New master’s degree programs announced

New master’s degree programs announced
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BY LIA UNRAU
Rice News Staff

To provide students with advanced technical training as well as business and communication skills they need to succeed in industry, Rice announces three new professional master’s degree programs, which the Wiess School of Natural Sciences will offer beginning in the fall of 2002.

This combination of practical training and business skills will allow students to move more easily into management careers in research and development, design and marketing of new science-based products or consulting in fields in which technical training is valued, said Jennifer Slimowitz, curriculum coordinator for the new programs.

The 21-month degree programs — one in nanoscale physics, one in energy exploration and the third in analytical and computational environmental science — are part of a national initiative sponsored by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

Prospective students for the Sloan Professional Master’s Degrees include both bachelor’s degree graduates in technical fields and people working in industry who want to expand and enhance their skills and career opportunities.

The master’s degrees will combine technical courses, management courses and team training, a science policy and ethics course and practical hands-on training through extended industrial internships. A seminar series will feature both outside speakers and student speakers.

The programs also will include exposure to entrepreneurship through the Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship, a collaborative effort of the schools of engineering, management and natural sciences, and writing and presentation coaching by Rice’s Cain Project, a program aimed at equipping science and engineering students with articulate, persuasive communication skills.

Students also will engage in science policy and ethics discussions with members of the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy at Rice.

External industry advisers are playing a key role in development of the programs to ensure that the curriculum and skills are relevant to industry needs.

The nanoscale physics program combines a strong component in quantum theory with the study of practical nano- and meso-scale devices, aiming to provide students with the ability to understand, invent and build new nanoscale structures. Students also will benefit from a yearlong course in experimental physics.

The energy exploration program focuses on earth science as applied to the exploration of hydrocarbon energy resources. Students will become proficient in applying geological knowledge and geophysical methods to find and exploit reserves of oil and natural gas.

The analytical and computational environmental science program focuses on the quantitative aspects of environmental science. It is a cross-disciplinary effort incorporating courses from environmental science, statistics, earth science, chemistry and applied mathematics, with electives in chemical and mechanical engineering, biology, ecology, economics and sociology. Graduates will be prepared with finely tuned skills and knowledge valuable to industrial and governmental organizations that deal with environmental issues.

The Sloan Professional Master’s Degree program is continually looking for companies that would be interested in hiring Rice students as interns. Interested parties should contact Slimowitz at (713) 348-3188 or <jslimow@rice.edu>.

For more information about the Sloan Professional Master’s Degree programs visit <http://sloan-pmp.rice.edu>.