rankings
  • Numerically ranked schools of medicine and all medical specialty rankings
  • Numerically ranked health programs: occupational therapy, pharmacy, physical therapy, social work, speech and language pathology, clinical psychology and audiology
  • Numerically ranked science programs: computer science, mathematics, physics and all specialty rankings in computer science, mathematics and physics
  • Numerically ranked Masters of Fine Arts programs  and all ranked Masters of Fine Arts programs specialty rankings
  • Numerically ranked Public Affairs programs and all Public Affairs specialty rankings
  • For clarity, a Graduate School which appears in a tier, but is not individually ranked (e.g., law schools in the Fourth Tier) may not use a 2009 Badge.
  • The following categories are reprinted this year, and not freshly ranked, thus they do not qualify for use of the 2009 Badge:
  • Graduate Schools ranked in the following social sciences and humanities programs: criminology, economics and economics specialties; English and English specialties; history and history specialties; political science and political science specialties; psychology and psychology specialties; and sociology and sociology specialties.
  • Health Disciplines: healthcare management, nursing
  • Library and Information Studies
• The 2009 Badge shall only be used by the numerically ranked Graduate School named to the America's Best Graduate Schools list, and may not be used by any parent, subsidiary, related or affiliated institutions, including but not limited to any affiliated distance learning programs.
• The 2009 Badge shall only be used for the purpose of identifying the Graduate School as having been named to the America's Best Graduate Schools 2009 list and not to imply an endorsement of any products or services.
• The use of the 2009 Badge is subject to the Graduate School correctly describing its placement on the America's Best Graduate Schools 2009 list. U.S. News has the right to monitor use of the 2009 Badge, and if a Graduate School's description of its placement on theAmerica's Best Graduate Schools 2009 list is inaccurate, U.S. News will notify the Graduate School and the Graduate School agrees that it shall immediately remove, or change, such materials in accordance with U.S. News’s request.
• The 2009 Badge shall only be used in the form and colors indicated, without modifications or alterations.
• Permission for use of the 2009 Badge begins on the issue date of the U.S. News edition naming the Graduate School to the America's Best Graduate Schools 2009 list (that is, April 7-14 2008) and automatically terminates twelve (12) months thereafter or as of the issue date of the U.S. News edition naming the next year's America's Best Graduate Schools list, whichever occurs first.
• The Graduate School acknowledges that the 2009 Badges are trademarked and copyrighted creations belonging to U.S. News & World Report, L.P. and that all rights accruing from the use of the mark shall be to the benefit of U.S. News & World Report, L.P.
• The Graduate School shall indemnify and hold U.S. News & World Report, L.P., and its parents, subsidiaries, affiliated and related companies harmless from and against any and all liability, loss, damage or injury, including reasonable attorney's fees, relating either directly or indirectly, to the material on which the 2009 Badge is used.
• Except as set forth herein, no other use of the 2009 Badge may be made without U.S. News's prior express approval.  For non-website uses of the 2009 Badge, and any use whatsoever of the U.S. News & World Report logo, or any other text, photograph, graphic, cover or image of U.S. News & World Report magazine or www.usnews.com, the Graduate School agrees that it shall contact badges@usnews.com for specific written authorization. If used for advertising or broadcast purposes, U.S. News will review all submitted advertising uses for accuracy and may, in its sole discretion, deny permission or request changes in text that refers to the magazine and its content as a condition to granting permissions.