The Professional Science Master’s – the Future?

Where Are We and Where Are We Going?

PSM Deans and Directors meeting at NAGS2 April 2009

Carol B. LynchSenior Scholar in Residence and

Project Director, Professional Master’s ProgramsCouncil of Graduate Schools

A new kind of degree that: Prepares graduates for work—outside academia

—involved in active science. Combines technical competencies with

workforce skills, e.g. management, policy, communications, law – “Science Plus.”

Leads to a wider variety of career options than provided by traditional graduate programs – jobs in business, government, non-profit (“BGN”) sectors.

Professional Science Master’s (PSM) - What is it?

What else is it? Technical Leadership Development

Technical depth and leadership skills are hard to find in one person, but essential in many employment areas (director/manager in technical and financial fields).

PSMs produce technically knowledgeable leaders.

Needs for such people increase with complexity. This is vital for US global competitiveness.

“The winners in the 21st century economy will be those enterprises and individuals who can fuse invention and insight into innovations that bring new value to the world.  Graduates who have gained knowledge of technology, business and the cultural sensitivities of working in a globally integrated world are those most likely to thrive.” -  Nicholas M. Donofrio Executive Vice President, Innovation and Technology

IBM Corporation

Workforce Projections

Globalizing, off-shoring, rapid change. Many expect demand for graduate skills. Ramp-ups in competition: China, India. Needed: more flexibility, nimbleness in

graduate science education.

PSM - A Brief History 1997 - Sloan Foundation initiative for research

universities. Resulted in about 60 new programs/tracks.

1997 - Keck Foundation initiative – $50M grant to start the Keck Graduate Institute. Offers “Master of Bioscience” degree in 5 specialty areas in (coincidentally) PSM model.

2000 – Sloan funds “single-track” PSMs in bioinformatics. Resulted in 16 new programs.

History - continued 2002 – Sloan/CGS partnership for “master’s-

focused” institutions. Two-part feasibility and implementation awards resulted in about 30 new PSM programs/tracks.

2005 (and continuing) Sloan “scale-up and sustainability” initiative targeting system-level adoptions of PSM (notably U. North Carolina and California State U; now SUNY and others.)

2006 “institutionalization” initiative – CGS, NPSMA

How many? >120 PSMs, >60 institutions, >20 states

Math – Financial, Industrial, Computational Sciences, Statistics for Entrepreneurship, or for Environmental Decision Making

Physics – with Business Applications, Physics of Modeling, Industrial Physics, for Entrepreneurship

Biological Sciences – Bioinformatics, Biotechnology, Applied BioSciences

Computational Biology, Computational Chemistry Forensics Bioanalytical Chemistry, Biomolecular Chemistry Geographical Information Systems

PSM Participation by Minority-Serving Institutions

One HBCU (Southern U.) Four HSIs (California State University –

Fresno, California State University – Stanislaus, The University of Texas at El Paso, The University of Texas at San Antonio)

Initiation of PSM Programs

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10

20

30

40

50

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70

1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009-2010

Number ofPrograms

New PSM Initiatives – Systems and States

SUNY – 23 PSM programs under development on 8 campuses (plus 3 in existence from first Sloan grants).

Cal. State System – 11 new programs under development in addition to 6 in existence from CGS/Sloan master’s focused grants.

New PSM - Systems (cont.)

North Carolina – Currently, 5 campuses have 6 PSM programs, 3 more ready to affiliate, and more coming.

University of North Texas – 3 PSM programs were developed at the flagship campus at Denton.

Planned Massachusetts – Four of the five campuses in

the UMass system, Boston, Dartmouth, Lowell and Amherst are moving forward with PSMs.

New Initiatives (cont.)

NGA PSM Policy Academy – initiatives in 5 states (OR, NM, AZ, VA, PA).

Florida state-wide meeting on PSM as part of regional economic development.

Mid-Atlantic HBCU PSM Alliance formed to collaboratively develop PSMs.

PSM in Federal Legislation

America COMPETES Act: Contained authorization for a PSM

clearinghouse and grants program at the National Science Foundation.

Signed into law in August 2007. Funding up to $15 million authorized. Funding placed into stimulus package.

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

Text of the legislation is currently available on the House Rules Committee website at www.rules.house.gov/bills_details.aspx?NewsID=4149. The NSF PSM language can be found in the Joint Explanatory Statement Division A. It simply states:

EDUCATION AND HUMAN RESOURCESThe conference agreement includes $100,000,000 for education and human resources, to remain available until September 30, 2010. These funds shall be allocated as follows:- Robert Noyce Scholarship Program. $60,000,000- Math and Science Partnerships. $25,000,000- Professional Science Master's Programs. $15,000,000

National Research Council Report Supports PSM

NRC report recommends “concerted action to accelerate the development nationally of PSM education” including:

Expand beyond the NSF to other federal science agencies.

Encourage states to endorse PSMs. Philanthropic institutions should continue to play

role in creating and sustaining PSMs.

National Research Council Report Supports PSM (con’t)

Professional and industry associations should include PSMs in their higher education strategies.

Higher education should support development of PSMs and seek employer partners.

Employers should partner with higher ed institutions to create and sustain PSM programs.

PSM - Goals PSM is a regular feature of graduate

education At least 200 PSM programs in 100

institutions and growing Doubling the annual enrollment to about

5000 and growing Higher proportions of URMs and women

than in traditional natural science master’s degree programs

PSM – Goals (continued) Continued growth in system-wide, state-wide

and campus-wide adoption More industry support, i.e. internship sites, hiring

of graduates, funding of program development and student support monies

Federal support – • Full funding of America Competes Act at NSF• Funding from other agencies, Homeland Security,

Department of Education, DoD, DoE

PSM – Goals (continued)

Systematic tracking of graduate outcomes Wide recognition of the PSM degree brand Continued partnerships and collaborations

among CGS, NGA, NPSMA, and NCSL Larger and more diverse participation in

the Sixth PSM biennial meeting – November 2009

For further information: Contact the CGS PSM Project Staff

Carol B. Lynch, Senior Scholar in Residence and Project Director(clynch@cgs.nche.edu)

Eleanor Babco, Senior Consultant and Co-Project Director(ebabco@cgs.nche.edu)

Nancy Vincent, Program Manager(nvincent@cgs.nche.edu)

Josh Mahler, Program Assistant(jmahler@cgs.nche.edu)

www.cgsnet.org and www.sciencemasters.com