I felt that a mathematics degree in itself was not enough to get the kind of job I wanted, unless I wanted to teach math. An enlightened employer, says Luks, sees the benefit of a joint major because it produces a student with superior problem-solving skills. Employees who can tackle new problems in the workplace will naturally outlast those who can't. A program created through the Materials Science Institute at the UO is also developing superior problem solvers by teaching students how to apply what they've learned directly to the workplace. The Industrial Internship Master's Program launched last summer allows students to gain valuable experience on the job while earning their master's degrees in physics or chemistry.
Students can focus their studies on polymer science or semiconductor processing.
The program, which is a collaboration between four area universities including the UO, provides working professionals with training in management, communication, and a global approach to problem solving in software development. The program, now offered only in Portland, will add a distance learning option this fall. Students learn more than mapmaking. Meacham introduces his students to computer tools and skills that will give them valuable experience when they're out in the real world looking for work. Over two terms, the class has worked on a web-based atlas of Lane County in collaboration with the Lane Council of Governments.