A message from the Associate Provost for Professional Education
Office of Graduate and Professional Education
What is professional education?
John Sawyer
If this seems like an odd question, then you are not at the University
of Delaware. The University currently does not have a medical or law
school, the iconic images of graduate professional education, thus
this question comes up often. Without these professional schools,
questions arise: Does the University of Delaware provide professional
education? What is the place of professional education in a research
intensive university? What distinguishes professional education from
other forms of graduate education?
What do we do at UD?
Indeed, the University of Delaware has, at both the undergraduate
and graduate level, a number of programs that prepare students for
professional practice. Most comparable to medical school are UD's
Doctor of Physical Therapy and our nursing and other applied
health science programs. Additionally, UD has a number of
professional programs at both the undergraduate and graduate level
in education, engineering, public administration and policy,
business, as well as the Professional Science Master's programs in
biotechnology and bioinformatics.
Is there a place for professional education in a
research intensive university?
The best way to answer this question is to examine the role of
research intensive universities in professional education. Top
ranked professional programs (by U.S. News and World Report) are
very well represented among the Carnegie Classification systemresearch university/very high (RU/VH) classification. Universities
holding the RU/VH classification make up the 108 most research
active institutions of higher education in the U.S. Among the top
25 medical schools, 68% are located in RU/VH universities (66%
of the top 50).This trend is accentuated with law schools. Of the
top 25 law schools, 100% are at RU/VH universities, with a still
notable 76% among the top 50 law schools. Similarly, top ranked
business schools are highly represented within the Carnegie very
high research classification (100% of top 25 and 84% of top 50).
Is there a place for professional education at research intensive
universities? The answer is a resounding, "Yes."
When the Sloane Foundation initiated funding for Professional
Science Master's (PSM) programs in the late 1980s they turned
to the top 20 research universities. Why? Because the Sloan
Foundation was committed to assuring that the PSM programs
were rooted in the best and most current scientific knowledge in
the STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics)
disciplines. As with medical, law and business schools, who best to
teach the leaders of business, industry, government, education and
nonprofit organizations to apply the most advanced science than
those faculty who are discovering and creating it?
So what exactly is the role of professional education in research
intensive universities? Top research universities are discovering and
creating new knowledge. The leaders in the professional application
of knowledge need to be current, and they need the critical
thinking skills that characterize cutting edge research. Research
intensive universities and professional education have a mutually
beneficial relationship.
What distinguishes professional education?
When we think of professional education we often think of
preparation for exams or other licensure criteria that allow one to
practice in a profession. Many professions such as physical and
occupational therapists, nursing, education, accounting,
psychologists and engineers have professional licensure or
credentialing criteria required to practice in certain areas of the
field. Other professional areas, such as public administration and
policy and business, do not require licenses, but are nonetheless
considered professional. In these professions various registrations
and certifications increase the holder's employability and are
required by some employers.
Characteristically, in most professional schools, education extends
beyond the knowledge that can be learned from books and class
assignments. Students engage in internships, practica, residency,
moot court, and other learning processes to develop those tacit
skills necessary to effectively practice their profession. For most
professional education the strength of the connection with
practicum, internship, or residency providers is critical to the
viability and reputation of the program.
The Council of Graduate Schools requires that for a STEM master's
program to be recognized as a Professional Science Master's it must
have clear and strong ties to an employer advisory board. The input
from internship providers and potential employers to program design
and development is essential to assure that the program is producing
graduates with the skills needed in industry.
In the STEM disciplines, deep and cutting-edge science is essential;
also critical are skills that prepare the graduate to function
effectively in industry. These skills are the ability to effectively
communicate the science to non-specialists, skills to prepare the
individual to work in multidisciplinary teams, and business skills such as basic accounting, budgeting and
financial management to prepare the
graduate to effectively build and work
within viable project plans. These
additional professional skills are not always
included within the typical master's degree
curriculum in the sciences.
Professional education is specifically
designed to prepare graduates for their
chosen profession with a combination of
an academically rigorous core discipline,
supplemented with the professional and
business skills that will enable them to
become true leaders in their fields. The
fully integrated professional program is
not just less research, or a non-thesis
option: it is something else. That
"something else" is comprised of industry specific
and business-related curriculum
elements, and a professional or industry
experience component, all specifically
designed to meet the unique needs of the
employer and/or profession.
The National Governors Association 2011
report "Raising Expectations for Universities
and Colleges in a Global Economy," calls for
clear expectations for higher education's role
in economic development. Among those
expectations is an emphasis on rigorous use
of labor market and other data to define
educational priorities, increased input from
employers in higher education, public
accountability for impacting students'
employability, addressing workforce gaps
and meeting employer needs.
In summary, professional education
addresses global economic development by
including: 1) a core set of knowledge that
is accurate, precise and cutting edge;
2) some form of experiential education
designed to prepare graduates to practice
their discipline; 3) clear and relevant input
from the professional and/or employer
community in the design and delivery of
the program; and 4) breadth of skill as well
as knowledge development activities
specifically designed to meet professional
and/or employer requirements.
At the University of Delaware, there is a
strong base of existing highly-regarded
professional graduate programs. With the
University's vast expertise and research
capabilities, we have the potential to build
further upon this base. As UD's Path to
Prominence states, "We can achieve our
greatest impact by educating and training
the professionals and leaders who serve
society in essential roles, and by closer
integration of public service with research
and education."
Please help us prepare for future issues of this newsletter
What questions do you have about professional
education? Do you know of students who have held unique
internships or conducted impactful or groundbreaking projects?
Is there a company or other partner with an interesting
or compelling story? Please send your ideas for feature
articles or other comments on the newsletter to John Sawyer, Associate Provost for Professional Education
(sawyerj@udel.edu).
