ISEDJ

Information Systems Education Journal

Volume18

V18 N5 Pages 54-64

Oct 2020

Are Professional Science Master’s (PSM) Programs Beneficial for Graduates? An Evaluation of PSM Programs

Jessica Rivenbark
University of North Carolina Wilmington
Wilmington, NC USA

Jeffrey Cummings
University of North Carolina Wilmington
Wilmington, NC USA

Douglas Kline
University of North Carolina Wilmington
Wilmington, NC USA

Laurie Patterson
University of North Carolina Wilmington
Wilmington, NC USA

Abstract: Since the early 2000s, we have seen an increase in the need for graduates in various STEM fields. The Professional Science Master’s (PSM) program was created in 2001 to address this increased demand. While research has shown the benefits these programs may provide, there is limited research examining the current state of PSM programs. The current research evaluates the perspective of students, alumni, faculty and program directors concerning the benefits from the PSM. Results suggest these programs still create competitive graduate students with concepts from the PSM being implemented in non-PSM programs.

Download this article: ISEDJ - V18 N5 Page 54.pdf

Recommended Citation: Rivenbark, J., Cummings, J., Kline, D., Patterson, L., (2020). Are Professional Science Master’s (PSM) Programs Beneficial for Graduates? An Evaluation of PSM Programs. Information Systems Education Journal18(5) pp 54-64. http://ISEDJ.org/2020-5/ ISSN : ISSN: 1545-679X. A preliminary version appears in The Proceedings of EDSIGCON 2019