Modernizing Graduate Education To Mesh with 21st Century Realities

The apprenticeship model of doctoral education is more reflective of the past than the present or likely future. In addition, the Ph.D. in STEM is far from an automatic ticket to a rewarding and high-paying job. Professional degrees, though less subsidized than the Ph.D., have the clearest link to high-demand, well-paying occupations. This model combines specialization with broad knowledge and the ability to work in multidisciplinary settings, which seems best suited for many managerial and technical positions. Due to high student debt incurred by graduates of post-baccalaureate programs NSF created the Science Masters Program. It provides institutions an opportunity to recruit strong students who would otherwise have deferred or avoided graduate school. Experiences of these new graduate programs and their graduates will be presented.