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Report on the Professional Science Master s National Initiative

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Report on the Professional Science Master s National Initiative

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    1. Report on the Professional Science Masters National Initiative NPSMA National Conference 19 November 2010 Carol B. Lynch Senior Scholar in Residence and Director, Professional Masters Programs Council of Graduate Schools

    2. Growth In PSM Programs

    6. PSM Expansion Initiatives Systems and States North Carolina Currently, 4 campuses have 14 PSM programs, with additional in the planning stages (received NSF SMP award). Cal. State System 22 programs (6 from previous CGS/Sloan masters focused initiative) with more under development (received NSF SMP awards).

    7. PSM Expansion Initiatives SUNY 10 PSM programs on 6 campuses (3 in existence from first Sloan grants), with 23 planned; 16 campuses involved (received SMP award). Florida - 11 PSM programs; planning 18 additional programs as part of regional economic development.

    8. PSM Expansion Initiatives University of Massachusetts 14 PSMs many collaborative on four of the five campuses in the UMass system, Boston, Dartmouth, Lowell and Amherst more being planned. University of Illinois 3 PSM programs at Urbana-Champaign with more planned.

    9. PSM Expansion Initiatives Rutgers, the State U. of New Jersey 6 PSM programs with 8 under development (received NSF SMP award). University of North Texas 3 PSM programs were developed at the flagship campus at Denton.

    10. HBCU Mid-Atlantic PSM Alliance 9 Charter Members: Bowie State, Delaware State, Howard, Morgan State, Norfolk State, U. District of Columbia, U. MD Eastern Shore, Virginia State, American U. (associate member). UDC has 2 new PSM programs. UMES received NSF SMP award. 14 PSMs planned (American has 3).

    11. Expansion Initiatives (planned) NGA PSM Policy Academy resulted in initiatives in various stages in 5 states: NM, AZ, VA, PA, OR. (UNM received NSF SMP award). PA State System of Higher Education planning 8 programs on 6 campuses.

    12. Expansion Initiatives (planned) City University of New York planning 16 programs on 6 campuses. Washington State University has 1 PSM program, planning 3 more for a total of all 4 campuses. Minnesota State Colleges

    13. CGS/NSF Workshop on the Role and Status of the Masters Degree in STEM

    14. Tony Carnevale, labor economist Highest projected job growth (through 2018) will be in STEM fields. 25% of STEM jobs will require a graduate degree. Masters level jobs will increase at 17% - out-pacing the overall economy. Greatest number of jobs (dispersed across many industries) will be in the life sciences.

    15. The Roles of Masters Education in STEM 75% of graduate enrollment is at the Masters level. 60% of Masters enrollments are women. There is a trend towards increasing professionalization of Masters degrees. A clear functional distinction should be made between the role of a traditional research Masters and a professional Masters degree.

    16. Students with research masters degrees are more likely to complete PhD degrees (the degree helps the student to decide on a goal of a research career and gives PhD admissions relevant information). Professional Masters prepare students for careers and should be designed appropriately.

    17. Masters Completion Project Main Findings: Limited data exist on masters completion and attrition. Differing methodologies preclude meaningful comparisons. Little research on factors contributing to completion and attrition at the masters level. Reliable data collection is critical!

    18. Masters Completion Project New Project Completion and Attrition in STEM Masters Programs Sloan Foundation-funded 27-month project Builds on exploratory study

    19. Masters Completion Project Research questions: Typology, definitions and templates Completion and attrition rates Factors related to student success Promising practices to improve outcomes Larger project? Separate out PSM?

    20. Masters Completion Project Research tasks: Refine taxonomy and standardize definitions Determine study parameters Issue RFP to CGS members Collect completion and attrition data Conduct interviews and focus groups Administer surveys to students Use data to identify promising practices

    21. Prospects for Federal Support for PSM Programs and Students

    22. NSF SMP 22 awards made 9 biosciences, 4 environmental sciences, 2 disaster planning/climate science and solutions, 2 renewable energy, 2 software/wireless systems engineering, 1 regulatory affairs, 1 math modeling 2:1 research universities : masters level 2 HSIs, 1 HBC

    23. NSF Highest Priority Performance Goal Goal: Improve the education and training of an innovative Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) workforce through evidence-based approaches that includes collection and analysis of performance data, program evaluation and other research. Measure: By the end of FY 2011, at least six major National Science Foundation STEM workforce development programs at the graduate/postdoctoral level have evaluation and assessment systems providing findings leading to program re-design or consolidation for more strategic impact in developing STEM workforce problem solvers, entrepreneurs, or innovators.

    24. Other agencies with interest: Dept. of Education FIPSE had invitational priority for PSMs and has funded others as well. Dept. of Homeland Security working with CGS to interest DHS Centers of Excellence to develop PSMs. Dept. of Energy submitted request for PSM-type masters as part of RE-ENERGYZE. Dept. of Labor through regional agencies. NOAA interested in providing internships. Be creative in looking for funding sources!

    25. PSM Recognition Project - A Quality Control Initiative

    26. Goals Convene two representative stakeholder groups. Establish PSM Guidelines with broad consensus. Recommend a more formal process for sustainable quality control. Establish qualifications and an organizational structure to manage the process.

    27. Background Rapid increase in programs and expanding funding possibilities (good things) greatly increase workload. CGS PSM promotion project not resourced to handle the increased load. Increase in diversity of institutions applying and competition for funds increases complexity of process and the stakes involved in PSM affiliation.

    28. Current Process and Guidelines for a PSM Degree Total credits equivalent to a standard masters degree . Majority of program course work in graduate-level science and/or mathematics courses. Professional skills component developed in consultation with prospective employers. Professional skills are usually enhanced by internships and problem-based projects sponsored by employers. Employer advisory board engaged. Formal recognition currently granted by CGS (see application process on www.sciencemasters.com).

    29. Outcomes to date Stakeholder Group I - a broadly representative group included senior university administrators, PSM program directors, employers from the business and government sectors, professional society leaders, policymakers, representatives from CGS, the Sloan Foundation, and the NPSMA. Group I developed criteria for PSM recognition including a) core requirements in both technical courses and the professional skills (i.e. plus) courses, b) other essential components of PSM programs (e.g. the recruitment of employer advisory boards; internships or employer sponsored projects); and c) a commitment to annual reporting of enrollment and degree data and tracking the employment history of graduates.

    30. Stakeholder Group II, mainly representative of academicians with less representation from other sectors was charged to recommend a process and organizational structure that will insure the quality and recognition of the PSM into the future. Group II further revised the PSM Guidelines, incorporating information from the public comments. Group II also outlined a process and organizational structure for assessing PSM programs and a financial scenario to support the recommended process.

    31. Stakeholder II second meeting Further refined plan: journal review model with governing board of interested organizations (e.g. NPSMA, CGS, AAAS, disciplinary societies as appropriate). Recommended 5 and 10 year reviews. Depend on cadre of trained expert volunteer reviewers. Recommended characteristics of certifying organization: objectivity, legitimacy, infrastructure, ability to manage reviewers (recruitment, training, logistics).

    32. Costs and Further Work Bare bones maybe $200 K annually. Need to determine fee for review and possible annual maintenance fee. Need to discuss with potential hosts and consortium members. Possible in kind contributions would impact financial plan. Goal to hand off mid 2012.

    33. For more information: contact the CGS PSM Project Team Carol B. Lynch, Senior Scholar and Project Director (clynch@cgs.nche.edu) Sally Francis, Senior Scholar and Co-Project Director (sfrancis@cgs.nche.edu) Eleanor Babco, Senior Consultant (ebabco@cgs.nche.edu) Leontyne Goodwin, Program Manager (lgoodwin@cgs.nche.edu) Josh Mahler, Program and Operations Associate (jmahler@cgs.nche.edu) www.sciencemasters.com and www.cgsnet.org

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