Larry Foulke has been involved in the nuclear power industry for more than four decades, and he's risen to prestigious positions such as chief scientist at Bechtel Bettis and president of the American Nuclear Society.

But there's one thing that the 71-year-old Dr. Foulke has utterly failed at: retirement.

Dr. Foulke retired in 2006 and nearly immediately afterward was tapped to start up a nuclear engineering program at the University of Pittsburgh. The program, underwritten by Westinghouse Electric Co. and FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Co., which operates the Beaver Valley Power Station, is already exceeding capacity in some classes; Dr. Foulke estimates that he's already taught more than 70 different students at the graduate level alone.

Just as the fields of science, technology, engineering and math -- known as STEM -- are constantly seeing new advances, options for STEM degrees and certificates change regularly at colleges and universities.

While universities still grant standard degrees in mathematics, physics and biology, offerings have expanded to include degrees such as industrial microbiology, applied systematics and human-computer interaction.

Degrees can come and go based on changes in the employment landscape or shifts in educational philosophy.

In 1997, the Sloan Foundation embarked on a mission to meet what it viewed as a need for a degree that filled the gap between an undergraduate science degree and a Ph.D. The aim was to reformulate and restore prestige to the concept of a science master's degree.

"A master's degree was previously seen as a stepping stone to a Ph.D.," said Michael Teitelbaum, program director at the Sloan Foundation. "If you didn't move on, you got a master's, and that was the booby prize."

The Sloan Foundation funded the first professional science master's programs in 1997, and there are now about 120 such programs.

The degrees involve not only classes on graduate-level science, but also incorporate lessons tailored to the business or government world, such as coursework on policy and management.

Universities often tailor their degrees to the needs of the local workforce, offering professional master's degrees in areas such as biotechnology or financial mathematics.

Penn State University started one of the first professional master's degree programs nine years ago with its biotechnology program.

"There are certain students who finish their bachelor's degree, and they feel like they're not really ready, that they don't know what they want to do," said Loida Escote-Carlson, director of the biotechnology program at Penn State. "For them, this is the perfect thing."

The biotechnology program, which is limited to about 12 students per year, received more than 150 applications last year, said Dr. Escote-Carlson. While most of her students have gone on to work at biotechnology companies such as Merck and GlaxoSmithKline, a few others have found jobs in government or gone on to pursue a Ph.D.

"Most of them go for research and development, but some of them are not the laboratory type," said Dr. Escote-Carlson. "It's very gratifying to see my students pursuing the career that they are going for, and that's because of the broad exposure they get with this program."

Penn State also has more recent professional science master's programs in forensic science and applied statistics.

The forensic science program, which started in 2006, became competitive quickly. This year, the program is anticipating about 100 applicants for eight to 15 slots.

The two-year program -- one of just a handful in the country -- leapfrogs students over entry-level jobs in forensic DNA labs, said Mitchell Holland, associate director of Penn State's forensic science program. Students gain a broader science background than they would if they went straight from getting their bachelor's degree to working in a lab.

"It accelerates their knowledge and preparation and allows them to get a broader view of the entire process," said Dr. Holland. "It also gives them more options, which is important for a graduating student."

The University of Pittsburgh offers professional science master's degrees as well, in the fields of financial mathematics and geographic information systems and remote sensing.

But the university has also started up new programs in recent years to meet workforce demands of local industries.

"As a state-affiliated institution, we are under obligation to fill the needs of our constituents," said Radisav Vidic, professor and chairman of Pitt's civil engineering department. "If there's a strong demand, we are likely to do our best to offer it."

Pleas from industry for a more educated workforce resulted in the development of the nuclear engineering program, as well as new programs in mining engineering and construction management and sustainability at Pitt.

It helped, of course, that local businesses were willing to put up money to underwrite the degree programs. Just as Westinghouse and FirstEnergy are supporting the nuclear energy program, Consol is supporting the mining engineering program.

"For decades, nobody invested anything in the nuclear industry and the same thing with the mining industry, and as a result very few schools are offering degrees," said Dr. Vidic. "If there really is a need, they should be willing to support it for a few years."

Megan Witkowski became one of the first students in Pitt's mining engineering graduate certificate program this fall, straight from earning her bachelor's degree in civil and environmental engineering from Florida State University.

Ms. Witkowski, 23, finds the science of going about 1,000 feet underground "amazing" and was thrilled to see Pitt start up a special mining engineering program.

"I'm sure it's going to catch on because I see a lot of interest in it," she said. "I've noticed that there are more kids in the classes I'm taking, as awareness grows and word gets out."

Pitt's construction management program, which was initially funded by industry, has existed for more than a decade. But recently, the school added a "green construction" component to the degree, with increased emphasis on sustainability and Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification.

New programs emphasizing environmental studies are one of the hottest trends at universities nationwide, picking up on student concern with global warming. Chatham University, for example, started an environmental science major in 2007.

At Pitt, the construction management program recently added a distance learning option in response to requests from businesses because construction engineers tend to move from job site to job site.

Other local universities have also responded to requests from businesses. Six years ago, the Community College of Allegheny County instituted an associate degree and a certificate program in biotechnology to help staff local laboratories with skilled biotechnicians.

Last year, in partnership with Allegheny General Hospital, CCAC also started a program for low-income women that offers intensive support and free tuition, books, a laptop computer and day care.

"Pittsburgh is a magnet for all these research institutions, and these are jobs that fill a niche where it's not a graduate student, but it is someone with skills," said Sandra Bobick, chair of the biology department at CCAC's Allegheny Campus.

In the case of nuclear engineering, university programs aren't so much new as they are resurgent.

While nuclear engineering was a popular area of study in the 1960s, there were just 500 students enrolled in nuclear engineering programs nationwide by 1998, said Dr. Foulke. Now, that number is closer to 3,000. In fact, he said, there's a nationwide shortage of faculty capable of teaching the burgeoning student population.

Except for him, everyone teaching in Pitt's program right now is an adjunct professor working in the industry.

Occasionally, said Dr. Vidic, there's a tension between relying so heavily on the needs of industry and still wanting to provide students with a broad education. But for the most part, he said, the new programs are striking the right balance to please all parties.

He's constantly fielding calls from consultants, he said, and job placement for Pitt's civil engineering graduates is 100 percent.

"Engineering is not a static field anymore," he said. "As the needs and the economy changes, a university must be in the position to respond."