USM's Muskie School also introduced a program in health policy and management after a statewide needs survey indicated strong demand for a graduate program in the field. A Ph.D. in Public Policy and Management is currently under development and soon will take applications. Students in another of USM's profession-oriented master's degrees, the Applied Immunology program, work after graduation in the biotech industry in southern Maine and New England, or go on to doctoral or medical schools. Graduates who have earned a master's degree in computer science from USM jump into high-salary positions as soon as they complete their degrees. This program, recently redesigned to be broader in scope and in career application, is now accepting applications for the Fall 1999 semester.
Social work is another growth profession in southern Maine.
A new master's degree in social work that will prepare students for agency-based practice has been designed in response to heavy demand from interested students and from agencies in Maine looking to hire trained social workers and to provide continuing professional education for employees. The MSW program will be admitting its first class in the Fall 2000 semester. In addition, USM's College of Education and Human Development offers a variety of master's degrees in educational leadership, school psychology, counseling, adult education, special education and more. The School of Business offers a master's in business administration, the College of Nursing offers a master's in nursing, and a master's in occupational therapy can be earned at USM's Lewiston-Auburn College. The University of Maine School of Law at USM offers a law degree.