University of Maryland Office of the President
Introduction
University's Mission
Fulfilling the Mandate
Fighting an Uphill Battle
Meeting the Challenge
Converging Pressures
Determining the Future
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Testimony March 2005 Home > Meeting the Challenge > Faculty Spearhead an... <- You Are Here

  Faculty Spearhead an Emerging Entrepreneurial Culture

The determination to succeed combined with an understanding of the changing funding sources has resulted in an urgently needed wave of entrepreneurial initiatives sweeping across the University.

  • The University Senate approved a new program, the Master of Professional Studies, that is designed to allow campus units to propose degree or certificate programs suited to the needs of employees of government and private sector organizations. Exact course requirements will be approved within the University, providing for a faster process to meet needs of employers and employees requesting specially focused degrees. One example could be a Master of Professional Studies in Security Issues, which would draw on several departments.

  • Both federal and private entities have contracted with the Department of English to provide professional writing instruction tailored to their employees. The demand for this entrepreneurial activity is growing.

  • The May 14, 2004, Chronicle of Higher Education featured our new Master's of Law degree program in Criminal Justice offered in the People's Republic of China. The program is in demand from current and future leaders in China.

  • In addition to Master's and Doctoral programs in Bioengineering, the Clark School of Engineering last August introduced the first Biomolecular Engineering Graduate Certificate. This 12-credit program, focused on the application of engineering principles to biotechnology, is designed for scientists and engineers working in the biotech sector. The program is taught by University faculty members at Shady Grove and College Park and is endorsed by many biotechnology industry executives and manufacturing managers who foresee a growing demand for bioengineers.

  • Also new at the Universities at Shady Grove, we are offering the Ed.D. in Education Leadership and the B.S. in Criminology and Criminal Justice. We will begin this summer offering two distinct M.Ed. programs at Shady Grove, one leading to teacher certification for students with a bachelor's degree who then decide to go into teaching and one offering TESOL specialization for already certified teachers. The education programs are developed in close collaboration with Montgomery County Public Schools.

  • The Master of Life Science Program is an online content-based master's program for high school science teachers that provides in depth knowledge of current research areas in the biological, biochemical and biomedical sciences. First offered in 2001 to a group of 27 students, the program has grown to 114 students in 2004.

  • The Department of Fire Protection Engineering and the Office of Continuing Education collaborated to offer a complete Web-based M.S. in Fire Protection Engineering, a program that is among the oldest and most highly ranked in the nation, as an online program for professionals around the country.




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