ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, March 1, 1997 TAG: 9703030053
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-3 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: RICHMOND
SOURCE: Associated Press
The University of Virginia and Virginia Commonwealth University led the state's schools in the latest rankings in U.S. News and World Report's ``America's Best Graduate Schools'' issue.
UVa ranked fourth nationally in creative writing, sixth in architecture, ninth in law, 11th in business and 24th in education.
VCU also had five programs ranked in the top 25 nationally. They are: health services and physical therapy, both in seventh place; social work, 18th place; and pharmacy and fine arts, both at 19th.
The graduate school rankings, which the magazine has published for eight years, are based on schools' student selectivity, the success of their graduates, faculty resources, and reputation among academics and professionals. The magazine hits newsstands Monday.
Only two other Virginia graduate programs made the list. George Mason University's creative writing program was ranked 20th, and Washington & Lee's law program came in 21st.
Finishing ahead of UVa in the creative writing rankings were the University of Iowa in first, followed by Johns Hopkins University and the University of Houston, which were tied for second.
Lisa Russ Spaar, administrator of UVa's graduate creative writing program, said the university has less money than some of its peers but a talented group of successful writer/teachers such as novelist George Garrett and poets Rita Dove and Charles Wright.
``I think we're all very pleased,'' said Spaar, herself a poet and creative writing teacher. ``We're a smaller program, which allows for a very intimate mentoring situation.''
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