Authors
Lauren Ataman-Millhouse, Federica Lopes, Giulia Vigone, Nimra Chohan, Rebecca Willingham, Pamela Monahan, Leah E Simon, T Rajendra Kumar, Christopher L R Barratt, Raquel Romar, Sebastián Cánovas, Joaquín Gadea, María-Jiménez Movilla, María Alexandra Márquez Lema, Jennifer P Barfield, Francesca E Duncan
Published in
Human reproduction (Oxford, England). Aug 04, 2026. Epub Aug 04, 2026.
Abstract
What is the sustained impact of master's programs in reproductive science and medicine in meeting the growing global demand for expertise in this field?
This study provides quantitative data supporting the value of master's degree programs in providing students with educational experiences to meet the increasing demands for a well-trained workforce of reproductive scientists.
Master's programs focused on reproduction-ranging from animal science, clinical embryology, and reproductive health and biology-are expanding around the globe, providing students with a degree beyond the bachelor's or its equivalent and are an alternative or bridge to other advanced degrees. However, the impact of these programs in creating a well-trained next generation of reproductive scientists to support workforce needs and advance the field has not been systematically investigated.
We performed a web search to define the landscape of master's programs offered across the globe. We also convened a meeting (Global Perspectives: A Think Tank for MS Programs in Reproductive Science and Medicine at Northwestern University on 24-25 June 2024) to establish a network between four master's programs (two in the United States and two in Europe), including the Master at Northwestern University (USA), at University of Dundee (United Kingdom), at Colorado State University (USA), and at the University of Murcia (Spain). These programs are established at public and private institutions, are varied with respect to class size and duration, and span focus areas ranging from veterinary to human reproductive health to Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART). We obtained and analyzed enrollment and outcome data from the four featured master's programs to determine the profile of students who pursue these master's degrees in reproductive science and determine how they contribute to the field post-degree.
The study relied on self-reported data from each participating program. The programs were selected because they represent a cross-section of established master's programs in reproduction that have collectively trained almost 1000 students since 2004. We analyzed enrollment and outcome data from these four established master's programs. Programs reported on student outcomes post-degree, including job categories, job titles, employers, and other impact (e.g. publications, awards and honors, and grants and independent funding).
Master's programs in reproduction and related fields are on the rise, with the number of programs having almost doubled from 73 in 2022 to 145 in 2025. The four featured programs reported on at least 9 years of retrospective data. The University of Murcia program started in 2004, Colorado State University in 2013, University of Dundee in 2014, and Northwestern in 2016. To date, these programs have trained 366, 210, 244, and 108 individuals, respectively, with average class sizes for each program ranging between 12 and 22 students. Most students across programs (81% cumulatively) are female. The programs based in the USA primarily attract US students, whereas the programs in the United Kingdom and Spain have a more global footprint. Students matriculate into programs with academic backgrounds in life sciences and related fields and have obtained prior degrees in broadly defined fields including biology, chemistry, animal sciences, and medicine. After students complete their master's degrees, they are generally continuing within the reproductive science and medicine pipeline with careers spanning: advanced training (e.g. PhD, MD, and DVM programs), clinical careers (e.g. embryology and andrology), research careers (e.g. scientist or faculty), and careers in industry and education.
Our study is limited to four master's programs that were invited to the Global Perspectives: A Think Tank for MS Programs in Reproductive Science and Medicine meeting. The analysis performed here can serve as a basic template for tracking student profiles and outcomes across all existing programs, so that we can glean a more wholistic understanding of the impact of master's degrees programs in reproductive science and medicine.
This study provides quantitative data supporting the value of master's degree programs in providing students with educational experiences to meet the increasing demands for a well-trained workforce of reproductive scientists. This work lays the foundation for establishing a formal consortium of master's programs in reproductive science whereby prospective data can be collected in a standardized way across programs, alumni outcomes tracked, and an educational network created. This could be of value in disciplines where there is an increasing trend toward accreditation and adherence to legal frameworks, such as reproductive medicine and embryology.
This work was supported by institutional funds from the Center for Reproductive Science, the Thomas J. Watkins Endowment, and the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Northwestern University (F.E.D.) and the Makowski Family Endowment, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, CU Anschutz School of Medicine (T.R.K.).
C.L.R.B. is Co-Editor-in-Chief of Human Reproduction; he is a faculty member and deputy program lead for one of the courses discussed in this article (Dundee) for which salary is paid by the University of Dundee. All other authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.
Not applicable.
PMID:
42551847
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 05 Aug 2026.
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