From The Dean
Science Journal, Fall 1995 Vol 13, No. 1
As part of our continuing efforts to ensure that all of our programs are of the highest quality and are serving our constituents well, we are taking a close look at the graduate-degree programs in our college and asking how well they are serving our students.
Nationwide, the number of new Ph.D.s finding employment in university teaching and management of basic research in government laboratories and elsewhere is declining, while those finding jobs in applied corporate research and development is increasing. Even with the downsizing occurring in the industrial community, it is likely that corporations will continue to provide by far the greatest number of opportunities for our graduates in the foreseeable future. In response to this changing employment picture, we are considering ways to strengthen our graduate programs by providing the flexibility our students will need to take advantage of unpredictably changing conditions.
This and related issues are the focus of a thoughtful and well-researched report recently issued by the Committee on Science, Engineering, and Public Policy on behalf of the National Academies of Science and Engineering and the Institute of Medicine. The report, titled Reshaping the Graduate Education of Scientists and Engineers, contains a number of important recommendations, including that graduate programs should:
ï Provide up-to-date information on the full range of employment possibilities, including careers for which a master's degree is sufficient and careers requiring both a high degree of scientific creativity, a high degree of adaptability, and skills in communication, leadership, and teamwork.