The Professional Science Master's degree (abbreviated as PSM or P.S.M.) is an interdisciplinary

master's degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice.

program which integrates advanced technical training with business and professional leadership skills. In contrast to traditional research-based

Master of Science A Master of Science ( la, Magisterii Scientiae; abbreviated MS, M.S., MSc, M.Sc., SM, S.M., ScM or Sc.M.) is a master's degree in the field of science awarded by universities in many countries or a person holding such a degree. In contrast to ...

Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Tho ...

degrees, the Professional Science Master's degree is usually offered by a degree-granting

university A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...

in partnership with an industry partner in specific emerging fields such as

forensic science Forensic science, also known as criminalistics, is the application of science to criminal and civil laws, mainly—on the criminal side—during criminal investigation, as governed by the legal standards of admissible evidence and criminal ...

computational chemistry Computational chemistry is a branch of chemistry that uses computer simulation to assist in solving chemical problems. It uses methods of theoretical chemistry, incorporated into computer programs, to calculate the structures and properties of m ...

applied mathematics Applied mathematics is the application of mathematical methods by different fields such as physics, engineering, medicine, biology, finance, business, computer science, and industry. Thus, applied mathematics is a combination of mathematical s ...

bioinformatics Bioinformatics () is an interdisciplinary field that develops methods and software tools for understanding biological data, in particular when the data sets are large and complex. As an interdisciplinary field of science, bioinformatics combi ...

, and

data science Data science is an interdisciplinary field that uses scientific methods, processes, algorithms and systems to extract or extrapolate knowledge and insights from noisy, structured and unstructured data, and apply knowledge from data across a br ...

. Because of this industry partnership, PSM degree holders have high level of

employability Employability refers to the attributes of a person that make that person able to gain and maintain employment. Overview Employability is related to work and the ability to be employed, such as: *The ability to gain initial employment; hence the ...

after graduation. PSM programs can be completed in sixteen months to two years of full-time or part-time study including a professional

internship An internship is a period of work experience offered by an organization for a limited period of time. Once confined to medical graduates, internship is used practice for a wide range of placements in businesses, non-profit organizations and gover ...

or a capstone project.

History

Recognizing that traditional graduate-level science training may not be suitable for non-academic careers, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, in 1997, began to support master's-level degree programs designed to provide science, technology, engineering, and mathematics ("STEM") students with a pathway into science-based careers.Alfred P. Sloan Foundation

loan In finance, a loan is the lending of money by one or more individuals, organizations, or other entities to other individuals, organizations, etc. The recipient (i.e., the borrower) incurs a debt and is usually liable to pay interest on that d ...

2008 These Professional Science Master's degrees combine a science or mathematics curriculum with a professional component designed to provide graduates with the necessary skills for a career in business, government, or nonprofit agencies. Originally funding fourteen campuses, the Sloan Foundation expanded its support directly or indirectly to over fifty institutions, collectively offering over 100 different PSM programs. As of 2017, there are 356 PSM programs at over 165 institutions. In 2005, the Foundation funded the Council of Graduate Schools to be an “institutional base for PSM growth, with the goal of making the degree a normal, recognized, widely accepted academic offering”. In furtherance of this objective, the Sloan Foundation also provided support to found the National Professional Science Master's Association, a professional organization of PSM directors and alumni intended to “provide a collective voice for PSM degree programs”. In 2007, Congress passed the

America COMPETES Act The America Creating Opportunities to Meaningfully Promote Excellence in Technology, Education, and Science Act of 2007, or America COMPETES Act,

which placed special emphasis on improving America's economic competitiveness by strengthening STEM education. The COMPETES Act specifically mentioned the importance of the PSM degree to the nation's overall competitiveness.CGS, 2007 Additionally, a 2008 report issued by the

National Research Council National Research Council may refer to: * National Research Council (Canada), sponsoring research and development * National Research Council (Italy), scientific and technological research, Rome * National Research Council (United States), part of ...

of the National Academies urged the continued expansion of the PSM degree. In 2009, the

National Science Foundation The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent agency of the United States government that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. Its medical counterpart is the National I ...

, under the auspices of the

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

, facilitated funding of twenty-two different PSM programs by appropriating funds for a Science Master's program.

Philippines

References

Bibliography

* Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. (2008). Science Education: Professional Science Master's Degree. Retrieved August 3, 2010, from http://www.sloan.org/program/15 . * ______________________. (2008). Professional Science Master's Degree: History. Retrieved August 3, 2010, from http://www.sloan.org/program/15/page/67 . * Committee on Enhancing the Master's Degree in Natural Sciences. (2008). Science Professionals: Master's Education for a Competitive World. Washington, D.C.: National Research Council of the National Academies. Retrieved August 3, 2010, from http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12064 . * Council of Graduate Schools. (2007). Statement on the America COMPETES Act. Retrieved August 3, 2010,from http://www.cgsnet.org/portals/0/pdf/GR_AmericaCOMPETES_0307.pdf . * National Science Foundation. (2009). Program Solicitation: Science Master's Program. Retrieved August 3, 2010, from https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2009/nsf09607/nsf09607.htm . * National Professional Science Master's Association. (2010). About Us. Retrieved August 3, 2010, from http://www.npsma.org/mc/page.do?sitePageId=101812&orgId=npsma . * Simms, Leslie. (2006). Professional Master's Education: A CGS Guide to Establishing Programs. Washington, D.C.: Council of Graduate Schools.

External links

National Professional Science Master’s Association

Science Masters

National Association of System Heads PSM Project
{{DEFAULTSORT:Professional Science Master's (Psm) Degree Programs Higher education in the United States Business qualifications Professional titles and certifications

History

Philippines

See also

References

Bibliography

External links