Professional Science Management
and Leadership (M.A.)
Location
Professional Science Management courses are offered at the following
location:
Continental United States
Program Description
The master of arts (M.A.) in professional science
management and leadership is designed for professional scientists
and engineers who are advancing in their careers in management and
leadership roles. The program aims to provide these professionals with
competencies in communication, management, leadership, regulatory affairs,
intellectual property, finance, ethics, and law. The program will provide
a mentoring system, networking experiences, and international opportunities.
The program requires 36 credits with a core of 30 credits and an additional
6 elective credits.
Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of the program, students should:
- Be able to write and
present information clearly and effectively for a variety of
audiences.
- Be able to collaborate and work on a team
as well as work across departments.
- Demonstrate leadership skills.
- Recognize the importance of diversity.
- Be able to resolve conflicts.
- Be able to direct employee response
to achieve common goals in a changing business environment.
- Be proficient in the budgeting
process, both within the company and when appropriate with the
federal government.
- Understand the process
of product development, the role of marketing, and how patents
are involved in company market ventures.
- Understand
legal issues and their relation to research, development and
products.
- Be able to apply ethical standards to all operations
within and outside the company.
Program Curriculum
The 36 credit hours required for the M.A. degree
must include the following courses for a major in Professional Science
Management and Leadership.
*PSML 5000 Introduction to Professional Science Management and Leadership
*PSML 5050 Communication for Professional Science Management and
Leadership
*MNGT 5590 Organizational Behavior
*PSML 5590 Ethics and Social Responsibility in Science Management
and Leadership
LEGL 5900 Foundations in Intellectual Property Law
PSML 5700 Marketing and Comparative Analysis for Science Management
and Leadership
BUSN 5200 Basic Finance for Managers
PSML 5800 Project Management
PSML 5850 Regulatory and Qualitative Affairs for Science Management
and Leadership
PSML 6000 Practical Application in Science Management and Leadership
The
elective requirements can be satisfied by taking two courses from
the following:
BUSN 5630 Business Law
INTB 5000 International Business
PROC 5840 Negotiations
LEGL 5740 Ownership, Licensing, and Transfer of Intellectual Property
HRMG 5690 Workforce Retention and Transitions: Theory and Practice
*Core
courses, must be completed before other courses in the program.
Course Descriptions
*PSML 5000 Introduction to Professional Science Management and Leadership.
This course gives an overview of the Science Management Program and
helps students understand a variety of business models and their
demands. The course also addresses strategies for competitive gain,
effective communication, team work, financial management plans, marketing,
intellectual property, work with regulatory bodies, ethics, and human
resource issues. (3 credits)
*PSML 5050 Communication for Professional
Science Management and Leadership
This course teaches effective ways to communicate both in writing
and verbally with colleagues across disciplines, with business
and corporate supervisors, and with the general public. Topics
also include crisis management and dealing with difficult people.
Preparing memos, slide show presentations, reports, and briefing
papers will be practiced. (3 credits) Prerequisite: PSML 5000
*MNGT 5590 Organizational Behavior
This course introduces students to many of the basic principles of
human behavior that effective managers use when managing individuals
and groups in organizations. These include theories relating to individual
differences in abilities and attitudes, attributions, motivation,
group dynamics, power and politics, leadership, conflict resolution,
organizational culture, and organizational structure and design.
(3 credits). Prerequisite: PSML 5050
*PSML 5590 Ethics and Social Responsibility in Science Management
and Leadership
This course examines the moral and social context of professional
managers and leaders in science organizations. Topics include: moral,
social and legal issues in contemporary business management; ethical
theories as frameworks for managerial decisions; corporate social
responsibility; dilemmas of conscience for science managers; ethical
issues in the workplace; morality and leadership; codes of conduct
and professional standards. Analysis and discussion of case studies
comprise a significant portion of the class. (3 credits) Prerequisite:
MNGT 5590
LEGL 5900
Foundations in Intellectual Property Law
This course covers copyrights, trade secrets, as well as Licensing,
United States Patent and Trademark Office, and Freedom to Operate.
Students will learn to communicate more effectively with legal professionals.
(3 credits) Prerequisite: PSML 5590
PSML 5700 Marketing and Comparative Analysis for Science Management
and Leadership
This course focuses on marketing strategies, product management (including
pricing and inventory control), SWOT analysis, competitive intelligence,
branding, and methods of market research. Students will also learn
how to be effective participants of a focus group. (3 credits) Prerequisite:
PSML 5590
BUSN 5200 Basic Finance for Managers
This course examines how to analyze financial reports and statements,
forecast budgets, understand life cycle costing, and undertake tax
analysis. The course will also emphasize the importance of managing
financial risk and techniques for doing so. (3 credits) Prerequisite:
PSML 5590
PSML 5800 Project Management
Students will learn to use current project planning tools to develop
project plans that aid in bringing a project to completion on time
and within budget. Special attention will be given to cost, scope
and schedule. GANTT Theory will also be introduced. (3 credits)
Prerequisite: BUSN 5200, PSML 5590
PSML 5850 Regulatory and Qualitative Affairs for
Science Management and Leadership
This course reconstructs guidelines related to International Standards
Organization (ISO), Good Management Practices (GMP), Food and Drug
Administration (FDA), OSHA, EPA, and Organization for Economic Co-operation
and Development (OECD) and Quality Assurance and Quality Control
(QA/QC). (3 credits) Prerequisite: PSML 5590
PSML 6000 Practical Application
in Science Management and Leadership
This course will have the senior student carry out a well defined
project, such as creating marketing and business plans for a new
company, annual fiscal year or 7 year plan, or other appropriate
project. Aspects of science management and leadership from the curriculum
will be included in the project. Each student will make a final presentation
to a panel that includes mentors. (3 credits) Prerequisite: Completion
of all other courses in the program.
BUSN 5630 Business Law
This course provides a basic understanding of laws that relate to
business with emphasis on the law of contracts, negotiable instruments,
secured transactions, business organization and structure, relationships
among firms, and property. Case studies are analyzed in order to
give the student an understanding of how these various laws have
evolved.
INTB
5000 International Business
The student is introduced to the language and terminology of international
business and major international political and economic policies
that affect modern international businesses. Special attention
is given to fundamental concepts of international finance, accounting,
law, management, and marketing.
PROC 5840 Negotiations
The course involves scope, strategies, and objectives related to
negotiate acquisitions. The preparation, conduct, and documentation
of the negotiation process are included.
LEGL 5740 Ownership, Licensing, and Transfer of
Intellectual Property
This is a practical skills course covering the basics of contract
formation and drafting. This course will cover the preparation and
interpretation of agreements affecting the ownership, licensing and
transfer of intellectual property, including patents, trademarks,
copyrights, and trade secrets.
HRMG
5690 Workforce Retention and Transitions: Theory and Practice
This elective course examines the concepts relevant to the development
and maintenance of a loyal, satisfied, and productive workforce.
This course will illustrate how human resources management practices
affect workforce retention and transitions. After reviewing theories
of employee motivation, organizational commitment, job satisfaction,
and withdrawal cognition, students will examine common organizational
strategies and practices for retaining valuable human resources.
Students will learn methods for assessing the causes of employee
turnover and transfers, how to maximize the retention of good employees,
how to design fair and effective layoff or reduction in force policies,
and how to design and implement promotion, succession planning, and
transfer programs in organizations. This elective course builds upon
and supplements the core human resources management courses.
