The biology department is planning to implement a two-year graduate program that will place SF State in the company of schools such as Stanford, UCLA and the Georgia Institute of Technology, which already offer similar programs.

Set to be introduced in 2008, the professional science master's degree is intended to integrate scientific research and business skills.

"Work force development is the direction we want to go," said associate professor Lily Chen, who will lead the PSM program. "That is why 25 percent of the curriculum will focus on teamwork and communication, not just science."

The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation provided an $891,000 grant to 12 CSU campuses to start the programs. A portion of the donation will go to SF State, serving as the financial springboard for the endeavor.

Biotechnology and regenerative medicine will be the emphasis of the future learning environment.

The latest advancements in stem cell research make the tentative plans for the program all the more exciting for its creators; the most recent development being the discovery that stem cells may be obtained from amniotic fluid, not just from embryonic tissue.

The latest discoveries are so thrilling for Chen that they have inspired her to set the goal of making SF State’s stem cell research comparable to the contribution made by UCSF within the next 10 years.

Aside from being compelled by the burgeoning field that beckons her, Chen feels she has an obligation to the community.

“San Francisco voters voted for stem cell research,” Chen said. “I want to give them what they want.”

The PSM is directed toward students who intend to get jobs immediately after obtaining their master’s, rather than successively going for a Ph.D.

According to Chen, the program might even replace the traditional master’s thesis with a three to six month internship or research project to better prepare students for what lies ahead.

The professional collaborators won’t be confirmed until the PSM is officially established. The staff aims to recruit students with a science-related bachelors degree, preferably pertaining to biology, such as biochemistry, microbiology and biotechnology majors.

The faculty predicts that the majority of the students enrolled in the new master’s program will be from City College of San Francisco, and returning SF State students.

But Chen remains uncertain about what the rate of enrollment will be.

“I think there are about 300 biotech students at City College,” said Chen. “I will be happy if even 10 percent enroll.”

In a press release, the Council of Graduate Schools said, “CSU anticipates producing more than 1,100 PSM graduates in the program’s first five years.” In the meantime, Chen and her colleagues are doing their own research to find the optimal course content to teach students.

“My goal is to find how we can provide the best quality curriculum,” said Chen. “We will do it right, we will do it well.”