Whether you're looking for state-of-the-art research facilities, stellar hospital affiliations for cardiology clinical rotations or joint degree programs, top schools like the three discussed here may be of interest. Read on for further information about these schools and the degree programs they offer. Schools offering Cardiovascular Sonography degrees can also be found in these popular choices. What Are Some Characteristics of the Best Cardiology Schools? Programs in this advanced medical specialty are typically strong if they are associated with teaching hospitals that are highly ranked for cardiology and heart surgery. You may also want to seek out medical schools that offer Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) through postdoctoral programs. The American Heart Association (AHA) and non-profits may offer useful information on specific schools (www.americanheart.org). You may also be interested in schools that receive significant cardiology funding. What Are Three of the Best Schools for Cardiology? Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, OH CWRU's School of Medicine (SM) is an affiliate of the Cleveland Clinic (CC), a hospital ranked first for cardiology by U.S. News & World Report in 2015. SM tied for 24th in research in U.S. News & World Report's2015 evaluation. CC hosts the Heart and Vascular Institute and the Women's Cardiovascular Center. SM supports the interdisciplinary Cardiovascular Research Institute. SM reports that it is one of three institutions in history to receive the highest evaluation by the accreditation authority for U.S. and Canadian medical schools, the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (www.lcme.org). Selected degrees include: Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) M.D./Master of Arts (M.A.) in Bioethics M.D./Master of Public Health (MPH) M.D./Master of Science (M.S.) in Applied Anatomy M.D./M.S. in Biomedical Engineering M.S. in Biomedical Investigation M.D./Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) Medical Scientist Training Program M.D./Ph.D. Clinical and Translational Scientist Training Program M.D./Ph.D. in Cell Biology Ph.D. in Pathology Harvard University in Cambridge, MA Harvard Medical School (HMS) was ranked first for research by U.S. News & World Report in 2015. HMS's 17 hospital and institutional affiliates include Massachusetts General Hospital with its Heart Center, and Brigham and Women's Hospital with the Carl J. and Ruth Shapiro Cardiovascular Center, respectively ranked fifth and forth for cardiology by U.S. News & World Report in 2015. Cardiovascular development and metabolic disease is a specific research area of HMS's Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology. These graduate programs may be the most relevant to aspiring cardiologists: M.D. M.D./Master of Business Administration M.D./MPH M.D./Master of Public Policy M.D./Ph.D. in Biological and Biomedical Sciences (BBS) Ph.D. in BBS University of California in Los Angeles The Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center was ranked twelth for cardiology in 2015, according to U.S. News & World Report. The university's David Geffen School of Medicine was ranked thirteenth for research and tied for seventh for primary care in U.S. News & World Report's 2015 rankings. UCLA's Clinical and Translational Science Institute's research cluster team projects include heart failure and atherosclerosis interventions. Some available graduate and post-M.D. programs are listed below: M.D. M.S. in Clinical Research M.D./MPH M.D./MBA M.D./Ph.D. Medical Scientist Training Program Ph.D. in Cell and Developmental Biology Source