Masters Programs Report draft

Attached is the draft report of the joint task force of the ACM Education Board and the IEEE-CS EAB on Masters Programs in Computing in the US and Europe. The report describes the status and environment for such programs. Comments and suggestions are requested.
 
The summary of the fields of the descriptions:
 
 
Disciplinary
basis

• Broad-based informatics?
• Specialized informatics?
• Multi-disciplinary program?
• Core computing (e.g., software engineering)?
• Applications of computing (e.g., learning technology)?Culture
and
context
of
the
program

• Disciplinary roots (Computing, Engineering, Science, Humanities, Business, Library 
Science, ....);
• institutional and national contextual issues
Learning
and/or
skills
outcomes
• Does the program specify explicit learning and/or skills outcomes? Which ones? 
• Generic skills (e.g, teamwork, leadership, communication in written and spoken form)
• Specific skills: analysis in specific problem domains,
• Linkage to an IT skills framework?
Program
nature
• Is the degree solely coursework-based?
• Does it require or allow a research or industrial component?
• Are there capstone events (thesis, exam, ...)?
• Is the degree regarded as an end product, or is it a step on the way to a third-cycle degree 
(Ph.D.)?
• Is the degree regarded as professional development?
• Size of the program
o Number of faculty with primary focus on the program
o Number of graduates per year (average over 3 years)
o Full time/ part time ratio
Student
assessment

• Does the same person do the teaching and the examining?
• Is there any review of student assessment?
o Is it reviewed within the same department?
o At the college or university level?
o Outside the university?
o Is there any industry participation in assessment?
Oversight
of
program
quality

• None
• Accreditation
• Government review
• Other (describe)
Delivery
of
program
• Are students expected to be full-time?
• Is the program delivered on evenings or weekends?
• Does the program have a distance component?
• Is the program delivered by a multi-institutional partnership?Entry
issues
• Is the program accessible to people entering the computing field from another discipline? 
• Other specific entry requirements (e.g. industry experience)
International
component
• Required
• Optional
• Not available 
Industry
experience
as
part
of
the
degree
program
• Required
• Optional