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Master of Science in Professional Science

The Master of Science in Professional Science (MSPS) is a groundbreaking 2-year master’s degree program that combines Business and Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) curricula to produce in-demand, working graduates.  Also known nationally as Professional Science Master’s (PSM), our degrees equip students for successful careers in business, nonprofit, government, or academia.  

Advantages of an MSPS Degree

• Over 70% of MSPS students are offered a job at their place of internship.
• Over 90% of MSPS students are employed at graduation.
• Average salaries for graduating MSPS students are between $65,000 and $75,000.

MSPS Degree Components

The STEM

Students take 21 hours of graduate courses covering advanced STEM topics in their degree field: 

Actuarial Science Recognition

Combined the CAEs and Gold-Level recognitions, there are only 10 schools in the world (9 in the US, 1 in Canada). In this regard, MTSU has its actuarial science program ranked in top 10 in the world!

The Business

All MSPS students take a core of business courses that cover traditional MBA topics such as managerial communication, accounting, leadership, and statistical reasoning.  These classes (15 hours total, including the internship) are designed specifically for the MSPS program and require no previous business coursework.

The Internship

In place of a research thesis, MSPS students complete a capstone internship at which they apply both their scientific knowledge and their business skills.  Our students have completed internships in over 130 companies and institutions including Nissan, General Mills, Jack Daniels, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, and Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Tennessee. 

Watch MSPS Program Director Dr. Saeed Foroudastan discuss how our degrees help students launch successful careers in science and engineering:

Who Should Apply

The MSPS program is designed for people interested in STEM disciplines who also want to acquire business and managerial expertise. Our students have diverse educational and experiential backgrounds, including:

• recently graduated college students
• currently employed graduates seeking to boost their careers
• individuals seeking to change careers later in life
• 49% women and 24% minority students
• active military and veterans
• local, regional, national, and international

Additionally, some MSPS graduates choose to go on to PhD programs or health professional schools (medical, dental, nursing, etc), where their advanced STEM education and business skills can be sought-after assets.   For more information, contact Suzanne Hicks, MSPS Graduate Coordinator.

History of MSPS at MTSU

MTSU, the College of Basic & Applied Sciences, and the Jennings A. Jones College of Business created the Master of Science in Professional Science program in 2004 to provide Middle Tennessee with a best-educated and well-trained STEM workforce.  The MSPS program received the Tennessee Board of Regents Academic Excellence Award in 2010, and it is recognized as a model program by the Council of Graduate Studies and the national PSM program.

In 2015, the MSPS program completed a program review, which outlined its successes in enrollment, graduation, and employment rates.