Professional Science Master's degree programs are proving beneficial to students, employers and institutions, CGS data shows.

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

Washington, DC – The Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) today announced awards to seven universities to develop new approaches for enhancing graduate student skills and understanding in the assessment of undergraduate learning. Supported through grants to CGS from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and the Teagle Foundation, the awardees will integrate learning assessment into programs that prepare graduate students for faculty careers.

The project is designed to identify effective institutional models for improving the preparation of future faculty across all fields, while also examining issues specific to Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields, social sciences, and humanities. CGS will work with partnering institutions to develop their findings into best practice guidelines for integrating assessment into faculty professional development programs such as the Preparing Future Faculty (PFF) program launched in 1993. Project partners will contribute to a web‐based clearinghouse of resources on learning assessment.

The institutions selected to receive funding are:

• Cornell University
• Harvard University
• Indiana University
• Michigan State University
• North Carolina A&T State University
• University of California, Merced
• University of North Carolina at Greensboro

An additional 19 universities will participate in the project as affiliate partners.

The Sloan Foundation has invested in the enhancement of introductory and gateway courses in STEM fields, which are vital to U.S. student persistence in science majors and the cultivation of domestic STEM talent. Elizabeth S. Boylan, Program Director of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, commented, "Sloan is committed to assisting future STEM faculty to attain the tools and skills they will need to become highly effective faculty—attuned to how their students are learning and what they, as faculty, can do to maximize the learning potential of all their students. I expect that the institutional participants will greatly enrich the graduate community’s understanding of best practices in this area."

Projects to prepare future faculty in the humanities and social sciences are supported by funding from the Teagle Foundation. "We are excited about this project because it reaches graduate students at a formative moment in their teaching careers, an approach that will potentially result in life‐long commitments to the assessment and improvement of undergraduate learning," said Richard Morrill, Teagle Foundation President. "The Teagle Foundation looks forward to learning what these forward‐thinking institutions will discover and achieve as they work collaboratively across the arts and sciences."

The project builds upon the results of a prior partnership with the Teagle Foundation to explore needs and opportunities for the integration of undergraduate learning assessment into PFF programs. "Assessment of student learning is an essential skill for effective teaching, and yet many new faculty are not exposed to useful methods and tools until they are managing the responsibilities of a first job," noted CGS President Debra W. Stewart. "The awardees and affiliates have shown extraordinary leadership in recognizing this important link between graduate training and successful teaching."

For more about the role of graduate schools in preparing students for faculty careers, please visit the PFF project page.

Grad students in the sciences are more motivated to complete their programs and move forward into professional careers when they build industry connections and participate in collaborations, CGS dean-in-residence Richard Linton tells Nature magazine.

CGS President Debra Stewart discusses trends from the latest CGS/GRE Graduate Enrollment and Degrees survey, calling for a renewed commitment to graduate education.

Inside Higher Ed explores the findings of the CGS/GRE Graduate Enrollment and Degrees survey. The article notes, in almost every field, there were either fewer Americans enrolling or the rate of increase was notably less than had been the case through the previous decade. And the opposite is true for international students.

Financial stress on students, states, and schools is making it more difficult to pursue advanced degrees, according to CGS President Debra Stewart.

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

Washington, DC — The Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) reported today that U.S. graduate schools saw a 1.7% dip in enrollments of first-time graduate students between fall 2010 and fall 2011, marking the second consecutive year of slight decreases. Across the board, graduate school enrollments remain ahead of where they were a decade ago, but the latest figures reverse increases for the 2007-08 and 2008-09 academic years, when enrollments grew 4.5% and 5.5% respectively. These findings are the result of the CGS/GRE Survey of Graduate Enrollment and Degrees, an annual survey that has been conducted since 1986.

First-time enrollment in master’s and certificate-level programs declined 2.1% between fall 2010 and fall 2011, while doctoral degree programs enrolled 0.5% more new students during the same time period. Overall, according to survey respondents, more than 441,000 students began graduate studies in fall 2011.

The study also highlights an apparent gap between the aspirations of prospective graduate students and the realities of graduate enrollment: despite the overall decline in first-time enrollments, interest in pursuing graduate degrees remains high and continues to grow. The report showed a 4.3% bump in applications for admission to graduate programs between fall 2010 and fall 2011. Institutions that participated in the annual survey reported receiving nearly 1.88 million applications across all fields of study leading to master’s or doctoral degrees and graduate certificates. Engineering, business, and social and behavioral sciences accounted for the largest numbers of graduate applications in 2011.  

CGS President Debra Stewart observed that the gap between growing applications and dropping enrollments should be seen as a call to action. “Graduate education is a cornerstone of a thriving, highly-skilled workforce, and a graduate degree holds out lifetime benefits for individual students. The 4.3 percent increase in application numbers reveals that students are eager to attend graduate school. While the 1.7 percent decrease in first-time enrollment is not dramatic, the fact that we are now in the second year of reversed growth is a sign that we must respond with strong investments in graduate programs and student funding.”

The report presents statistics on graduate applications and enrollment for fall 2011, degrees conferred in 2010-11, and trend data for one-, five- and ten-year periods. Data are disaggregated for a number of student demographic and institutional characteristics. Other findings include:

First-time graduate enrollment

• More than 441,000 students enrolled for the first time in graduate certificate, education specialist, master’s, or doctoral programs for the fall term in 2011 at the institutions responding to the survey.
• Among survey respondents, over 62% of first-time graduate students were enrolled at public institutions.
• About 58% of all first-time graduate students in fall 2011 were women, according to survey respondents.
• First-time graduate enrollment of temporary residents increased 7.8% between fall 2010 and fall 2011, according to survey respondents, up from the 4.7% increase in fall 2010. In contrast, survey respondents reported that first-time graduate enrollment fell 2.3% for U.S. citizens and permanent residents between 2010 and 2011, following a 1.2% decrease the previous year.

Total graduate enrollment

• There were about 1.73 million students enrolled in graduate programs in fall 2011 at the responding institutions.
• Among institutions responding to the survey, more than half of all graduate students in fall 2011 were enrolled in programs in education, business, or health sciences.
• About 75% of all graduate students in fall 2011 were enrolled in programs leading to a master’s degree or a graduate certificate, according to survey respondents.
• About 56% of all graduate students enrolled full-time at institutions responding to the survey in fall 2011 were women.
• Among survey respondents, total graduate enrollment fell 6.0% for American Indians/Alaskan Natives and 1.5% for Whites between fall 2010 and fall 2011. Over the same period other groups saw gains: Hispanic/Latinos (4.0%), Blacks/African Americans (2.9%), and Asians/Pacific Islander (1.3%).
• Total graduate enrollment at institutions responding to the survey decreased in education and in arts and humanities between fall 2010 and fall 2011.
• Between fall 2010 and fall 2011, total enrollment increased by 2.1% at the doctoral level, but decreased by 1.8% at the master’s degree and graduate certificate level, according to institutions responding to the survey.

Graduate degrees and certificates awarded

• Responding institutions awarded approximately 62,900 doctoral degrees, 517,000 master’s degrees, and 25,200 graduate certificates in 2010-11.
• About 40% of all doctoral degrees awarded in 2010-11 were in health sciences, engineering, and social and behavioral sciences while about 50% of all master’s degrees were awarded in education and business, according to institutions responding to the survey.
• According to survey respondents, women earned two-thirds of the graduate certificates, 60% of the master’s degrees, and 53% of the doctorates.
• Academic year 2010-11 marked the third straight year women earned a majority of doctoral degrees.

Graduate Enrollment and Degrees: 2001 to 2011 presents the findings of an annual survey of U.S. graduate schools, co-sponsored by CGS and the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) Board. It is the only annual national survey that covers enrollment in all fields of graduate study and is the only source of national data on graduate applications. The report includes responses from 655 institutions, which collectively confer about 81% of the master’s degrees and 92% of the doctorates awarded each year.

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

Washington, DC – Recent graduates of Professional Science Master’s (PSM) degree programs are reporting strong rates of employment, according to the second annual PSM Student Outcomes Survey released by the Council of Graduate Schools (CGS). The report tracks initial hiring trends and perceived satisfaction among 2010-11 and 2011-12 graduates of PSM degree 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. PSM programs prepare graduates for careers in business, government, and non-profit organizations, combining rigorous study in science and/or mathematics with coursework in management, policy, law and related fields. Most PSM programs require a final project or team experience, as well as a “real-world” internship in a business or public sector enterprise.

According to the survey, 78 percent of respondents who graduated during the 2011-12 academic year were employed within 12 months of receiving their degree, despite beginning their careers in the most challenging job market in recent history. Perhaps more encouraging, the findings suggest PSM students have not had to lower their expectations to land a job: 90 percent of those employed were working in a job that is closely or somewhat related to their field of study. The typical graduate reports earning above $50,000 a year, and 78 percent are very satisfied or generally satisfied with the post-graduation employment prospects provided by their PSM degree.

“The majority of PSM alumni are enjoying immediate returns on their educational investments,” commented Debra W. Stewart, CGS President. “The high proportion of graduates working in their intended fields is a sign that employers recognize the value of science and mathematics training honed in applied professional settings.”

The survey report includes data on the reasons students enrolled in PSM programs, their experiences and satisfaction with them, their current employment status, salaries, and the perceived value of a PSM degree. Key findings include:

• 83% of 2011-12 PSM graduates were satisfied with the distinctive nature/reputation of the program and with the quality of their non-scientific and/or mathematical professional training (a key element of PSM degrees).
• Among those 2011-12 PSM graduates who were employed, 77% were working in business/industry, about 9% were working in government, 10% in academia and 3% in non-profit organizations.
• Among 2011-12 PSM graduates in new jobs, 21% secured that employment because of their PSM internship.
• Over 62% of 2011-12 PSM graduates employed full-time earned $50,000 or more in annual salary.
• Two attributes of PSM programs that stood out as being of particularly high value to recent graduates were the internships and ‘real world’ experiences, and the quality of scientific and/or mathematical training.
   

Created in 1997 with support from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, PSM programs are offered at 126 institutions of higher education, as of August 2012. An estimated 5,000 PSM degrees have been conferred since the program’s inception.

The full report, Outcomes for PSM Alumni 2011/12, is available here. More information about the PSM can be found at http://sciencemasters.com.

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

Washington, DC -- The Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) has made awards to five universities to integrate research ethics education into international collaborations in Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics (STEM) fields. Supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF # 1135345), the project seeks to enhance the preparation of future scientists and engineers for the ethical challenges that often arise in global research.

An additional six universities will participate in the project as affiliate partners:

• Drexel University
• Indiana University
• Loyola University Chicago
• Mississippi State University
• North Carolina A&T University
• Purdue University

International Guidelines Created for Supporting Global Skills and Careers

Contacts:
Julia Kent, CGS: (202) 223-3791 / jkent@cgs.nche.edu
Undine Ziller, TUM:  +49 8161 71-5403 / ziller@zv.tum.de

Seeon, Germany (September 6, 2012) — Higher education leaders from 15 countries agreed today on a set of principles to guide the preparation of graduate students for the demands of the global workforce and economy.

The statement was released following the Sixth Annual Strategic Leaders Global Summit, “From Brain Drain to Brain Circulation: Graduate Education for Global Career Pathways,” jointly hosted by the U.S.-based Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) and the Technische Universität München. The Global Summit is an annual event designed to promote international best practices on current issues in master’s and doctoral education.

This 2012 summit re-examined the concept of “brain drain” in light of several global trends:

• Global R&D networks, along with new technologies for collaboration, are stimulating research that benefits multiple countries and regions.
• Many countries are making new investments in graduate education in order to maintain a strong domestic talent pool and recruit international students.
• Evidence suggests that researchers and highly educated professionals may work in multiple countries over the course of their careers.

Session topics addressed new patterns of talent mobility by country and region, new opportunities for students to develop global skills, and collaborations between international universities that prepare students for the global workforce.

Professor Ernst Rank, Director of the TUM Graduate School and the International Graduate School of Science and Engineering, explained: "In the past and to a large extent still today, many countries have seen themselves either on the side of brain gain or brain drain. The global summit clearly showed that these categories can no longer simply be associated with 'winning' or 'losing' talents. On the contrary, the globalized scientific and economic community demands circulation of brains — that is, mobility in networks, openness for exchange, and flow of minds and ideas."

In the final session, participants discussed key issues that emerged in the forum and developed a consensus statement to guide future action. The “Principles for Supporting Global Careers in Graduate Education” include integrating international experience into graduate degree programs, defining high-level global skills, and collaborating with external partners to stimulate multi-directional flows of knowledge workers.

CGS President Debra Stewart noted, “The principles will help advance the global conversation about a key priority for graduate schools—helping students and new researchers make the transition to successful careers. But they also take us into important new territory, providing guidelines that will help universities prepare future researchers to understand the global possibilities and impacts of their professional lives.”

The 34 participants included deans and other leaders of graduate schools and representatives of national and international associations devoted to graduate education. Along with Germany and the United States, the countries represented were: Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China (PRC and Hong Kong), Denmark, Hungary, Luxembourg, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Singapore, South Africa, and South Korea.

The consensus statement is attached. A proceedings volume will be published in 2013.

Principles for Supporting Global Careers
in Graduate* Education

Today’s doctoral and master’s students will enter and lead a rapidly globalizing economy and research enterprise.  In a world where technology and research offer new opportunities for global collaboration, all early-stage researchers must be prepared for the challenges and opportunities of a globalizing workforce.  The participants of the 2012 Global Summit on Graduate Education encourage ‘brain circulation,’ or the multi-directional flow of talents, education and research that benefit multiple countries and regions and the advancement of global knowledge. It is the responsibility of graduate schools to match expectations for doctoral and master’s students and faculty training with opportunities and incentives.

At the same time, a productive discussion of “brain drain” and “brain circulation” requires careful examination of terms, assumptions, and values. Graduate leaders recognized the need to distinguish between a short-term and a long-term perspective on the global mobility of talent. While it is useful to track short-term patterns of student mobility, it is also important to understand long-term impacts of mobility on individuals, national and global economies, and global research and development.

In this context, it is important for universities and graduate schools to:

1. Communicate the value and relevance of the broader concept of ‘brain circulation.’ Graduate leaders have an important role to play in communicating the importance of global training opportunities for students, early-stage researchers and faculty on their campuses.
2. Integrate international experiences and training into graduate degree programs. These experiences can take place both at home and abroad. Not only should universities promote joint and dual degree programs, academic research exchanges, and internships, they should also use the international diversity of their campuses as a basis for training in cross­-cultural skills.
3. Provide robust support systems, programs and services for international students and early-stage researchers on their campuses.
4. Respect reciprocity in international collaborations and recognize both material and non-material contributions.
5. Engage the intellectual leadership of faculty and students in developing innovative and interdisciplinary global research practices and related experiences appropriate to the field. 

6. Identify specific global competencies within and across degree programs. As they prepare future knowledge leaders, faculty and researchers have an important role to play in identifying these competencies by degree type and across fields of study, and across sectors.

7. Prepare students and faculty to use emerging technologies to advance and share knowledge globally.  New technologies are essential to research collaboration and management, communication, and networking.

8. Prepare graduate students for ethical issues that emerge in a globalizing workforce. At stake in this preparation is human health and safety, the protection of the environment, and the quality of research.

9. Assess and share the outcomes of global experiences and partnerships. Assessments of institutional benefits, research outcomes, and learning are essential and will be most meaningful if designed to improve the quality of programs. It is critical to differentiate desired outcomes for different career pathways, e.g. in academia, industry, government and non-profit sectors.

10. Collaborate with external partners in government, industry, professional societies, and non-governmental (NGO) sectors to facilitate multi-directional talent flows. In particular, universities have an important role to play in communicating the impact of policies regarding, for example, immigration and professional credentials, on research productivity, national and regional economies, and on individual career trajectories.

11. Encourage funding agencies to allocate funding for international research experience and global competency training for PhD candidates.

* The definition of the term “graduate” varies by country and region. In the context of this statement, it designates master’s and doctoral education.