|
|
|
SIAM undertook a survey of applied mathematics master's programs on July 1,
2002. The goal of this effort was to understand the nature of the programs
currently offered, and to present a workshop at a SIAM meeting at which the
results of this survey could be presented and the emerging professional
science masters (PSM) programs could be spotlighted.
|
|
A total of 56 departments completed the questionnaire. Of these, 27 identified
their programs as business oriented, including six of the eleven PSM programs
in mathematics funded by the Sloan Foundation. In light of the fact that the
survey was sent to 1,347 departments, the 4.2% response rate was initially
considered disappointing. However, a closer inspection of the situation presented
a different picture. The 1,347 recipients included all the departments (including
some in Computer Science, Statistics, and Industrial Engineering, among other fields)
that SIAM knew to have an interest, however limited, in applied mathematics and
related topics. This "broad net" ensured a low response rate.
|
|
Some highlights from the survey:
|
|
|
|
•
|
There were a total of 1,674 faculty in the 56 responding departments,
ranging from 1 to 90, for an average faculty size of 32 per department.
|
|
•
|
There were 1,064 total enrollments in master's applied mathematics programs
in 2002, up nearly 6% from 1,005 reported for the previous year, while the
projections for the following year showed a 1.6% decline to 1,047.
|
|
•
|
The major sources of student support were teaching assistantships
(45.4%) and personal resources (45.0%), followed by employer (21.2%).
Students can have more than one source of support.
|
|
•
|
The largest group (48.1%) of departments indicated they were business/industry
oriented, requiring a thesis or research project. Another 13.5% consider their
programs as preliminary to a PhD.
|
|
•
|
A majority of the programs responded that a report (55.6%) was required, but
less than one in five required a thesis (17.1%) or research experience (12.1%).
While about 20% of the respondents indicated that an off-campus internship was
required, 41.9% indicated that such an internship was optional.
|
|
•
|
The top recruitment method cited by applied mathematics departments was their
website (35.1%), followed by print advertising (22.3%) and on-campus recruitment (21.6%).
|
|
•
|
The top three reasons given by faculty for satisfaction with the program was
interactions with students, quality of students, and employment placements.
The top four reasons given by students for program satisfaction were quality of
faculty, quality/flexibility of curriculum/program, employment opportunities,
and practicality/applicability of program.
|
|
•
|
Nearly all departments were interested in attracting more master's students.
That interest would suggest that there is a real or perceived shortage of
students, which affects departmental funding allocations from the host university.
|
|
•
|
Of the 39 applied mathematics departments who responded to the question,
over half (51%) reported the average starting salaries for graduates of master's
degree programs as between $45,000 and $55,000.
|
|
|
|
Further details from the survey are available from either James Crowley,
Executive Director, or Lee Seitelman, Survey Director, Society for Industrial
and Applied Mathematics, 3600 University City - Science Center, Philadelphia,
PA 19104, (215-382-9800), Crowley@siam.org
or lseitelman@aol.com.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
