SJSU News Archive
Date: 09/17/2008
San José State Debuts New Industry-Oriented Graduate Management Program With Support From Abbott
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Pat Lopes Harris, SJSU Media Relations, 408-924-1748
SAN JOSE, Calif., -- San José State University has established a new Professional Science Master's (PSM) degree in medical product development management. Debuting this fall, the two-year program will provide college graduates with advanced science and business management courses designed to enable them to move from entry-level work to upper-level project management positions in the fields of healthcare clinical trials and medical product development. The program was founded with the help of Abbott, which gave San José State $100,000 towards establishment of the program, as well as two $5,000 grants to support scholarships for students pursuing careers in medical product development.
"This new PSM is an excellent example of the innovative work underway at San José State as we address our region's top educational priority: providing people with the tools they need to advance in Silicon Valley's 21st century workforce," said SJSU President Jon Whitmore. "San José State is grateful Abbott supports our work and recognizes the powerful impact the SJSU College of Science can have on workforce and economic development when it collaborates with corporate leaders."
The President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Research Council, the National Governors Association, and businesses such as Abbott hail PSMs as one of the most important innovations in higher education because PSMs are designed to provide professionals with both the science and business skills they need to succeed in today's tech-oriented global workforce.
"We are delighted to support San José State University's new medical product development PSM program, which is geared to help students achieve the science and business expertise they need to advance careers in such high-growth areas as clinical and regulatory affairs," said Robert Hance, senior vice president, Abbott. "This new program not only has the potential to benefit Abbott from a local recruitment perspective but, by extension, could also benefit the Bay Area healthcare industry and beyond, and help California advance its competitiveness by developing much needed local talent."
Abbott, a global health care company, has a strong presence in the Bay Area, home to the company's vascular, diabetes care and hematology businesses. San José State used a portion of the Abbott grant to retain the PSM program's first director, Tonja Green. Green is an SJSU alumna with a master's degree and two decades of relevant professional experience. She is implementing a curriculum custom designed by San José State faculty members working in collaboration with industry experts. The rest of the Abbott grant will be used to support further development of the medical product development PSM program.
Admission to SJSU's new PSM is open to college graduates with bachelor's degrees in math, science, engineering, nursing and related fields. Courses are being offered through SJSU's International and Extended Studies office in the evening or online. SJSU's new PSM is one of more than 30 such programs in place or envisioned for the California State University system, which is developing the nation's largest PSM program with $1.4 million in support from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.
"Professional Science Master's degree programs supply the labor market with highly skilled workers essential to the state's future economy," said CSU Chancellor Charles B. Reed. "We are extremely pleased Abbott recognizes the exceptional quality of the graduate science programs our campuses offer and their potential for growth. Our PSMs ensure our graduates are highly trained in science and technology while understanding the business applications of that knowledge so that they operate as comfortably in the lab as in business settings."
Read more on SJSU's new PSM.
Read more on PSMs from the National Research Council.
Read more on PSMs from the Council of Graduate Schools [PDF]. You will need Acrobat Reader to view PDF files. Download it now.
Read about the National Professional Science Master's Association.
San José State -- Silicon Valley's largest institution of higher learning with 32,000 students and 5,700 employees -- is part of the California State University system. SJSU's 154-acre downtown campus anchors the nation's 10th largest city.