Program Development

Is a PSM right for my program?

There are several important preliminary questions to address when considering creating a new PSM degree program. Some are related to the fit between the PSM model and your specific discipline, and some are related to the characteristics of your department and college at U of I.

Questions to consider when evaluating a possible PSM are:

• Does the program’s discipline have significant business knowledge and skills expectations in the workplace for graduates in the discipline?
• Do we have the instructional capacity to deliver a new degree program?
• Do we have faculty resources and commitment to supervise students in internships?
• What is the maximum number of students we could accommodate in our PSM program?
• Is there sustainable student demand for the program?
• Are there similar programs available elsewhere and, if so, how would the Illinois PSM in this discipline be different?
• Would there be broad base support for the program from faculty?
• Would the department/unit/college support the program (e.g., with student recruitment, placement assistance for internships and jobs, etc.)?

How do I start?

To start planning your program’s PSM, contact Kevin Sightler, Illinois PSM director, at sightler@illinois.edu or (217) 265-5363.

We will work with you through all phases of program development and implementation:

• Feasibility assessment and market research
• Curriculum development
• Writing proposals
• Governance review
• Recruiting and marketing
• Implementation and on-going development

Finances

The Illinois PSM degree programs are designed to be a self-supporting.

The tuition rate is uniform across all Illinois PSM degree programs.

Students are expected to pay full tuition and fees.  Illinois PSM students can not hold assistantships or other waiver-generating appointments; however, programs may support students through scholarships.  Statutory waivers are accepted.  

The PSM unit of the Graduate College is dedicated to managing and leading PSM programs and helping create and implement new PSM programs.  We are available to advise and assist.

Approval timeline for proposals

The governance review process for new programs typically take 10-12 months after a proposal has been approved at the department and college levels. As a rule-of-thumb, plan about one year for the entire review process after the proposal is written. To allow sufficient time for recruitment and the admissions cycle, programs should be approved one year before enrollment begins.

Resources

Organizations and Initiatives

• Council of Graduate Schools - ScienceMasters.com
• National Professional Science Master’s Association
• National Association of System Heads (NASH) PSM Initiative

Selected Publications

• A master's degree with a business spin gains popularity.  Nature Medicine 15, 465 (2009), doi:10.1038/nm0509-465.  (Access using this link may be restricted.)
• AAAS: The New Masters of Science.  Science News, Magazine of the Society for Science and the Public.
• Professional Science Master's is 21st century MBA.  Science News, Magazine of the Society for Science and the Public.
• Promoting Professional Science Master’s Degrees.  Inside Higher Ed.
• Taken for Granted: An Alternative to the Ph.D. Track.  Science Careers, from the journal Science / AAAS (10.1126/science.caredit.a0900083).