In the News

UCO’s Department of Engineering and Physics Receives Elevated Status

UCO’s Department of Engineering and Physics has elevated its designation to the School of Engineering, reflecting the school’s overall growth, quality and broad range of STEM-focused programs. The school is home to four accredited engineering programs including biomedical engineering, electrical engineering, engineering physics and mechanical engineering.

UCO Aiming to Reduce Food Waste Through Broncho Bites Food Recover Program

UCO launched Broncho Bites, an on-campus food recovery program that reduces food waste and provides meals to the Central community. Food left over from Ayers Kitchen, Central’s main dining facility, will be repackaged, in compostable packaging, and rerouted to the Broncho Bites refrigerator. Any unclaimed meals will be taken to a compost bin, with plans to install an on-campus commercial composter in the coming year. Broncho Bites is funded through a $32,000 grant received from the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality.

Grant to Support STEM Students Becoming Teachers

UCO College of Mathematics and Science faculty were recently awarded a six-year grant totaling $1,187,961 from the National Science Foundation — Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program. The program provides funding to higher education institutions to offer scholarships and support that will recruit and prepare science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) undergraduate majors and professionals to become K-12 teachers.

UCO Earns Highest Ever Ranking in U.S. News & World Report’s List

UCO earned its highest ranking on the 2022-23 Best Colleges list from U.S. News & World Report, since originally being ranked in 2011. Central moved up 11 spots from the prior year to claim No. 60 in the “Regional Universities West” category, which includes both public and private institutions. This marks Central’s best ranking ever on that list. UCO also ranked No. 29 in the “Top Public Schools: Regional Universities – West” category, the highest-ranked public Oklahoma university on the list—up from No. 34 last year. Additionally, the university ranked No. 86 in the “Top Performers in Social Mobility: Regional Universities – West” category.

UCO Receives Historic Grant Approval From U.S. Department of Education

UCO received eight grants, totaling more than $8 million, from the U.S. Department of Education to continue funding for its federal TRIO programs. The recent grant award, combined with past year project renewals, allows Central to continue to host all eight TRIO programs fully funded and operating at the same time, an unheard-of recognition in the field of higher education and the second time in Central history.

UCO Ranked Among Top Universities Worldwide in 2023

UCO ranked as a top institution worldwide according to the recent 2023 Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings, the world’s leading provider of services, analytics and insight to the global higher education sector. UCO was included on the list for the first time in the university’s history and is one of three institutions in Oklahoma on the list. Only 25 new entrants from the U.S. made the list, including Central.

UCO Rises 23 Spots on Newsweek’s List of America’s Top Online Colleges

UCO ranks as a top institution in the nation for providing quality, accredited online degree programs through its Connected Campus for the second consecutive year on Newsweek’s 2023 America’s Top Online Colleges list. Central moved up 23 spots from the prior year to claim No. 122 and is a top-ranked institution in the state, one of only two Oklahoma institutions on the list and the only four-year Oklahoma institution to be ranked.

UCO to Offer Education Specialist Postgraduate Degree

An education specialist (Ed.S.) degree in school psychology is now offered through the UCO school psychology graduate program. Launched in fall 2022, this is the first postgraduate degree offered at Central that has a higher designation than a master’s degree. An Ed.S. is a postgraduate degree unique to the field of education, which will provide knowledge and theory past a master’s degree level.