About the Program
The Master of Professional Science (MPS) degree prepares students for science careers in industry, government, and non-profit organizations, where employment demands are growing. MPS degrees were developed and implemented nationally in response to employer demands for well-rounded, highly trained employees with a breadth of knowledge and practical skills to address emerging environmental issues and improve the management of natural and cultural resources. The flexible nature of the program allows for the average full-time MPS student to complete their graduate studies in 16 months (4 semesters). Some students may finish in as few as 12 months (in select tracks) whereas others may finish in 20 or 24 months, depending on the duration of their internships and distribution of their class credits. The curriculum is structured for students to acquire the training and real-world experience necessary to prepare them for careers in today’s professional science job market.
MPS Degree Requirements
The Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science at the University of Miami offers a Master of Professional Science (MPS) program in the following departments: Atmospheric Sciences, Marine Biology and Ecology, Environmental Science and Policy, Marine Geosciences, and Ocean Sciences.
Students may enroll as full- or part-time students. Students must complete at least 2 semesters of coursework plus a 3-12 month internship. For full-time students, the MPS degree can be completed in as little as 16 months.
Prerequisites
All students admitted into the program must have earned a Bachelor’s degree in an appropriate field. For specific prerequisites for each track, please click here.
Credit Requirements
Students must complete 30 credits of graduate coursework, with a minimum, cumulative GPA of 3.0 to graduate with a Master of Professional Science degree. These credits are typically distributed as follows: 24 course credits + 2 internship credits + 4 "flex" credits, that students can decide to take as either course or internship credits. Additionally, students are expected to conceptualize and participate in a contributory project with an internship hosting organization, which culminates in a final report and an oral presentation.
MPS Internship Phase
The goal of the program’s internship phase is to give students practical knowledge of their field of interest, while also teaching them skills to commence their professional career. Students are expected to complete an internship and an independent scientific project in collaboration with an approved agency, institution, business, or organization engaged in an activity associated with marine, atmospheric, or Earth science, culminating in a Final Report and Final Presentation. Such organizations include national or international agencies, private corporations, non-profit organizations, and for-profit organizations. Internships can be paid or unpaid by the organization, or students can complete the internship requirement by completing an independent project with a full-time employer. Students are responsible for seeking out and obtaining their own internships with the support and resources provided by the MPS Office.
The Internship Phase consists of three components: 1) the Internship or Job the student reports to, 2) the Independent Project, and 3) the Deliverables. Students must complete all three components of the Internship Phase to satisfy the Internship requirement of the MPS program. The MPS Office offers resources and professional development opportunities throughout the year to prepare students for each stage and requirement of the internship phase.
History of MPS Degrees
In 1997, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation helped launch the first Professional Science Master's degree in response to a growing need for a workforce with science and interdisciplinary training that was not being met by traditional research-based graduate education. Their goal was to better prepare scientists for employment in new and emerging industries that lie at the intersection of science and business, law, media, and other non-traditional fields. As described by Dr. Rita Colwell, former director of the National Science Foundation, MPS programs “aim to engage students with professional goals and help them become scientists uniquely suited to the 21st-century workplace, equipped with a deeper and broader scientific knowledge than that acquired with a Bachelor of Science degree and the skills to apply it”.
MPS degrees give students a distinct advantage in both obtaining employment in their field of study and with their salaries once employed. The private industry and government agencies have both testified to the need for employees with these skills and, according to a recent National Research Council study, the salaries of those who hold masters degrees in science and engineering have grown faster over the past few decades than salaries of those with either BS or PhD degrees.
