This study examines the role of master’s education in the natural sciences and whether and how master’s degree programs might be enhanced to bolster our nation’s workforce and our science-based industries. To carry out the study, the National Academies appointed a committee of experts that was charged with exploring and answering, as possible given the data available, the following questions: 1. What are employer needs for staff trained in the natural sciences at the master’s degree level? Are they able to find or develop the staff they need at this level? How do employers communicate their employment needs to educational programs and how can this communication be enhanced?.
