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Education

How South Florida Colleges Are Prepping Their Students For STEM Jobs

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To keep up with the demand for STEM-related jobs, South Florida's universities are coming up with programs to help prepare their future graduates.

One of them is Discovery Though Distinction, a new effort at Florida Atlantic University to incorporate research in undergraduate programs.

The school is also planning to offer an accelerated master's degree that would take just five years.

"Our goal is to help train a very prepared workforce," says vice president of academic affairs Gary Perry. "As a university, we are part of the economic development of Florida."

Florida International University has also added to its STEM program. STEM Transformation Institute director Laird Kramer says the school has been implementing evidence-based or research-based learning.

He also says this type of learning ensures students will enter STEM-related fields prepared. FAU's Perry says these programs could help South Florida's economy.

"We are recruiting students in this area to try and meet that need," he says. "[We] want to make South Florida especially attractive to industries to come here and set up shop."

Students who eventually join the STEM workforce in South Florida will make almost $5,000 more than the state's average salary.

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