Graduate STEM Education for the 21st Century (2018) / Chapter Skim
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4 The Master's Degree
4 The Master's Degree
Pages 91-104
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From page 91... ...
. While career prospects for holders of a master's degree vary by field, a master's program can help students develop research skills, expand on content knowledge, gain technical expertise in a program geared to industry, and for some students, provide an opportunity to explore the discipline in a deeper way either to become a more attractive candidate for a doctoral program or to test interest in a particular field.
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From page 92... ...
Sloan Foundation to establish the program in 1997 -- the foundation's funding ended in 20101 -- as well as more recent funding from the National Science Foundation, there are now 355 PSM programs offered by 165 U.S. institutions.2 The Council of Graduate Schools (CGS)
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From page 93... ...
While master's degree programs can also serve as test beds for innovation in graduate education, the efficacy of the programs requires additional evaluation, assessment, and research. With a shorter time to degree than the Ph.D., and because many students fund their own master's degree program, institutions may establish and adapt master's programs to respond to workforce demands, sometimes in partnership with industry, and to anticipate emerging interdisciplinary fields.
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From page 94... ...
. Of the three defining characteristics of master's degree programs, the section on competencies in the CGS framework describes four elements that should be common among master's degree programs: 1.
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From page 95... ...
• Students should provide feedback to graduate faculty and deans about how they could help students better develop these competencies. CAREER OUTCOMES OF STEM MASTER'S DEGREE HOLDERS As noted above, one of the challenges in understanding how the master's degree fits into the overall STEM career picture arises from the lack of current research and data on the STEM master's degrees.
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From page 96... ...
. Given the heavy mix of international students enrolled in STEM master's degree programs, the policies, political landscape, and economic environment in the United States can significantly affect the relationship between master's education and workforce opportunities for international students.
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From page 97... ...
Self-Employed, For-profit Unincorporated Nonprofit Federal State or Local Businesses Businesses Businesses Government Government 53.6 4.0 8.0 6.3 6.9 66.8 2.4 6.0 4.3 4.9 36.8 2.9 8.1 8.1 7.8 52.8 3.7 4.3 5.5 3.7 31.2 6.3 15.4 6.4 10.2 75.1 3.0 2.3 7.4 5.3 mechanical engineers, and architectural and engineering managers had median wages that were between 9 and 13 percent more for workers who had a master's degree compared with those of workers who had a bachelor's degree. In contrast, petroleum, mining, and geological engineers had a median wage that was about 7 percent less for workers with a master's degree than a bachelor's degree, and chemical engineers had a median wage that was about the same for workers who had either education level.
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From page 98... ...
• Industry, nonprofit, government, and other employers should provide guidance and financial support for relevant course offerings at institutions and provide internships and other forms of professional experiences to students and recent graduates. • Professional societies should collaborate with other sectors to create pro grams that help master's students make the transition into a variety of careers.
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From page 99... ...
These fields, which tend to have more women than other STEM disciplines, may contribute to the gender difference in graduate certificates awarded, with 63.1 percent going to women and 36.9 going to men. STEM fields comprise relatively smaller fractions of the total graduate certificates earned; however, some of the fields showed robust growth between 2006 and 2016, such as 38.6
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From page 100... ...
These programs allow students the flexibility to advance through the program while maintaining their day jobs, and students can transfer their MicroMasters into academic credit if accepted by the master's degree program at associated institutions. While the MicroMasters programs address a broad range of disciplines, several of the programs focus on developing skills needed in emerging issues in STEM such as data science, artificial intelligence, bioinformatics, and cloud computing.
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From page 101... ...
In addition to online microcredential programs, such as the ones mentioned above, some institutions also offer students the opportunity to earn full master's degrees either through fully online programs or through blended learning, which includes face-to-face and online components. One high-profile example of a recently launched online master's program is the computer science program offered by Georgia Tech.
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From page 102... ...
. The study found that the two most crucial factors contributing to the successful completion of a master's program were motivation and nonfinancial family support, while conflicts with existing work responsibilities was the main reason students were unable to complete their master's degree programs.
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From page 103... ...
10 CHAPTER 3 RECOMMENDATION 3.1 REWARDING EFFECTIVE TEACHING AND -- MENTORING: Advancement procedures for faculty, including promotion and tenure policies and practices, should be restructured to strengthen recognition of contributions to graduate mentoring and education. • Federal and state funding agencies should align their policies and award criteria to ensure that students in the programs they support experience the kind of graduate education outlined in this report and achieve the scientific and professional competencies articulated here, whether they are on training or research grant mechanisms.
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From page 104... ...
2018b. Appendix Table 3-5: Employment sector of S&E highest degree holders, by level and field of highest degree: 2015.
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