The Professional Science Master’s
Degree: Is It Right for Statistics?
Keith Crank, Assistant Director of Research and Graduate Education
2007 Annual
Survey Results
I
recently attended a meeting at the
Council of Graduate Schools (CGS)
on the professional science master’s
Released
(PSM) degree. This is a degree designed
to be completed in the same amount of
time as a regular master’s degree, but
The Third Report of the
which substitutes another area of
2007 “Annual Survey of the
knowledge for some of the disciplinary
Mathematical Sciences” is now
coursework or thesis. As an example,
available. The report presents
a PSM degree in statistics might
information about departments,
include the regular coursework for a
faculties, and students in the math-
master’s degree in statistics, but
ematical sciences at U.S. four-year
replace three of the statistics courses
colleges and universities. The infor-
with a course in each of accounting,
mation in the report was gathered
economics, and management.
using a questionnaire and gives
The CGS specifies that in order to qual-
information about faculty counts,
ify as a PSM, the course of study must have
departmental enrollments, hiring,
the following:
and graduate students. Prior to
2000, these data were included as
The same total credits as a standard
part of the Second Report.
master’s degree
more such programs, should they be in
The 2007 survey represents
addition to existing standard master’s pro-
the fifty-first in an annual series
A majority of the program course grams, either as additional tracks or as new
begun in 1957 by the American
work in graduate-level science and/or stand-alone programs, or should there be
Mathematical Society. It is
mathematics courses new programs established specifically as
under the direction of a joint
PSMs? Do we have the capacity to expand?
A professional skills component
committee of the American
Could our existing programs handle more
developed in consultation with
Mathematical Society, the
master’s-level students? I would like to hear
prospective employers
American Statistical Association,
your thoughts about this matter.
the Institute of Mathematical
Internships and problem-based Statistics, the Society of Industrial
projects sponsored by employers to
To current students and recent graduates:
and Applied Mathematics, and
Would you have preferred to have a PSM in
enhance those professional skills
the Mathematical Association
statistics or biostatistics as an option?
of America. To view the results,
An engaged employer advisory board
visit
www.ams.org/employment/
To people in business, industry, and gov-
surveyreports.html. Questions
The PSM web site (www.sciencemasters. ernment who regularly hire recent gradu-
about surveys and data should be
com) shows three such programs in sta- ates at the master’s level: Would you prefer
sent to
ams-survey@ams.org.
tistics/biostatistics (at Penn State, Grand someone with a PSM over someone with a
Valley State, and Middle Tennessee State). standard master’s degree in statistics? (Or,
I also know of at least one institution plan- would there be the possibility of hiring
ning to start a PSM in statistics in 2009. additional people with a PSM?)
Are there other programs out there that fit
the CGS definition of a PSM? To current faculty (especially department
Even more importantly, should there be chairs/heads): Would you have the ability
more? Would graduates of such programs to add a PSM or expand an existing mas-
have better careers (more opportunities, ter’s program to include a PSM track?
faster advancement, and higher salaries)?
Would our discipline attract more students To contact me, send an email to keith@
if we offered more choices? Would there
amstat.org. Questions or comments about
be more demand for our graduates (which this article, as well as suggestions for future
is already very high)? If there should be articles, are always welcome. n
DECEMBER 2008 AMSTAT NEWS 11
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