Connecting science with business

The first members of a new graduate program at UNC-Chapel Hill will walk across the stage and into their careers on Dec. 13 with a carefully crafted skill set that balances science and business.

The Professional Science Master’s Program is a year-and-a-half long program during which students take a breadth of science, business and professional skills courses.

Graduate students can choose to focus their work in one of the two currently available programs: Biomedical and Health Informatics or Toxicology.

“We are graduating the first Professional Science Master’s students on the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill campus, and that is very exciting,” said program director Heidi Harkins. “I am proud of these students, and I’m proud of all Carolina is doing to train professionals for scientific fields with tremendous potential.”

Evan Galloway, one member of this December’s initial graduating class, said the program is a practical path for students to pursue science careers without a doctorate or medical degree.

“There are many students who really enjoy science and have an aptitude for science, but are not inclined to pursue a PhD or an MD degree,’’ Harkins said. “We don’t want to lose those students from science.”

Far from losing those students to science, the Professional Science Master’s program will now add to the science community with five graduates from its first class.

“These students who are able to work across disciplines, who have a deep science knowledge and also the business skills to get things done – they will be contributing to solving the problems of the future,” Harkins said.