phd program northeastern university

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Northeastern University’s graduate degree programs are designed to empower students with advanced knowledge, critical skills, and real-world experiences that propel them to excel in their chosen fields. With a diverse array of programs spanning disciplines such as business, engineering, health sciences, social sciences, and more, our graduate offerings cater to a broad spectrum of academic interests and career goals.

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PhD in Computer Science

The PhD in Computer Science program provides students with the advanced coursework and groundbreaking research opportunities they need to contribute at the forefront of the world’s fastest-growing fields. Forging knowledge in 15 core areas like artificial intelligence, data science, programming languages, and human-centered computing, you’ll gain significant expertise in conducting and presenting the results of your research. Ultimately, you’ll produce and defend original work that contributes to critical discourse in your chosen area.

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Khoury College doctorate students gain deep knowledge and invaluable experience—preparing you for a research career in academia or industry.

Khoury Computer Science PhD graduates have found prestigious positions across industry and academia.

Tenure-track faculty:

• University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
• University of British Columbia (UBC)
• Indiana University
• University of Maryland
• University College London
• NC State University
• UMass Boston
• City University of Hong Kong

Postdoc research scientists:

• University of Paris
• Virginia Tech
• Microsoft Research
• GE Global Research

Senior software engineers and industry leaders:

Students graduating with a PhD in Computer Science will:

• Gain a broad understanding of computer science fundamentals, spanning a substantial portion of the following core areas: artificial intelligence and data science, human-centered computing, software, systems, and theory
• Gain significant expertise in at least one research area in computer science
• Produce and defend original research in an area of computer science
• Be able to communicate research results effectively in both oral and written forms

Our flagship campus in Boston is just minutes away from esteemed universities, exciting start-ups, and leaders in tech, finance, health care, and more.

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Deepen your research impact through a Northeastern PhD .

Northeastern’s PhD programs offer fundamentals for excellence: access to world-class faculty, an expansive mentor network, robust resources, and experiential opportunities inside industry, government, and other universities and nonprofits.

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Industry Experiential PhD

Many working professionals aspire to earn their PhD without leaving their full-time jobs. Northeastern’s Industry Experiential PhD program allows employees with Master’s degrees to work full-time while conducting research at their employer site under the guidance of a Northeastern faculty member and advisor from their employer.

PhD in Bioengineering

Our interdisciplinary PhD program in Bioengineering draws on the expertise of faculty across the University and reflects the significant strengths of bioengineering research in multiple areas. Students accepted to the program will complete a rigorous core curriculum in basic bioengineering science followed by completion of an immersion track curriculum.

PhD in Computer Engineering

Northeastern’s PhD program in Computer Engineering offers the opportunity to pursue cutting-edge research in the following areas: computer architecture, parallel computing, fault tolerance, performance analysis and modeling, security, embedded systems, VLSI, algorithms, data mining, testing, machine learning, machine vision and software engineering.

PhD in Computer Science

The PhD in Computer Science prepares students for careers in academia and industry—from conducting research to developing systems to publishing and presenting papers.

PhD in Civil and Environmental Engineering

The PhD level program in Civil Engineering at Northeastern University is flexible and may be adapted to any subject area in civil and environmental engineering, including interdisciplinary options within the department or across departments or colleges.

PhD in Electrical Engineering

The PhD program in Electrical Engineering aims to teach students to develop efficient systems that contribute to business, safety, health, and entertainment.

PhD in Mechanical Engineering

The PhD in Mechanical Engineering is awarded to students who demonstrate high academic achievement and research competence in the fields of mechanical engineering. To earn a PhD, a student must complete an approved, rigorous program of advanced coursework and submit and defend an original dissertation of independent research.

PhD in Network Science

The Network Science PhD program is a pioneering interdisciplinary program that provides the tools and concepts aimed at understanding the structure and dynamics of networks arising from the interplay of human behavior, socio-technical infrastructures, information diffusion and biological agents.

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PhD in Chemical Engineering

The graduate program in chemical engineering offers students the opportunity to work on cutting-edge research that tackles pressing challenges facing our society and our planet in areas such as biomedicine, energy, security, and sustainability. Students also develop an in-depth understanding of the principles of chemical engineering through core coursework and applied electives. The overarching goal of this rich research and educational experience is to mentor and to equip our students to become future leaders in engineering and science, while simultaneously promoting scholarly achievement for both the faculty and students.

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Innovative Curriculum

Doctoral candidates are able to select thesis topics from a diverse range of faculty research interests. The department’s research focus areas are Biomolecular and Biomedical Systems; Complex and Computational Systems; Energy and Sustainability; Engineering Education and Pedagogy; and Materials and Nanotechnology. With a premier location in downtown Boston, research in the department leverages the wealth of collaborations with neighboring universities, hospitals, medical centers and industry. New or prospective graduate students can learn about ongoing research topics from individual faculty members, faculty web sites and graduate student seminars. Graduate student seminars, where our students present the results of their research, are held on a regular basis and provide an interactive forum for learning and exchanging ideas.

• ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems.
• ability to explain and apply engineering design principles, as appropriate to the program’s educational objectives.
• Use appropriate methods to analyze research data and interpret the findings.
• Effectively communicate the work to its intended audiences, through professional written and oral communication skills.
• Define research objectives.
• Choose and use appropriate research methods to achieve the defined objectives.
• Critically analyze one’s own research work and existing scholarship in the field, including identifying gaps in knowledge.
• Zach Rogers, PhD student
• Meryem Pehlivaner PhD, Chemical Engineering 2018
• Ben Geilich PhD, Chemical Engineering 2016
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Experiential Learning

Northeastern combines rigorous academics with experiential learning and research to prepare students for real-world engineering challenges including industry experience as part of the co-op program or an internship. The Cooperative Education Program , also known as a “co-op,” is one of the largest and most innovative in the world, and Northeastern is one of only a few that offers a Co-op Program for graduate students. Through this program, students gain professional experience employed in their field of interest as part of the academic curriculum. Northeastern has over 3,000 co-op employer partners in a wide variety of organizations, from large companies to entrepreneurial start-ups. Students can also participate in the university’s Experiential PhD program .

Academic Advising

The Academic Advisors in the Graduate Student Services office can help answer many of your questions and assist with various concerns regarding your program and student record. Use the link below to also determine which questions can be answered by your Faculty Program Advisors and OGS Advisors.

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Admissions & Aid

Ready to take the next step? Review degree requirements to see courses needed to complete this degree. Then, explore ways to fund your education. Finally, review admissions information to see our deadlines and gather the materials you need to Apply.

Student News

‘Emerging Investigators’ are Studying Flow of Soft Materials through Tiny Spaces

ChE Assistant Professor Sara Hashmi and Barrett Smith, PhD’24, chemical engineering, were recognized as part of the “Emerging Investigators” series of the Royal Society of Chemistry journal Soft Matter. Smith was first author of their paper, “In Situ Polymer Gelation in Confined Flow Controls Intermittent Dynamics,” which uncovers novel flow behavior in crosslinking biopolymers.

COE Research Expo Displays Promising Work of PhD Students

The College of Engineering held a research expo to highlight the work of PhD students. Participants presented their research to a panel of judges and gained critical presentation and communication skills. They also displayed their research during the poster showcase and students were recognized with awards.

ChE Alum Guiding Companies to a Sustainable Future

Chemical Engineering alum Abhijeet Parvatker, PhD’21, is using the expertise he gained while in Northeastern’s LEADERS fellowship program to guide companies towards complying with a new federal rule that will require companies to disclose the chemical emissions for every product sold.

Networking Fair Highlights Innovative PhD Research

Northeastern University’s PhD Network recently hosted an Innovation Research Fair in which PhD candidates presented their research to 14 companies, including Takeda, Amgen, and Merck, spanning what’s now the largest biotech hub in the country—Greater Boston.

Academic Catalog 2023-2024

Experiential phd.

The future of research will be collaborative. Researchers across academic institutions, industry, government, and other organizations will team up to solve complex real-world problems. Researchers will require technical proficiency as well as the ability to work with others, form teams, manage projects, and more—skills that go beyond the classroom. At Northeastern University, every PhD student and postdoctoral research associate has opportunities to acquire experiences beyond traditional research. Exposure to and integration with our many partners through unique programs in authentic settings from laboratories to startup companies to nonprofit institutions leads to greater impact and broader career opportunities, both within and beyond academia.

Northeastern’s Experiential PhD programs offer such opportunities for current Northeastern PhD students and postdoctoral research associates and for full-time master's-level employees at companies, laboratories, and organizations who want to pursue a doctoral degree at Northeastern. The former occurs through the LEADERs program , while the latter occurs through the Industry PhD program . Traditional internships and sponsored research agreements are available to Northeastern students.  

The LEADERs program is designed to enable researchers to develop professional skills through authentic career exploration opportunities at organizations in industry, government, and the nonprofit sector. Beyond the comfort zone of their own university research group, PhD students and postdoctoral research associates encounter new experiences that help shape their research perspective. They also bring fresh ideas and talent to their host organizations. Northeastern is one of the only universities in the world to offer students in all of its research-based doctoral-degree programs the option to learn and pursue research outside of their primary research group. These real-world placements are highly flexible and customizable, tailored to meet the needs of both Northeastern’s PhD students and postdoctoral research associates and our institutional partners.

The Industry PhD is a first-of-its kind research-based doctoral program for full-time master's-level employees.  Designed with input from external partners, employees pursue a research-based doctoral degree while maintaining their job and conducting research at the employer site. This enables employees to acquire new skills that will help them to advance in their careers and provides the organization with an opportunity to invest in their future leaders. By working closely with Northeastern faculty, employees will explore their research from a broader scientific perspective, enabling them to appreciate the research foundation of their day-to-day work and to pursue new areas of research for the company.

Experiential PhD programs offer robust benefits to both students and institutional partners. Students solve complex problems as part of their education and chart careers as future innovators. Our institutional partners receive many benefits as well, including:

A deeper engagement in rapidly evolving fields of research

Access to university facilities and senior faculty expertise

Opportunities for senior leadership to mentor and copublish with students and to serve on their dissertation committees

A chance to recruit emerging talent

Opportunities to partner with Northeastern, an entrepreneurial research university known for its innovative collaborations with academia, government, and industry

At Northeastern University, PhD students enjoy a uniquely broad range of immersive opportunities to expand critical inquiry, learn, perform original research, and chart a path to professional success. Experiential PhD opportunities enable PhD students to step outside the comfort zone of their campus research group where students can pursue challenging, creative, customized assignments within industry, government, or the nonprofit sector that inform and enhance their pursuit of a research doctorate.

This Graduate Certificate in Experiential PhD Leadership aims to:

•  Challenge students to address complex problems  through experience within the context of real-world needs and challenges faced by industry, government, or nonprofit-sector organizations, broadening students' view of stakeholders and impact, shaping the very questions they raise and answer.

•  Equip students for a lifetime with the cultural agility, creativity, and professional skills— public speaking and communications, meeting goals and expectations (e.g., project management for personal and professional purposes), teamwork, leadership, peer influence, leading from the middle—that they will need to translate their findings into impactful solutions.

•  Enrich every student’s research group and, ultimately, fields of expertise  by fostering a collaborative, entrepreneurial, innovative approach to knowledge creation that expands their network far beyond academia to include intellectual and professional mentors and collaborators.

This graduate certificate designed for PhD students across all of Northeastern’s research-based PhD programs provides students embarking on an experiential PhD with the preparation, project delivery, and guidance for contextual integration within the context of leadership development. All students pursuing this leadership certificate will be mentored by their sponsor supervisor and dissertation advisor(s).

Complete all courses and requirements listed below unless otherwise indicated. 

A grade of B or higher is required in each course.

Requirements

Program credit/gpa requirements.

12 total semester hours required Minimum 3.000 GPA required

The Industry PhD is a first-of-its kind research-based doctoral program  designed with input from external partners to provide a pathway  for full-time  master's-level employees. Designed with input from external partners,  employees pursue a research-based doctoral degree while maintaining their job and conducting research at the employer site. This enables employees to acquire new skills that will help them to advance in their careers and provides the organization with an opportunity to invest in their future leaders. By working closely with Northeastern University faculty, employees will explore their research from a broader scientific perspective, enabling them to appreciate the research foundation of their day-to-day work and to pursue new areas of research for the company.

The Industry PhD is applicable to any of our 35 doctoral programs. Applicants should follow the requirements of the program to which they are applying. In addition, the following Industry PhD terms apply.

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PhD in Bioengineering

The interdisciplinary Bioengineering PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) program reflects departmental research strengths in multiple areas.  Students accepted to the bioengineering program will undertake a rigorous core curriculum in basic bioengineering science, followed by a flexible selection of electives tailored to their dissertation research. There are four key areas of research strength in our department (see below).

The Bioengineering PhD program is designed to take advantage of Northeastern’s considerable strength in multiple areas of bioengineering. Located in the heart of Boston, directly adjacent to the world-renowned Longwood Medical Area, Northeastern provides an excellent opportunity for students to combine engineering, medicine and biology.

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Innovative Curriculum

Biology can inspire engineering. Increasingly, discoveries in the life sciences reveal processes, complexity, and control without analogy in the world of traditional engineering. Current methods of producing nanoscale control over molecules cannot reproduce the organization found in even the simplest organisms. Energy capture, robust control, remediation, and self-assembly are all employed by biosystems with efficiency unparalleled by anything in today’s laboratories. At the same time, traditional engineering disciplines struggle to find new approaches to the complex challenges of 21st-century technology. The last 50 years of basic life science research have gradually revealed the layers of complexity intrinsic to biological processes, unmasking the fundamental underpinnings on which biological systems are constructed. Bioinspired engineering has the potential to transform the technological landscape of the 21st century. Astonishingly, it represents merely one of the myriad opportunities presented at the interface of biology and engineering.

The field of bioengineering is broad and includes all research at the interface of engineering and biology—this includes bioprocesses, environmental microbiology, biomaterials and tissue engineering, bioelectricity, biomechanics, biomedical and biological imaging, nanotechnology in medicine and the environment, and engineering design for human interfacing. At Northeastern, bioengineering PhD students have an opportunity to be trained to appreciate advances in bioengineering across a wide range of disciplines while they perform highly focused and cutting-edge bioengineering research with one of our faculty members.

• To develop and demonstrate rigorous knowledge in relevant areas of Bioengineering.
• To develop and demonstrate an ability to plan and perform creative and impactful Bioengineering research.
• To develop and demonstrate and ability to perform critical analysis of scientific journal articles.
• To develop and demonstrate effective written and oral communication skills
• To prepare students for careers in Bioengineering
• Lauren Cole, PhD'22, Bioengineering
• Xuezhu Cai, PhD'20, Bioengineering
• David Walsh, PhD'16, Bioengineering
• Learn more.

The Biomedical Devices and Bioimaging track reflects Northeastern University’s outstanding research profile in developing new technologies for visualizing biological processes and disease.  Our department has active federally funded research spanning a broad spectrum of relevant areas in instrument design, contrast agent development, and advanced computational modeling and reconstruction methods. Example research centers include the Institute for the Chemical Imaging of Living Systems , the  Translational Biophotonics Cluster , and the  B-SPIRAL signal processing group .

View more about the Biomedical Devices and Bioimaging track

Motion, deformation, and flow of biological systems in response to applied loads elicit biological responses at the molecular and cellular levels that support the physiological function of tissues and organs and drive their adaptation and remodeling. To study these complex interactions, principles of solid, fluid, and transport mechanics must be combined with measures of biological function. The Biomechanics, Biotransport, & Mechanobiology track embraces this approach and leverages the strong expertise of Northeastern faculty attempting to tie applied loads to biological responses at multiple length and time scales. See  Associated Faculty

Principles for engineering living cells and tissues are essential to address many of the most significant biomedical challenges facing our society today. These application areas include engineering biomaterials to coax and enable stem cells to form functional tissue or to heal damaged tissue; designing vehicles for delivering genes and therapeutics to reach specific target cells to treat a disease; and, uncovering therapeutic strategies to curb pathological cell behaviors and tissue phenotypes. At a more fundamental level, the field is at the nascent stages of understanding how cells make decisions in complex microenvironments and how cells interact with each other and their surrounding environment to organize into complex three-dimensional tissues. Advances will require a multiscale experimental, computational and theoretical approaches spanning molecular-cellular-tissue levels and integration of molecular and physical mechanisms, including the role of mechanical forces. See  Associated Faculty

View more about Molecular, Cell, and Tissue Engineering track

We aim to understand the rules governing emergent systems-level behavior and to use these rules to rationally engineer biological systems. We make quantitative measurements, often at the single-cell level, to test different conceptual frameworks and discriminate amongst different classes of models. Our faculty are leaders in developing and applying both theoretical methods, e.g., control theory, and experimental methods, e.g., single-cell proteomics by mass-spec, to biological systems.  At the organ and tissue levels, 3D scans acquired through medical imaging methods (e.g. US, CT, MRI, etc.) may be used to reconstruct virtual models of targeted systems. Non-invasive measures of the physiological function can then inform numerical simulations to predict the behavior of biological systems over time, with the goal of estimating the progression towards pathological endpoints or to test the efficacy of targeted surgical procedures and pharmaceutical treatments (e.g., drug delivery). See  Associated Faculty

Experiential Learning

Northeastern combines rigorous academics with experiential learning and research to prepare students for real world engineering challenges. Co-op and internships are available. The Cooperative Education Program , also known as a “co-op,” is one of the largest and most innovative in the world, and Northeastern is one of only a few that offers a co-op program for graduate students. Through this program students gain industry experience in a wide variety of organizations, from large companies to entrepreneurial start-ups, while helping to finance their education. In addition to co-op, students can participate in the university’s Experiential PhD program . Northeastern is located in the nation’s biotech and academic hub and among the most renowned hospitals in the world.

Academic Advising

The Academic Advisors in the Graduate Student Services office can help answer many of your questions and assist with various concerns regarding your program and student record. Use the link below to also determine which questions can be answered by your Faculty Program Advisors and OGS Advisors.

• Graduate Student Services

Admissions & Aid

Ready to take the next step? Review degree requirements to see courses needed to complete this degree. Then, explore ways to fund your education. Finally, review admissions information to see our deadlines and gather the materials you need to Apply.

Student News

Using Machine Learning to Revolutionize Drug Discovery

Xuezhu Cai, PhD’20, bioengineering, used her LEADERs fellowship with Merck to develop a new machine learning pipeline to ensure accurate data in drug discovery. She is now a senior scientist there.

COE Research Expo Displays Promising Work of PhD Students

The College of Engineering held a research expo to highlight the work of PhD students. Participants presented their research to a panel of judges and gained critical presentation and communication skills. They also displayed their research during the poster showcase and students were recognized with awards.

Bajpayee’s Lab Research Featured on Cover of Biomaterials Science

Research conducted in BioE Associate Professor Ambika Bajpayee’s Molecular Bioelectrostatics and Drug Delivery Lab that focuses on oral delivery of gene therapeutics was featured on the front cover of Biomaterials Science. Students conducting the research are Chenzhen Zhang, PhD’23, and Hengli Zhang, PhD’25.

BioE PhD Student Receives 2024 AHA Predoctoral Fellowship

BioE PhD candidate Ana Vargas, who works in the labs of both MIE Associate Professor Rouzbeh Amini and BioE Associate Professor Chiara Bellini, was selected by the American Heart Association to receive a Predoctoral Fellowship for her project “Pregnancy Induced Mechanobiological Remodeling in Maternal Vasculature in Health and Disease.”

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PhD in Cybersecurity

A research-based, interdisciplinary Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in  Cybersecurity  combines a strong security technical foundation with a security policy and social sciences perspective.   It seeks to prepare graduates to advance the state of the art of security in systems networks and the internet in industry, academia, and government.   The interdisciplinary nature of the program distinguishes it from traditional doctoral degree programs in computer science, engineering, or social sciences and makes it unique in the Boston area.

Innovative Curriculum - Cybersecurity PhD

Students who choose the PhD in  Cybersecurity  program have a strong desire to purse academic research solving critical cybersecurity challenges facing today’s society.   The PhD program is a natural path for students in the  Master of Science in Cybersecurity program who want to pursue research and students with bachelor’s degrees and an interest in research-focused careers.   Students who pursue careers in advancing the state of the art of cybersecurity have an opportunity to gain:

• A strong technical foundation in cybersecurity and an interdisciplinary perspective based on policy and social science
• A path to a research-focused career coupled with depth in information assurance research at a leading institution, one of the earliest designees by NSA/DHS as a   National Center of Academic Excellence   in Information Assurance Research, Information Assurance/Cyber Defense, and Cyber Operations
• The opportunity to work with and learn from faculty who are recognized internationally for their expertise and contributions in information assurance from Northeastern’s  Khoury College of Computer Sciences , the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and the College of Social Sciences and Humanities
• The   Institute of Information Assurance (IIA) , an interdisciplinary research center overseen by both the  Khoury  College of Computer  Sciences  and the department of Electrical and Computer Engineering in the College of Engineering and the recipient of a National Science Foundation grant to train the country’s next generation of cybercorps
• The   International Secure Systems Lab , affiliated with Northeastern, a collaborative effort of European and U.S. researchers focused on web security, malware and vulnerability analysis, intrusion detection, and other computer security issues
• The   ALERT Center , where Northeastern is the lead institution, a multiuniversity Department of Homeland Security Center of Excellence involved in research, education, and technology related to threats from explosives
• Learn more.

Experiential Learning

Northeastern combines rigorous academics with experiential learning and research to prepare students for real-world engineering challenges. The Cooperative Education Program , also known as a “co-op,” is one of the largest and most innovative in the world, and Northeastern is one of only a few that offers a Co-op Program for Graduate Students. Through this program students gain industry experience in a wide variety of organizations, from large companies to entrepreneurial start-ups, while helping to finance their education. Students also have the option to participate in the university’s Experiential PhD program .

Academic Advising

The Academic Advisors in the Graduate Student Services office can help answer many of your questions and assist with various concerns regarding your program and student record. Use the link below to also determine which questions can be answered by your Faculty Program Advisors and OGS Advisors.

• Graduate Student Services

Admissions & Aid

Ready to take the next step? Review degree requirements to see courses needed to complete this degree. Then, explore ways to fund your education. Finally, review admissions information to see our deadlines and gather the materials you need to Apply.

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Postdoctoral Fellowship in Translational Medicine

The PhRMA Foundation’s Postdoctoral Fellowship in Translational Medicine supports individuals (U.S. and non-U.S. citizens) engaged in a multidisciplinary, collaborative research training program at an accredited U.S. university that will extend their credentials in translational medicine.

Letter of Intent Deadline: May 1, 2024, at 12:00 p.m. (noon) ET

Applications will be accepted for a minimum of one year and a maximum of two years of stipend support.

$60,000 per year, up to two years

• Applicants (U.S. and non-U.S. citizens) must currently be in a PhD and/or MS degree-granting accredited U.S. university.
• Applicants must have a firm commitment from a research supervisor or sponsor at their university.
• Applicants must hold a PhD, PharmD, MD, or  appropriate terminal  research doctorate. If you do not hold one at the time of application submission, please  state  in your extended letter when you expect to receive it, as it must be received before funding can begin. Funding can begin as early as January 1,  2025 , or as late as August 1,  2025 .   
• You are not eligible if your doctoral degree was granted before January 1, 2022.
• Applicants who have taken leave from their career (e.g., parenting of a child, childbirth, long-term care of a parent/spouse/child/dependent, personal health issues) that puts them outside of the eligibility time frame can reach out to PhRMA Foundation staff ahead of their LOI submission to determine their eligibility. The Foundation aims to be flexible and adjust these time frames if appropriate.
• Applicants who are applying for funds to support postdoctoral work in the laboratory where their graduate work was performed will be given lower preference. One of the objectives of this fellowship is to gain new skills and therefore an ideal candidate will be conducting their research in a new laboratory and not where their graduate work was performed.
• Only one postdoctoral applicant per lab may apply for this award. If multiple applicants apply, they will automatically be ineligible. Potential applicants and their mentors and/or lab managers should decide who should apply.
• The Foundation will not consider multiple applications for similar efforts on the same project. For instance, if a predoc, postdoc, and faculty member from the same lab are all submitting applications for proposed efforts on the same project, the efforts must be separate activities and not duplicative.

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CWRU, UC, OSU, Ursuline named in top 50 graduate school program rankings by U.S. News & World Report

• Updated: Apr. 10, 2024, 11:01 a.m. |
• Published: Apr. 09, 2024, 2:22 p.m.

Ohio State University ranked the highest for business, education and law graduate schools in Ohio. (Associated Press file photo) AP

• Zachary Smith, cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Multiple Ohio universities landed in the top 50 rankings for best graduate programs in various fields, according to the new 2024-2025 U.S. News and World Report Best Graduate Programs Rankings released Tuesday.

Ohio State University was the big winner in Ohio, tying for the No. 4 best overall nursing school in the country with the University of Pennsylvania and Vanderbilt University in Tennessee. It improved four sports from the previous year.

In addition, OSU ranked No. 21 for the overall graduate education program, No. 26 for the overall graduate law program, and No. 30 for the overall graduate business program, which is the top Ohio school in each category.

The only other Ohio schools to be in the top 50 rankings in one of the four categories were Case Western Reserve University (No. 17 in Nursing), the University of Cincinnati (No. 41 in Nursing), and Ursuline College (No. 41 in Nursing).

For last year’s rankings (2023-2024), visit this link .

Specializations within graduate programs

Several Ohio State graduate programs also ranked among the top 10 programs in the country in specialized categories.

For full-time MBA programs, Ohio State ranked sixth in supply chain management, eighth in production operations and ninth in accounting. John Carroll University tied for No. 14 in international business.

OSU also tied for No. 10 for part-time MBA programs in the country.

In education, OSU ranked sixth in educational administration and supervision, seventh in curriculum and instruction, seventh in student counseling, eighth in elementary teacher education, eighth in secondary teacher education, ninth in education psychology and ninth in higher education administration programs.

For law programs, OSU ranked No. 1 for dispute resolution. Case Western Reserve University ranked No. 13 in international law.

For nursing, OSU ranked second in adult primary care nurse practitioner, second in family nurse practitioner, fourth in leadership, sixth in family nurse practitioner, fifth in adult gerontology acute care, and sixth in psychiatric nurse practitioner.

CWRU ranked fourth in adult primary care nurse practitioners.

Change in methodology

For business programs, Best Business Schools ranking of full-time MBA programs placed more emphasis on earnings through a new ranking factor that assessed how each school’s post-graduate salaries across different professions compared with other schools’ post-graduate salaries in those professions.

U.S. News published updated rankings of graduate programs in audiology, occupational therapy, physical therapy, pharmacy, nurse-midwifery, and speech-language pathology for the first time since 2020. Social work was ranked for the first time since 2022, and nurse anesthesia was ranked for the first time since 2016. These rankings are all based solely on reputational data.

Rankings for medical schools and engineering schools will be released at a later date.

View the chart below for the complete overall graduate school program rankings list. Lower-ranked schools are grouped together. Some mobile users may need to use this link .

A previous version of this story misstated that OSU was No. 4 in Business.

Zachary Smith is the data reporter for cleveland.com . You can reach him at [email protected] .

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With US college-age population falling, luring more international students could help schools survive

More than half of the 66,000 foreign college students in massachusetts came from just two countries, india and china. recruiting more students from more countries may help schools cope with the expected decline in us-born students..

Bunker Hill Community College enrollment has dropped precipitously over the past decade, from more than 8,900 students in fiscal 2014 to about 5,400 in fiscal 2023. New England is experiencing outmigration, fewer students are graduating from Massachusetts high schools, and COVID-19 drove many low-income students — who might otherwise have enrolled at Bunker Hill — into the job market.

“When you ask what’s the traditional college student, the answers you get are the people we no longer have: the 18- to 22-year-old with two parents, a white picket fence, and dogs,” Bunker Hill president Pam Eddinger said.

That’s where students like Gabriele Deliperi come in. A 26-year-old music producer from Italy, Deliperi already earned his bachelor’s degree back home. But his dream is to produce music for Hollywood, so he wanted to sharpen his skills in the United States. He said he was attracted to Boston because it has public transportation and “European vibes.” He said Bunker Hill Community College offers him the opportunity to study music at a price that is far more affordable than private colleges. Now in his second semester, he hopes to transfer to Berklee College of Music after getting his associate’s degree.

As colleges in Massachusetts face the so-called “demographic cliff,” many schools will need to expand into new markets to survive. This could mean looking to growing communities, like adult new immigrants, or expanding to new domestic markets or nontraditional students. It will almost certainly include attracting students from other countries, whether immigrants or international students.

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Of course, some schools already do cater to foreign students. There were around 1 million international higher ed students studying in the United States last year, according to Open Doors, which tracks international student data. Education analysts at HolonIQ , which maps international student flows, predict that by 2030, there will be more than 1.2 million international students here, with close to 60 percent of them coming from China or India.

International students have for years served a vital role for certain colleges, often elite, selective schools. Since international students generally pay full tuition, they can financially subsidize aid for domestic students. Massachusetts ranks fourth among all states in the number of international students it hosts, around 66,200 in 2021, according to Open Doors. More than half those students came from China or India, and more than 26,000 attended either Northeastern University or Boston University.

The question of which students to recruit and prioritize raises a host of questions about finances, education, and institutional character, and practical questions about how to serve a nontraditional student population. These are questions colleges must wrestle with.

The gold standard for attracting international students in Massachusetts is Northeastern, which ranks second after New York University for the US school with the most international students, according to Open Doors. Northeastern has more than 20,000 international students between its undergraduate, graduate, and work-related programs . Northeastern president Joseph Aoun said the school made a decision in 2007 to “globalize” the university to give students opportunities “to understand the world and be active and engaged in the world.”

For Northeastern, it is not about increasing enrollment — the school accepts just 6 percent of applicants — but an educational philosophy. “You want domestic students to be at ease whether in Mumbai or Paris or Jakarta,” Aoun said. And Aoun acknowledges that higher education has long used full-paying international students to subsidize aid for domestic students.

Open Doors maintains a separate list of 40 leading associate’s degree programs ranked by number of international students. Bunker Hill Community College is the only Massachusetts school to make that list, with around 550 international students in 2022-2023. Donna Casula, director of the college’s International Center, said Bunker Hill has students from more than 90 countries. Many are drawn to specific programs and are seeking an affordable path toward a bachelor’s degree. About 10 percent of international students will transfer to Northeastern, with others studying at other four-year schools, Casula said.

However, attracting large numbers of international students may not be right, or feasible, for all schools. Students learn about Northeastern or Boston University through word of mouth, while other schools lack that reputation. Boston schools have an advantage because international students have a local community of other expats. A nationally ranked school like the University of Massachusetts Amherst may have more power to draw international students than a lower-ranked regional school. Some wealthier schools — like Harvard and MIT — can offer international students financial aid.

The decision to rely on wealthy international students can draw criticism from those who believe American students should get priority for admittance since they will likely contribute to the US workforce.

UMass Amherst has more than 4,000 international students, putting it in the top five Massachusetts universities for international students. At a Board of Higher Education subcommittee meeting, Massachusetts Teachers Association President Max Page, a UMass Amherst professor, appeared to criticize this strategy, complaining to state officials that public underfunding leads to a situation where UMass must “attract wealthier out-of-state students.”

In an interview, UMass president Marty Meehan said given the impending demographic problems colleges face, the reality is that “universities will have to draw students from everywhere.”

And that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Kevin Shih, an assistant professor of economics at Queens College who has studied international students, said at some smaller colleges, international students may displace domestic students. But at larger schools, having more full-pay international students provides the resources to admit more domestic students with aid. “In some cases where they pay much more than the average cost of educating students, [international students] can actually create seats for domestic students,” Shih said.

There are also strategies to address concerns that international students — who are more likely to major in STEM fields — will leave after graduation.

In her fiscal 2025 budget proposal, Governor Maura Healey is seeking to start an “Entrepreneur-In-Residence Program,” where the state would partner with schools and industry to offer tailored services that help immigrant students navigate the federal visa system and find ways to stay in Massachusetts after graduation. The Healey administration says Massachusetts retains just 66 percent of international graduates, compared to 85 percent in top-performing areas of the United States, and about 7,000 international graduates leave the state each year.

Programs like this could help harness the talents of international students like Erxhela Cabiri, a 35-year-old from Albania who’s studying at Bunker Hill Community College. Cabiri’s parents are US citizens living in Braintree, and her sister lives in Boston. Cabiri saw an ad for Bunker Hill Community College on the MBTA while visiting her family. She has a law degree and was working in technology for a telecommunications company in Albania. But she wanted more formal training in technology and wanted to be closer to family. After determining that Bunker Hill had a strong support system for international students, she moved with her husband and two young children to Boston and enrolled to study web development. Cabiri said she is potentially interested in moving to the United States if she can get a visa and find a job.

Schools that can identify the right markets to recruit from and tailor programs to meet those students’ needs will not only help their own bottom line but could also play an important role in recruiting new young people to study — and eventually live and work — in Massachusetts.

Next week: Some colleges won’t survive falling enrollment. What happens to them?

Editorials represent the views of the Boston Globe Editorial Board. Follow us @GlobeOpinion .

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Report says Band-Aids contain PFAS, the ‘forever chemicals.’ Many small exposures can add up to a big exposure, environmental expert warns

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The EPA established national limits for PFAS in drinking water on Wednesday, but PFAS can also been found in bandages, cosmetics, deodorants, toilet paper and menstrual products, Northeastern professor Phil Brown says.

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Adhesive bandages, or Band-Aids as they are generally called after the brand produced by Johnson & Johnson, have been keeping our cuts, scrapes or blisters protected from bacteria, damage and dirt for more than a century.

But a new consumer report , commissioned by Mamavation , an online parenting community and website, has found they may not be as helpful as once thought. In fact, they might actually be harmful to our health.

Partnering with Environmental Health News , the consumer watchdog sent 40 bandages of different brands to a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency-certified lab. The lab found that 65% of the bandages contained detectable levels of synthetic “forever chemicals,” or PFAS.

Such consumer reports raise awareness that many personal care products might contain these chemicals and incentivize policymakers to come up with regulations, says Phil Brown , a Northeastern distinguished professor of sociology and health science, and director of the university’s Social Science Environmental Health Research Institute.

Bandages, Brown says, just like menstrual products, can be used on very sensitive areas of the body where PFAS can easily be absorbed.

“You’re usually putting them on an open wound. That’s what they’re for,” he says.

It may be a small area overall, Brown says, and maybe that scrape closes up in two or three days, but some people use plastic bandages a lot.

“Even if you think this is a small exposure, you add up a lot of small exposures, [and] you have a big exposure,” he says.

The Environmental Protection Agency established national limits for six types of PFAS in drinking water on Wednesday, but PFAS have been found in cosmetics, deodorants, toilet paper and menstrual products, he says. 

“People are getting a lot of different exposures from their everyday personal care products,” Brown says.

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Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances — known as PFAS — are a group of over 12,000 synthetic organic chemicals used to make plastics more flexible and harder to break as well as coatings and products that resist heat, oil, stains, grease and water. According to a recent article in Environmental Science and Technology, co-authored by Brown, these chemicals raise serious concerns among scientists because of their persistent use, toxicity, potential to accumulate in living organisms, mobility and even global warming potential.  

PFAS have been linked to cancers, reproduction and developmental issues, liver and thyroid disease, and altered immune function. For decades, Brown says, people have been attributing the rise in cancers, as well as diabetes and many immune-related diseases to these endocrine-disrupting chemicals.

Brown says that the report was reviewed by highly respected experts in the environmental health field such as Linda Birnbaum, a scientist emeritus and former director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and National Toxicology Program.

Mamavation’s report was not able to separate the adhesive from the bandage in the lab, but found that the flaps had PFAS indicators present. PFAS were also found inside the absorbent pads.

Some companies, such as CVS, Brown says, might be buying whole bandages or parts of them from third-party vendors to sell under their own brand. They can claim that they don’t know about the use of PFAS in the final product, but those manufacturing them must know about the chemicals, he says.

“I think personally it’s every company’s responsibility to know what’s in the product,” Brown says. “And certainly once they hear that Band-Aids have PFAS, that even if they don’t make their own Band-Aids, they should be tracking down the supply chain.” 

Currently, there are no federal regulations, Brown says, that require manufacturers to be transparent about PFAS in their products. 

Maine lawmakers passed a first-in-the-nation bill two years ago to ban PFAS in all products sold in the state by 2030. In Massachusetts, Brown says, the environmental group the Alliance for Healthy Tomorrow has made its case for similar regulations.

“Once companies have to notify people, they will be much more on the alert,” he says.

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