As demands and times change, so should our programs change. The MLS was specifically designed for those students who do not fit a specific program. It takes a long time to get a new degree through the system. The MLS fits individual students but not a group of students. Professional studies was designed to be the framework above, with appropriate kinds of evaluation.
Professional studies is a skeleton into which several degrees can fit.
Dr. Bill Ray wrote the initial plan for this. The idea is to allow the framework to fit specific needs at the graduate level. The emphasis came from professional focused degrees and will go through like that, otherwise perceived as too vague. The idea is to facilitate a quick turnaround. We do not have the information system to access this information.