I am fully teched out and I have completed all but one puzzle, creating the school. The problem is that I can't get any of my scientists past just being adept. I have tried to force them to do more research and I have tried just letting them do their own thing (which backfired, they became master builders and master farmers). Is there some sort of trick to getting a master scientist?

All you have to do (I got a few master scientists before I forgot to pause the game) is force them to stay at the research table, it does take a while, but they will eventually become master scientists.

How long does that take?? I have been forcing people to stay at that table for 3 hours now. Any longer and I am going to need some major psych drugs cause I am losing my mind, lol!

Kinda strange, because I've always found researchers reach Master stage faster than farmers and builders, because you need so many tech points overall.

I have too many master farmers and builders. I start them out to be scientists and somewhere along the line they decide to change careers. I am about 10 seconds shy of shooting them all! LOL

Were you inadvertently checking the farmer and builder skills in the details screen?

If you're fully teched out, they won't want to research - there's no point as there's nothing else to buy. If you put them at the table, they'll research once and then wander off - so your only option is to babysit one of them and keep them there. Pick the one with the highest level and keep pushing him / her back to the table. It may take a while, but you'll get there eventually.