Gaining a Competitive Edge

New Professional Programs Prep Students for Tough Market

by Henry H. Leitner, Assistant Dean for Information Technology for Continuing Education

The current information-based economy is raising the stakes for US organizations, and as a result college graduates are finding that the once-valuable bachelor's degree is an increasingly insufficient credential for employment or career advancement. In short, continuous learning is vital to sustaining a competitive advantage. The Extension School, in keeping with its overarching mission of "serving the changing and growing educational interests and needs of women and men of all ages," has created five new Master of Liberal Arts (ALM) degree concentrations to provide the practical experience and academic skills needed to remain competitive in today's demanding job market.

The new professional programs launched this fall--the ALM in Biotechnology, the ALM in Environmental Management, the ALM in Mathematics for Teaching, and the ALM in Museum Studies--build on the Extension School's strong liberal arts base and join the ALM in Information Technology, which was launched six years ago and introduces a new information management systems concentration this year. Geared toward individuals interested in the intersection between technology and management, this concentration focuses on both the theory and practice of how businesses, organizations, and global competition are transformed by developments in data communications, database management, web technologies, and distributed computing.

All five of the professional degrees have the same general admissions requirements (e.g., prospective candidates must already possess a regionally accredited bachelor's degree and have completed three of the professional degree courses for graduate credit with a final grade of B or higher), but each degree program has distinctive degree requirements. Consider, for example, the ALM in Mathematics for Teaching, which is designed primarily for middle and secondary school teachers of mathematics and covers mathematical theory in depth, with an emphasis on classroom application. After completing five required courses (in such subjects as the theory and practice of teaching geometry, number theory, and advanced algebra) and four elective courses, students must work on a well-documented, in-depth thesis project involving the investigation of some aspect of the teaching of mathematics.

Daniel L. Goroff, the program's director and a professor of the practice of mathematics in the Department of Mathematics at Harvard University, envisions the thesis projects eventually forming a comprehensive body of work. "In fact, several students working on parallel projects, such as websites or projects that incorporate testing on the effectiveness of new teaching methods or materials, might eventually link their results directly," he says. Goroff points out that a website could serve multiple purposes: to link content related to one or more aspects of a grade-level curriculum; to explore a particular mathematical topic in-depth; to organize a discussion group for teaching issues related to a class, school, school system, or an area of mathematics; and to serve as a resource for students or parents with questions or problems in certain mathematical topics.

The ALM in Biotechnology, directed by William D. Fixsen, senior lecturer on molecular and cellular biology at Harvard University and director of science instruction for Continuing Education, was shaped on the recommendations of an advisory board of Massachusetts biotechnology representatives. The board--which includes professionals from such industry leaders as Genzyme, Wyeth, and Millennium--worked with Amanda R. Benson, lecturer in Extension and associate director of the ALM in Biotechnology Program, to create a two-track curriculum. The first, in biology, is intended for those with a bachelor's degree who have experience in biotechnology; it emphasizes scientific knowledge, introduces project management skills, and culminates in a degree thesis involving cutting-edge research. The second, the project management track, is intended for individuals with PhDs who have experience in biotechnology but need to develop their business skills.

"More than 80 percent of the biology concentrators in the existing ALM Program are students employed in the biotechnology industry," Benson says, "so I'm confident that there will be a high level of interest from our existing student population." With her experience as a management consultant to Fortune 500 companies (including pharmaceutical firms), Benson was able to create liaisons with the biotechnology industry and the Massachusetts Biotechnology Council to explore how the Extension School might prepare students to fill local industry needs. A new Extension course, Biotechnology Project Management, held at the Massachusetts Biotechnology Council's headquarters in Kendall Square, Cambridge, provides students with an understanding of the responsibilities, activities, and competencies required for project managers in the biotechnology environment.

"We see multinational companies such as Pfizer, Merck, and Novartis setting up research and development organizations in and around the Cambridge-Boston area," says Benson, "so we're hopeful that a growing number of the local biotech companies will be able to sponsor our students' thesis projects." With Boston often at the top of lists ranking cities on such factors as venture capital funding and the proliferation of biotech companies and professionals, the Extension School is in a position to fill a distinct educational niche by offering the only biotechnology master's program in the Boston area that can be earned part time in the evenings.

The ALM in Environmental Management, directed by John D. Spengler, Akira Yamaguchi Professor of Environmental Health and Human Habitation at the School of Public Health, derives from the existing Certificate in Environmental Management and is designed for students who possess a related undergraduate degree or have demonstrated experience working in the environmental field. The program's coordinator and research advisor, George D. Buckley, director of the Marine Ecology Project and the EarthEcho Foundation, says the degree provides students with extensive knowledge of local, national, and global environmental problems and their causes. "It will also help them develop a repertoire of management strategies and problem-solving skills that allow them to work toward the goal of improving environmental quality by lessening the impact of human activities," he says.

Prospective candidates must demonstrate knowledge of analytical skills before applying to the program, as evidenced by completing coursework in decision science or statistics. Candidates have the option of concentrating their studies in one of two areas--sustainability or ecology management--and are required to complete a new proseminar, Graduate Research Methods and Scholarly Writing in Environmental Management. Designed as a rigorous graduate experience, the ALM in Environmental Management culminates in independent research that leads to a master's theses directed by a member of the Harvard faculty. Theses could propose local or regional environmental management practices and plans, as well as educational programs addressing issues related to aquatic systems, wetlands, solid and toxic waste, and pollution.

With a substantial number of its courses offered online, the program is likely to attract students from around the world--a real plus to Spengler. "The power of the Internet to reach so many more students throughout the world is important for our global environment," he says. "The challenge of resource use and contamination of our air, oceans, beaches, drinking water, and food is staggering. To date, we estimate that through the Extension School we have helped 4,000 people gain a better appreciation of their environment. But our goal is to increase this a thousandfold. We need an environmentally literate populace willing to make a difference in their own lives through their jobs, families, neighborhoods, and politics."

The ALM in Museum Studies, directed by David Gordon Mitten, James Loeb Professor of Classical Art and Archaeology at Harvard University and curator of ancient art at the Arthur M. Sackler Museum, also grew out of an existing graduate certificate program. "Over the past several years we have noted that most professional museum job postings had a master's degree requirement," says Linda Newberry, ALM '02, the program's assistant director. "Our Certificate in Museum Studies candidates, while receiving a very solid groundwork education for entering the museum job market, were hindered because a graduate certificate does not carry the same cachet as a master's degree. By adding a graduate research and writing component to our program, we are preparing our students to be competitive."

A distinguished board of museum professionals from Harvard and the Greater Boston area advises the Extension School administration on museum-related issues, trends in museums today, curriculum development, and thesis direction. Members of the advisory board represent the Arthur M. Sackler Museum and the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology at Harvard University, the Museum of Science, the Museum of Fine Arts, the Museum of Afro American History, and other local institutions.

Requirements for the master's program include a proseminar, Graduate Research Methods and Scholarly Writing in Museum Studies, and the thesis. In addition, students must now have three museum studies electives, whereas the certificate program only required two. "The thesis is the exciting element of the new program," Newberry says. "Our students have always benefited greatly from the internship required in the certificate program. We are hopeful that they will be able to take that practical experience and develop it into their thesis." Topics may range from an analysis of how a student designed a particular exhibit to an evaluation of an ethical question museums face today. It may focus on any aspect of museum life: administration, digitized collections, preservation issues, or challenges faced by historic homes in an urban setting.

Katherine Burton Jones, director of information technology and media services at Harvard Divinity School, serves as the research advisor for the new degree program. "Ms. Jones is very familiar to our students, having taught Introduction to Museum Studies and Information Technology for Museums," Newberry says. "She has been instrumental in designing the new proseminar and intimately involved in the development of the new program in general. Her expertise will be a great boon to our students as they work on their theses. I am thrilled that our students will benefit from her guidance."

Students in the program also receive guidance regarding internships, which provide excellent practical experiences and may provide the basis for a thesis proposal.

The original ALM Program remains a standard at the Extension School. It has developed a well-deserved reputation for providing an affordable, high-quality graduate degree in some 19 disciplines. According to Dean Michael Shinagel, "Over the past two decades, a number of ALM theses have been published, and many Harvard faculty have complimented us for bringing adult learners to the world of academia." But the time has come, he says, to supplement the excellent liberal arts base with practical training. "Many segments of the labor market are now demanding professional degrees of their employees; the ALM is undergoing a natural evolution as it adapts to changes in demography and to new pressures of the labor market. I'm very gratified to see the Extension School exploring new frontiers in ALM degrees. I am confident that the new master's concentrations will advance the professional capacity of individual students, help to generate new knowledge in a number of important domains, and also contribute to the competitiveness of local industries and institutions."