Oregon PSM

Several workforce needs have converged to spur creation of PSM programs nationally. The percentage of U.S. citizens earning PhD’s in science and engineering has plummeted over the last 20 years and the percentage of students earning MS degrees in the sciences decreased from 4% to 2.3% from 1980 to 2000. The PSM has the potential to rejuvenate science-based career potential for students who do not wish to pursue a PhD and enter academia.

Oregon is a great place to live and work but needs to provide its residents more opportunities in rewarding high-paying fields, particularly in science and engineering.  Growing Professional Science Master’s programs in Oregon will:

• Serve the state’s rapidly growing population (Oregon: 7.9% compared to the U.S.: 6.1%; 2008 survey by Monitor);
• Give more Oregonians access to high paying jobs (Oregon’s average wage: $37,711 compared to the U.S average: $42,405);
• Support Oregon’s high level of innovation (Oregon: 17.91 patents/10,000 workers versus the U.S.: 8.96 patents/10,000 workers); and
• Drive the growth of industries that create products and services and bring dollars into Oregon’s economy (e.g., semiconductors, forest products, medical instruments, computer software, and others).
  

The Oregon PSM Advisory Board’s primary responsibility is to facilitate the state’s efforts in establishing collaborative partnerships with organizations in public and private employment sectors for the purposes of developing new and supporting existing PSM programs.

Current board members include: