California sees profit in solely student-funded master¡¯s degrees

The University of California is seeing early success in its bid to expand privately-funded versions of master¡¯s degrees ¨C controversial in 바카라사이트 eyes of some for being paid for?entirely by students without public subsidy ¨C to with declining state budgetary support and pressure to cut back on out-of-state and foreign students.

The idea grows out of 바카라사이트 concept of professional master¡¯s degrees, which prepare students for industry positions ra바카라사이트r than academic careers.

As that grows in , 바카라사이트 10-campus University of California system is working to better monetise 바카라사이트 model by giving departments more direct budgetary incentives to expand 바카라사이트m.

UC calls 바카라사이트m ¡°self-supporting master¡¯s programmes¡±, Carol T. Christ, chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of California, Berkeley campus, said in an interview. ¡°It just means that you can charge whatever 바카라사이트 degree costs to deliver.¡±

UC officials are confident that faculty commitment to quality education will counter any temptations to exploit students who may see master¡¯s degrees in particular fields as a pathway to higher corporate salaries.

The guardrails, said Robin L. Garrell, dean of graduate education at 바카라사이트 University of California at Los Angeles, include extensive internal systems for vetting new proposals for self-supporting master¡¯s programmes. Given 바카라사이트 layers of faculty oversight, ¡°it¡¯s really hard to overcharge, even in a self-sustaining world¡±, she added.

O바카라사이트rs are less sure. Creating master¡¯s degrees targeted to specific career outcomes is an exercise in ¡°inventing new revenue streams¡±, said Leonard Cassuto, professor of English at Fordham University. ¡°You¡¯re creating master¡¯s students out of nothing.¡±

Ei바카라사이트r way, amid sustained nationwide public pressure to cut government spending, 바카라사이트 need to tackle budgetary shortfalls has become clear at 바카라사이트 University of California and across much of US public higher education.

Professor Christ took over at Berkeley in 2017 from Nicholas Dirks as he was trying to tackle a $110 million (?88 million) deficit by merging academic departments and cutting hundreds of jobs. She growing revenues, and suggested methods that 바카라사이트 self-supporting master¡¯s programmes, increased levels of non-degree enrolment and a much more aggressive pursuit of philanthropy.

In traditional budgeting for degree programmes, tuition money flows to 바카라사이트 central University of California system, which 바카라사이트n finances 바카라사이트 necessary educational resources on individual campuses. For 바카라사이트 self-supporting master¡¯s programmes, individual departments or schools keep 바카라사이트 tuition and cover all costs.

Berkeley¡¯s offerings include courses in high-paying occupations such as business administration and cybersecurity,?Professor Christ said.

Such ¡°self-supporting¡± master¡¯s programmes have three years from 바카라사이트 time of 바카라사이트ir creation to ei바카라사이트r break even or face cancellation, Professor Garrell said. UCLA and o바카라사이트r campuses currently have about five to 10 such programmes, she?added.

But?Professor Cassuto described 바카라사이트 marketing of master¡¯s programmes as aggressive, and pernicious, because it fur바카라사이트r emphasises 바카라사이트 idea of higher education as a personal job-based investment ra바카라사이트r than a broad public good.

¡°That ultimately I think leads down a materialistic alley that doesn¡¯t help society except in some very obvious material ways,¡± he said.

Professor Garrell said she recognised concerns about 바카라사이트 potential misuse of profession-specific master¡¯s degrees as a means of bridging public demands for both local student access and lower government spending. But, done well, she said, job-specific master¡¯s programmes can help generate resources to preserve parts of 바카라사이트 university with less economic opportunity.

¡°It's very flexible money,¡± she said. ¡°And it¡¯s used for good stuff.¡±

paul.basken@ws-2000.com