CGS's GradSense initiative was highlighted by Associations Now as an important tool addressing the information gap students face when planning for educational and career goals.

CGS President Debra W. Stewart shares insight on the recently reported increase in Indian graduate student enrollments at U.S. institutions, for a story on the growing participation among Indian prospective students taking the GRE test.

Following the announcement of the new CGS Best Practice project on Understanding PhD Career Pathways, discussion continues in the graduate education community about the importance of program-level data on student outcomes. In this Chronicle story, leaders at Pennsylvania State University share information on the impact the 2008 recession has had on the job placements of their PhD graduates in the humanities and social sciences.

Strong employment rates and high levels of satisfaction may be reasons why interest in Professional Science Master's (PSM) programs has risen, according to a CGS study cited by US News University Directory.

Highly marketable degrees offer pathway to STEM careers

Contact:
Julia Kent
jkent@cgs.nche.edu
(202) 223-3791

Washington, D.C. – The Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) today released the results of its fourth annual Professional Science Master’s Enrollment and Degrees Survey documenting applications, enrollments, and degrees awarded in Professional Science Master’s (PSM) programs. The PSM is an innovative graduate degree designed to allow students to pursue advanced training in science or mathematics while simultaneously developing workplace skills highly valued by employers.

The 2013 report shows that PSM programs stand out as a bright spot for U.S. institutions in terms of domestic enrollment trends. From 2010 to 2013, first-time enrollment of domestic students rose 19% in PSM programs. For U.S. graduate education as a whole, first-time enrollment of domestic students rose only 1.9% in the five year period between 2007 and 2012, according to the latest CGS/GRE Graduate Enrollment and Degrees report. In contrast, first-time enrollment of international graduate students rose markedly from 2010 to 2013 in both PSM programs and in U.S. graduate programs overall.    

Additional studies on the career outcomes of PSM graduates show high levels of student satisfaction and employment rates, which may be contributing to enrollment growth in PSM programs. According to a 2013 CGS survey, 91% of responding PSM graduates were employed in a job related to their field of study, and 68% of those employed full-time reported annual earnings above $50,000.

“Today’s STEM graduate students are seeking degrees that prepare them for success in a wide range of professional settings,” said CGS President Debra W. Stewart. “The real-world experiences and internships gained by PSM graduates make them highly marketable to employers in all sectors of the economy.”

The CGS study was supported in part by a grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. From 1997 to 2012, the Sloan Foundation made more than $23 million in grants in support of the PSM degree, including start-up funding for PSM programs at colleges and universities around the country; the founding of the National Professional Master’s Science Association, which provides professional support for PSM faculty and administrators; and a partnership with the Council of Graduate Schools to collect data on PSM programs and to administer a PSM affiliation process that ensures affiliated programs meet the highest standards.   

“The Sloan Foundation is extremely proud to have played a founding role in the creation of the PSM degree,” said Elizabeth Boylan, Program Director of the Sloan Foundation’s programs in STEM Higher Education. “The continued growth of enrollments and the remarkable success graduates have had in the job market marks the PSM degree as one of the most successful innovations in 21^st century higher education.”

This year represents a milestone in PSM development, as CGS will now transition the responsibilities for PSM program recognition to the Keck Graduate Institute (KGI).

“CGS’s expertise and guidance have been keys to a thriving PSM movement since its inception in 1997,” said Jim Sterling, KGI Vice President of Academic Affairs. “The Keck Graduate Institute looks forward to leading PSM programs into the future of professionally-focused science master’s education. Continuing to track the career outcomes of PSM graduates will be part of that commitment.”

The 2013 PSM Enrollment and Degrees report includes data on applications received and accepted for fall 2013, as well as enrollment data for fall 2013 and degrees awarded during the 2012-13 academic year. Data from 85% of all PSM programs worldwide are included. Additionally, the report offers comparisons to data from the previous surveys, documenting growth in applications, admissions, and enrollment over the past four years. Key findings include:

Applications:

• Over 7,000 applications were received for fall 2013 admission and 46% were accepted.
• Between fall 2010 and fall 2013, there was a 59% increase in applications received for admission into PSM programs.

First-Time Enrollment:

• Over 1,900 students were enrolled for the first time in PSM programs in fall 2013.
• Nearly two-thirds of all first-time PSM students were enrolled full-time while the remaining one-third were part-time students.
• 28% of first-time enrollees in U.S.-based PSM programs were temporary residents (i.e., international students).

Total Enrollment:

• Total enrollment in PSM programs has grown 23% since 2010, to exceed 5,800 students in fall 2013.
• Men comprised 53% of all PSM students and women made up 47%.
• Total PSM enrollment in fall 2013 was dominated by four fields of study: computer/information sciences (21%), environmental sciences and natural resources (15%), mathematics and statistics (15%), or biotechnology (14%).

Degrees awarded:

• Institutions responding to the survey awarded 2,038 PSM degrees in academic year 2012/13.
• 54% of PSM degrees awarded by respondents in academic year 2012/13 were awarded to men and 46% to women.
• 18% of graduates of U.S.-based PSM programs were international students.
• Among U.S. citizens and permanent residents, 23% of PSM graduates in 2012/13 were underrepresented minorities.

The report is available in pdf format at cgsnet.org and at sciencemasters.com.

An opinion piece discusses the need for comprehensive, program-level data on PhD career outcomes, and how a new CGS Best Practices project will explore the feasibility of obtaining this long sought-after information.

Data from the CGS/GRE Graduate Enrollment & Degrees report are referenced in an article discussing selected careers that require a master's degree for entry.

Annual Dues: At least a $75,000 total investment ($25,000 of which must be dues)

Visionaries are the most elite members of the Sustaining Membership Network. They lead the charge to advance graduate education, recognizing the uniquely powerful role graduate deans have to effect change in the complex landscape of higher education. Visionaries value corporate citizenship and are heavily invested in the endeavor of graduate education. The highest levels of benefits are reserved for Visionaries, who receive exclusive insider access to CGS expertise and membership. Companies qualify as Visionaries when they make an additional investment of at least $50,000 in sponsorships beyond their $25,000 dues payment.

Like Collaborators, Visionaries have the option of proposing opportunities for engagement that are customized to their interests and priorities in the sphere of graduate education.

Exclusive Benefits Only Available to CGS Visionaries

CGS Annual Meeting

• Opportunity to propose a focus group at the Annual Meeting
• Early bird registration rates for the entire registration period

CGS Summer Workshop & New Deans Institute

• First right of refusal and priority scheduling for sponsored breakfast presentations

Access to graduate deans

• Opportunity to provide CGS-approved sponsored content for News Network, CGS's bi-weekly e-newsletter (twice per calendar year)

Plus, all of the Special Benefits of the Corporate Leadership Circle (See Collaborators for full listing) and the Premium Benefits of the Sustaining Membership Network.

Levels: Small Business Partner  ||  Ally   ||  Collaborator  ||  Visionary

Annual Dues: $25,000

CGS Collaborators are leaders in their field and provide direct information and expertise to the graduate community. Collaborators may access special opportunities for visibility not extended to other levels of the Sustaining Membership Network as members of the Corporate Leadership Circle. Collaborators enjoy a membership experience that is highly customized. CGS welcomes suggestions from its members in the Corporate Leadership Circle for additional opportunities for visibility or projects to advance graduate education. 

Special Benefits Only Available to CGS Collaborators

CGS Annual Meeting

• Complimentary Registration for 2 participants at the CGS Annual Meeting, reduced registration for all other attendees
   

Access to graduate deans

• One complimentary ½-page advertisement in GradEdge per year¹
• Ability to request to post to the CGS Dean’s Discussion List

Access to CGS staff expertise

• Annual half-day workshop with senior CGS staff focusing on strategic issues in graduate education

Plus, all of the Premium Benefits of the Sustaining Membership Network.
 

¹ Limit one complimentary ad per company per calendar year.

Levels: Small Business Partner  ||  Ally  ||  Collaborator  ||  Visionary

Annual Dues: $1,000 - $4,000 (tiered, depending on employee count*)

The Small Business Partner membership, which is available to companies and organizations with 50 or fewer employees, is designed to allow small, entrepreneurial companies to engage more regularly with CGS members by making partnership opportunities more affordable.
 

Special Benefits Reserved for CGS Small Business Partners

• Recognition as a Small Business Partner in all CGS meeting programs
• Recognition as a Small Business Partner on the CGS website (including a link to your website)

Premium Benefits of the Sustaining Membership Network

CGS Annual Meeting

• Reduced rates on sponsorships
• Reduced rates on exhibitor registration
• Option to add one complimentary exhibit-hall only registration pass to your CGS Annual Meeting exhibitor registration, in addition to the two full registrations that are included with exhibiting (available only to sustaining members)
• NEW - Option for members to select exhibit table location (exhibitor registration required)
• NEW - Pre-registration list of Annual Meeting attedees in Excel format (exhibitor registration required)
• Reduced rates on individual meeting registrations
• Priority consideration for all Annual Meeting opportunities
• Opportunities to propose “in-conjunction-with” events at the CGS Annual Meeting
• Recognition in the meeting mobile app
• Opportunity to sponsor awards

CGS Summer Workshop & New Deans Institute

• Opportunity to attend the CGS Summer Workshop and New Deans Institute - corporate attendance is limited to members of the CGS Sustaining Membership Network and invited speakers and sponsors (registration required)

CGS Webinars

• Reduced rates on sponsored CGS webinars
• Priority scheduling consideration
• Detailed attendee report list 

Access to graduate deans

• Opportunity to provide CGS-approved sponsored content for News Network, CGS's bi-weekly e-newsletter (once per calendar year)
• Invitations to CGS research forums and other select events
• Reduced rates for job listings on the CGS Career Portal
• Ability to request to view the CGS Dean’s Discussion List

Publications and information on the latest news, trends and best practices in graduate education

• Access to current and past issues of GradEdge, the only national newsletter dedicated to graduate education
• Full complimentary access to publications in the CGS Online Member Library, including the online membership directory
• Reduced rates for hard copies of CGS publications
• Automatic subscription to biweekly CGS News Network newsletters
   

Access to CGS staff expertise

• Opportunities to collaborate on research and best practice projects
• Tailored membership opportunities based on individual organizations’ needs

Small Business Partner Dues* 

Tiered, depending on employee count

•   1-15 Employees = $1,000 annual dues
• 16-34 Employees = $2,500 annual dues
• 34-50 Employees = $4,000 annual dues

Levels: Small Business Partner ||  Ally  ||  Collaborator  ||  Visionary