Karen -- Here is my experience at FHSU. We started a PSM program that caters to students doing human dimensions projects in wildlife management and to individuals wanting to working in microbiology/molecular biology labs as technicians. Our program is only two years old, so it is hard to tell how our program will work. It has been well received by NGO's and state and federal agencies that see the combination of biology and business or biology and sociology work well. It is not designed for students wanting to go on for a PhD. In assisting the development of the PSM program here, I have done considerable research on the topic. Most programs are not designed for moving into PhD programs. but rather are more workforce development programs where people advance in the place they presently are employed or go into a business/biology programs, .i.e., NGO's and agencies that are seeking this combination. If you want to look at our program let me know.
Personally, at this time I would not go into a PSM program if my goal was a PhD. Our program like many has greater breadth then strict biology programs, but are not strong in specifics. We have a very strong biology MS program that feeds into PhD programs and allows our students to get employment in state and federal agencies. I personally have had 33 graduate students at the MS level in biology. All but five of them have either gone onto PhD programs or are working for NGO's, state agencies, federal agencies, high schools, universities, or community colleges in the field of wildlife biology and conservation biology. mas tarde, EJF Elmer J. Finck Professor and Chair Department of Biological Sciences Fort Hays State University 600 Park Street Hays, KS 67601-4099 e-mail: [email protected] webpage: http://www.fhsu.edu/biology/efinck/ phone: (785) 628-4214 fax: (785) 628-4153 home: (785) 625-9727 cell: (785) 650-1057 Let us try to recognize the precious nature of each day. The 14th Dalai Lama Karen Fowler <[email protected]> Sent by: "Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news" <[email protected]> 05/22/2010 08:00 AM Please respond to Karen Fowler <[email protected]> To [email protected] cc Subject [ECOLOG-L] Masters of Professional Science Hello all, I graduated with several B.S. degrees several years ago, and I have been unable to get a permanent job, so I have been considering continuing on in my studies to attain a PhD. While researching programs, I have come across several "Masters of Professional Science" programs that are geared more towards teaching you skills and getting you internships to prepare you for work than preparing you to continue on towards a PhD. What, if any, are the general opinions on these programs versus a standard Masters program? I worry about completing one of these programs, still not being able to get a job, and being unable to continue on for a PhD. Thank you for any advice, Karen
