Master's degree


 * For other degrees, see Academic degree
 * M.S. redirects here. For other uses, see MS (disambiguation).

A master's degree is an academic degree usually awarded for completion of a postgraduate or graduate course of one to three years in duration. In the United Kingdom it is sometimes awarded for an undergraduate student whose final year consists of higher-level courses and a major research project. The ancient universities of Scotland (Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow and St Andrews) award an MA (Master of Arts) as their normal undergraduate degree after four years of study in Arts, Humanities or Social Sciences. In the recently standardized European system of higher education diplomas, it corresponds to a two-year graduate program to be entered after three years of undergraduate studies to obtain a higher qualification for employment purposes or in preparation for doctoral studies.

Master's degrees are often prefixed with magister, which is Latin for master (teacher). In some languages, magister or its cognate is the word used for person who has the degree.

MA, MS, MSc, MSE, AM, SM
The Master of Arts (Magister Artium) and Master of Science (Magister Scientiæ) degrees are the basic types in most subjects and may be entirely course-based, entirely research-based or (more typically) a mixture.

Admission to a master's program is normally contingent upon holding a bachelor's degree, and progressing to a doctoral program usually requires a master's degree. In the United Kingdom however this is not always the case, access to Masters level courses can be granted if the applicant has work based experience that displays technical knowledge or relevance to the field (i.e. social workers often become accepted for Master's Degrees in Sociology). This trend is becoming accepted internationally with USA universities among others beginning to accept non academically backed applicants. In some fields or graduate programs, work on a doctorate begins immediately after the bachelors degree (in the UK this is known as a '1+3' and requires a pass level Masters degree). Some programs provide for a joint bachelor's and master's degree after about five years. Some universities use the Latin degree names, and due to the flexibility of Latin word order, Artium Magister (AM) or Scientiæ Magister (SM) may be used at some schools. For example, MIT and Harvard use the degree abbreviations A.M. and S.M. for their master's degrees. The Master of Science degree is usually abbreviated as MS in the US and as MSc in British Commonwealth nations.

MAief
The Master of Arts in international economics and finance is a one year degree in the field of economics.

MAA
The Master of Applied Anthropology (MAA) is a two-year program focused on training non-academic anthropologists. The University of Maryland, College Park developed this program to encourage entrepreneurial approaches to careers outside academia, where most new anthropologists are likely to seek and find employment. For this reason, it is considered a professional degree rather than a liberal arts degree.

MASc, MEng, MIng
The Master of Engineering (Magister in Ingeniaria) degree is awarded to students who have done graduate work at the masters level in the field of engineering. In the United States, engineering candidates are typically awarded MS degrees, although a growing number of schools also offer a MEng (e.g. the University of California, Berkeley). The distinction between the two programs varies between schools, but the MS is largely considered an academic degree, whereas the MEng is a professional degree. In the U.K. and Canada, candidates are generally awarded MSc, MASc or MEng degrees.

In Canada, the Master of Applied Science (MASc) is awarded to masters students with a research focus (having completed work leading to a thesis), while an MEng is awarded to masters students with a coursework focus and the completion of a research paper. The distinction between MASc and MEng is not definite since some universities grant only an MEng and some universities grant only an MASc, be it either research or coursework-focused.

MAT
Coursework and practica leading to a Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) degree is intended to prepare individuals for a teaching career in a specific subject of middle and/or secondary-level curricula (i.e., middle or high school). The MAT differs from the MEd degree in that the course requirements are dominated by classes in the subject area to be taught (e.g., foreign language, math, science, etc.) rather than educational theory. Work toward most MAT degrees will, however, necessarily include classes on educational theory in order to meet program and state requirements. Work toward the MAT degree may also include practica (i.e., student teaching). This abbreviation is also sometimes used to refer to a Masters in Theology (see ThM).

MBA, MBOL, MHA, MNPL, MPP, MPA, MSPCI
Master of Business Administration (MBA), Master of Business and Organizational Leadership (MBOL), Master of Health Administration (MHA), Master of Not-for-Profit Leadership (MNPL), Master of Public Policy (MPP),Master of Public Administration (MPA), and Master of Strategic Planning for Critical Infrastructures (MSPCI) are professional degrees focusing on management for the private and public sector.

LLM
Master of Laws (LLM) is an advanced professional degree in law. The course typically lasts one year and is usually in a specific area of law. Despite the name, a Master of Laws is a higher degree than a Juris Doctor.

MAcc, MAc or MPAcc
Master of Accountancy (MAcc, MAc or alternatively MPAcc for Master of Professional Accounting) is typically a one-year, non-thesis graduate program designed to prepare graduates for public accounting and to provide them with the 150 credit hours required by most states before taking the CPA exam.

MALS, ALM, MLS
The Master of Arts in Liberal Studies (MALS) Master of Liberal Arts (ALM) and Master of Liberal Studies (MLS) are interdisciplinary master's degrees. Characteristics that distinguish these degrees from others include curricular flexibility, interdisciplinary synthesis via Master's thesis or capstone project, and optional part-time enrollment.

MArch I., MArch II.
The two-year Master of Architecture (MArch II.) or three-year (MArch I.) is a professional degree in the study of architecture.

MCJ
The Master of Criminal Justice is a professional degree in the study of criminal justice. The program is designed as a terminal degree for professionals in the field of criminal justice or as preparation for doctoral programs.

MDiv, ThM, STM
The Master of Divinity (M.Div.) is the first professional degree in ministry (in the US and Canada) and is a common academic degree among theological seminaries. It is typically three years in length. Other theology degree titles used are Master of Theology (Th. M.), Master of Theological Studies (M.T.S.), Master of Arts in Practical Theology (M.A.P.T.), and Master of Sacred Theology (S.T.M.).

MEd
Master of Education degrees are similar to MA, MS, and MSc where the subject studied is education.

In the United States some states license teachers with a bachelor's degree but require a master's within a set number of years as continuing education.

Other education-related master's degrees conferred in the United States are Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.), Master in Teaching (M.I.T.), Master of Science in Education (M.S.Ed. or M.S.E.), Master of Arts in Education (M.A.Ed.), and Master of Adult Education (M.Ad. Ed.).

MID
Master of Industrial Design is a two or three year program in the field of industrial design.

MFA
The Master of Fine Arts (MFA) is a two to three year terminal degree in a creative field of study such as theatre arts, creative writing, filmmaking or studio art.

MFS
The Master of Forensic Sciences (MFS) is a specialized professional degree designed for law enforcement, lab personnel, attorneys, investigators and other professionals.

MHS
The Master of Health Science is awarded to students who have completed a post-graduate course of study in health sciences or health policy fields, usually associated with the Public Health field. The MHS is often a more focused program for public health professionals, often with non-health professional backgrounds. This degree is abbreviated as MHSc in Canada.

MISM
The Master of Information Systems Management (MISM) is a 2 year degree geared towards professionals trained in both management and information systems. The culmination of both fields is often referred to as management information systems.

MLA
The Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA) degree is a professional degree in the field of landscape architecture.

MLS, MLIS, MSIS
A Master of Library Science (MLS) degree is the culmination of an interdisciplinary program encompassing information science, information management, librarianship, and/or related topics. Modern variants include Master of Library and Information Studies (MLIS), Master of Science in Information Studies (MSIS), Master of Librarianship, et al. While some universities use standard degree titles such as Master of Arts (University of Iowa) and Master of Science (University of Illinois) for their Library Science master's degrees.

MMus
Master of Music is a two to four year applied degree in the field of music.

MOT
The Master of Occupational Therapy is awarded to students who have completed a post-graduate course of study, and is now the entry-level degree for this profession.

MPH, MSPH
The Master of Public Health and Master of Science in Public Health degrees are awarded to students who have completed a post-graduate course of study in Public Health.

MPhil
In the United States and Canada, a Master of Philosophy or Magister Philosophiae (MPhil) degree is sometimes awarded to ABD (all but dissertation) doctoral candidates who have completed all coursework, passed their written and oral examinations, and met any other special requirements before beginning work on the doctoral dissertation.

Assuming all requirements are met, the MPhil degree is generally awarded after about one year of full time study towards a doctorate. The MPhil is considered equivalent to the former French DEA (Diplôme d'études approfondies) and Spanish DEA (Diploma de Estudios Avanzados).

MPM
The Master of Project Management is a terminal professional degree awarded to students who have completed a post-graduate course of study, and is usually associated with construction management, urban planning, or architecture and engineering design management.

MPS
The Masters of Professional Studies is a terminal interdisciplinary degree and is sometimes used by programs that do not fit into any traditional categories. In some cases it is used as replacement for an MFA for programs with heavy technology focuses like NYU's Interactive Telecommunications Program. Other programs use it for Organizational Studies or interdisciplinary Social Science programs.

MSN, M.Nur.
The Master of Science in Nursing is the most common title for a graduate professional degree in nursing. A few schools also use the titles Master of Nursing or Master of Arts.

MSW
The Master of Social Work (MSW) is a professional graduate degree preparing students to become professional social workers. MSW programs require students to complete an extensive field practicum, under mentorship of a senior social worker. MSW programs in the United States are accredited by the Council on Social Work Education.

The degree title MSW is not used in the US by all social work schools. The University of Chicago uses A.M. and Columbia University uses M.S. to name a few of the exceptions.

MUP, MCRP, MURP, MCP
The Master of Urban Planning (MUP), Master of City and Regional Planning (MCRP), Master of Urban and Regional Planning (MURP) and Master of City Planning (MCP) are professional degrees in the study of urban planning.

European Union
In order to facilitate the movement of students between European Union countries, a standardized schedule of higher education diplomas, also known as the Bologna process, was proposed: a 3-year undergraduate degree called licence or bachelors degree, then a two-year diploma called master, then a doctorate, meant to be obtained in 3 years. Because of these indicated schedules, the reform is also referred to as 3-5-8.

Austria
The traditional Austrian equivalent to the Master's degree is the Diplomstudium, leading to the title Diplom-Ingenieur (female title: Diplom-Ingenieurin) in engineering or Magister (female: Magistra) in almost every other discipline. This is a first degree after 4–5 years of study. The fields of medicine and dentistry pose an exception; the first degree in these disciplines is a professional doctorate.

Due to the Bologna process, the traditional degrees are being replaced by a Bachelor's degree after 3 years of study and a Master's degree after 2 more years of study at the university level (including both the research-oriented university sector as well as the newly established sector of Fachhochschulen).

Belgium
In Belgium, owning a masters degree means that you have completed a higher education (usually university or college) programme of 4 or 5 years. Before the Bologna process most university degrees required 4 years of studies (leading to a licence), but some programmes required 5 years of study. An example in the field of education in business/management was the 5-year programme of "Handelsingenieur" (Dutch) or "Ingénieur de Gestion" (French) (English: "Business Engineer") with an important amount of mathematics and sciences, and which corresponds to a M.Sc. in Management. This degree co-existed with an undergraduate degree in business economics (4 years) named "Licentiaat in toegepaste economische wetenschappen" (Dutch) or "Licence en sciences économiques appliquées" (French) (English: "Licence in applied economics").

Denmark
M.Sc (Master of Science), eng. discipline corresponds to the Danish equvivalent which is referred to as: cand.scient, cand.mag, cand scient.pol, etc. Cand. Polyt (Polytech.)is also referred to as: Civilingeniør in Danish, not to be confused with the English term:Civil Engineer.

Finland
In Finland, the introduction of Bologna Process has standardized most of the degrees into the European model. The higher degree is called Master (of respective field) in all fields of study and takes two yeas after the Bachelor's degree. Medicine-related fields of Medicine, Dentistry, and Veterinary Medicine pose an exception. In medical fields, the licenciate (In Finnish, lisensiaatti, and Swedish licensiat) is an equivalent degree, the completion of which takes five (dentistry) or six years (medicine and veterinary), while the Bachelor degree is gained after second year of studies. In fields other than medicine, the licentiate degree is a post-graduate degree higher than Master's but lower than doctor's. In Engineering, the higher degree is either DI (Finnish:diplomi-insinööri/Swedish:diplomingenjör, literally: "Engineer with diploma") or Finnish:arkkitehti/Swedish:arkitekt (Architect) although in international use MSc is used. In Pharmacy, the degree is proviisori. All such degrees retaining their historical name are classified as Masters. Some other Masters degrees give the right to use the traditional title of the degree-holder. E.g. the Masters of Science in Agriculture and Forestry may use the titles of metsänhoitaja or agronomi depending on their field of study.

France
In France, a traditional diploma was the maîtrise (which translates literally as "master's qualification") after 4 years of studies. This diploma becomes the first year of the Masters program, often referred to as M1. Because of this change, legal texts specifying a maîtrise (for instance, those defining the conditions for the external agrégation) had to be amended. The Masters programs subsume the former DEA (research-oriented 1-year degree), and DESS (industry-oriented 1-year degree), which become the second year of the Master (M2).

Parallel to university education, graduation from a grande école, which requires 5 years of intense work after the baccalauréat, can be assimilated to the Bologna definition of a Master's degree.

Germany
In Germany the Magister or Diplom (first degree after 5 years, from either a University or a Technische Hochschule and not from a Fachhochschule (University of Applied Science) has traditionally been the equivalent to the Master degree.

Due to the Bologna process these academic titles are mostly being replaced by the Bachelor and (postgraduate) Master degree. The traditional degree at a German Fachhochschule (University of Applied Science), the Diplom (FH) (first degree after 4 years of study) is also being replaced by undergraduate Bachelor's degrees (3 years) and postgraduate Master's (2 years).

Italy
The old University System (Vecchio Ordinamento) consisted in a unique four-five year course, with a variable period (6-12 months usually) for the thesis work. At the end of the thesis work, students got the Master's Degree, simply called Laurea. Because of Bologna process, in 1999/2000 this system was reformed and now in the University System (Nuovo Ordinamento) there are two kinds of courses: a three year course leading to Livello o Laurea Breve (bachelor's degree; e.g.: Laurea di Primo Livello in Ingegneria Elettronica, Bachelor of Science in Electronic Engineering) and a two year course of specialisation, leading to a degree called Laurea di Secondo Livello, Laurea Magistrale or Laurea Specialistica (master's degree; e.g.: Laurea Specialistica in Ingegneria Elettronica, Master of Science in Electronic Engineering), both having a final study work. A student could and can apply for a PhD course (Dottorato) only after getting the Master of Science. Medicine universities have not changed the system, and consist in six year of study followed, eventually, by the specialisation (3-6 years more).

Netherlands
In 2004, the Dutch degree system was changed to abide to international standards. Former degrees such as the doctorandus (prefix abbreviated to drs., corresponds to MA or MSc), ingenieur (ing. for bachelor and ir. for master level, corresponds to B.Eng and M.Eng respectively), meester in de rechten (mr., corresponds to LL.M.) and doctor (dr., corresponds to Ph.D) are no longer granted (although still used and protected)

Master's degrees

Only accredited universities can grant master degrees, although support exists for allowing colleges to grant professional master degrees (in the future). Master's degrees are usually granted after 4 years of study at a university (5 for some engineering studies, 6 for medicine studies) or after 4 years of study at a college, 1 bridge year at a university and 1 master year (at a university) (6 total) In the Netherlands we have MSc, MA, M.Eng and LL.M. degrees.

Before one is allowed into a master programme, one has to obtain a bachelor's degree in the same field of study. Obtained master degrees may be used as suffixes to ones name, bachelor degrees in the same field of study as the master may not be used. (Mr. Janssen MSc LL.M.)

Bachelor's degrees

See Bachelor's degree

Poland
Currently there are two models of higher education in Poland.

In the traditional model, a masters degree is awarded after completion of a university curriculum&mdash;a 5 year programme in science courses at a university or other similar institution, with a project in the final year called magisterium (it can be translated as a Master of Arts or a Master of Science thesis) that often requires carrying out research in a given field. An MA degree is called a magister (abbreviated mgr) except for medical education where it is called a lekarz medycyny (this gives the holder the right to use the title of physician) or a lekarz weterynarii in the veterinary field. Technical universities usually give the title of magister inżynier (abbreviated mgr inż.) corrseponding to an MSc Eng degree.

More and more institutions introduce another model, which as of 2005 is still less popular. In this model, following the Bologna process directives, higher education is split into a 3-year bachelor programme ending with a title of licencjat (non-technical) or inżynier (technical fields), and a 2-year programme (uzupełniające studia magisterskie) giving the title of magister or magister inżynier. Nevertheless, even in these institutions, it is often possible to bridge the bachelor education directly into the master programme, without formally obtaining the licencjat degree, thus shortening the time needed for completing the education slightly.

Depending on field and school, the timing may be slightly different.

Sweden
Academic degrees in Sweden are 'kandidat' (three year), 'magister' (four year) and 'doktor' ('magister' + 4-5 year). There are special degrees for engineers. Higher (civilingenjör) which is four and a half year, and the lower degree (högskoleingenjör) which is three year.

Sweden has not come very far in the process of Bologna, but will extend the 'magister' degree to bachelor + two year in the future.

Undergraduate Master's Courses
(MSci, MBiochem, MChem, MComp, MPharm, MEng, MMath, MPhys, MML etc.)

In the UK, many universities now have four-year undergraduate programmes in the science or in the humanities with a project in the final year the Dissertation. The awards for these are named after the subject, so a course in mathematics would earn a Master in Mathematics degree, (abbreviated to MMath), or have a general title such as MSci (Master in Science at most universities but Master of Natural Sciences at Cambridge).

Although these degrees reflect a higher level of achievement than the traditional bachelor's degree, they are generally considered less prestigious than postgraduate master's degrees such as MSc and MA. In content the first three years are generally identical to those of the equivalent bachelor's degree while the fourth year is a combination of higher-level taught courses and a research project.

An example of an undergraduate Masters degree in the professions in the United Kingdom is Pharmacy. In order to become a pharmacist, the undergraduate MPharm must be completed, followed by one year of pre-registration experience.

Postgraduate Masters
Postgraduate masters in the United Kingdom can either be "taught" degrees, involving lectures, examination and a short dissertation, or "research" degrees (though the latter have largely been replaced by MPhil and MRes programmes, see below). Taught masters programmes involve 1 or 2 years of full-time study. The programmes are often very intensive and demanding, and concentrate on one very specialised area of knowledge. Some universities also offer a Masters by Learning Contract scheme, where a candidate can specify his or her own learning objectives; these are submitted to supervising academics for approval, and are assessed by means of written reports, practical demonstrations and presentations.

Taught Postgraduate Masters
(MSc, MA, LL.M., MLitt, MSSc, MSt etc.)

The most common types of postgraduate taught Master's degrees are the Master of Arts (MA) awarded in Arts, Humanities, Theology and Social Sciences and the Master of Science (MSc) awarded in pure and applied Science. A number of taught programs in Social Sciences also receive the Master of Science (MSc) degree (e.g. MSc Development Studies at the London School of Economics).

However, some universities - particularly those in Scotland - award the Master of Letters (MLitt) to students in the Arts, Humanities, Divinity and Social Sciences, often with the suffix (T) to indicate it is a taught degree, to avoid confusion with the MLitt (see Research Postgraduate Masters below). The University of Cambridge and some others have taught MPhil degrees (and some universities, such as the University of Glasgow used MPhil for both taught and research Masters degrees but have recently changed the taught appellation to MLitt).

In Law the standard taught degree is the Master of Laws, but certain courses may lead to the award of MA or MLitt.

Until recently, both the undergraduate and postgraduate Master's degrees were awarded without grade or class (like the class of an honours degree). Nowadays however, Master's degrees are usually classified, either into three categories (Pass, Merit or Distinction), or simply two (Pass or Distinction). Typically, a pass mark at Master's level implies an overall average mark of 50%, whilst the grade of Distinction is awarded to those achieving an average equal to or exceeding 70%.

Research Postgraduate Masters
(MPhil and MRes)

The Master of Philosophy (MPhil) is a research degree awarded for the completion of a thesis. It is a shorter version of the Ph.D. and some universities routinely enter potential PhD students into the MPhil programme and allow them to upgrade to the full PhD programme a year or two into the course. Advanced candidates for a taught postgraduate Masters sometimes undertake the MPhil as it is a more prestigious degree.

The Master of Research (MRes) degree is a more structured and organised version of the MPhil, usually designed to prepare a student for a career in research. For example, an MRes may combine individual research with periods of work placement in research establisments. Some institutions call their taught degrees MRes (such as the University of edinburgh), which can occasionally cause confusion.

The Master of Letters (MLitt) degree is a two-year research degree at many universities, including Cambridge and the ancient Scottish universities, and is generally awarded when a student cannot or will not complete the final year(s) of their PhD and so writes their research up for the MLitt. Because MLitt is also used for a taught degree, the suffix (T) or (R) for taught or research is often added, so the more prestigious two-year research degree is called MLitt (R).

Like the PhD, the MPhil and MRes degrees are generally awarded without class or grade as a pass (the standard grade) or can, rarely, be awarded with a distinction.

MAs in Oxford, Cambridge and Dublin
The universities of Oxford, Cambridge and Dublin award masters degrees to BAs without further examination, where seven years after matriculation have passed, and (in some but not all cases) upon payment of a nominal fee. It is commonplace for recipients of the degree to have graduated several years previously and to have had little official contact with the university or academic life since then. The only real significance of these degrees is that they historically conferred voting rights in University elections, it was seen as the point at which one became eligible to teach at the University and certain other privileges e.g. the right to dine at the holder's college's high table. They still do confer some restricted and rarely used voting rights. The MAs awarded by Oxford and Cambridge are colloquially known as the Oxbridge MA, and that from Dublin as the Trinity MA, and would be usually distinguished respectively: MA (Oxon.), MA (Cantab.) and MA (Dubl.). "Cantab." here is short for Cantabrigiensis, "Oxon." for Oxoniensis, meaning "of Cambridge" and "of Oxford" respectively. The Universities of Cambridge and Dublin also offer an MA to certain senior staff - both academic and non-academic - after a number of years' employment with the university.

Until the advent of the modern research university in the mid 19th century, several other British and American universities also gave such degrees "in course".

Scottish MA
In Scotland the first degree in Arts, Fine Art, Humanities and Social Sciences awarded by the ancient universities of Scotland is the Master of Arts. It should be noted the Science and Law faculties of Scottish universities award the BSc and LLB degrees respectively and the New Universities generally award the BA. The Scottish MA is roughly equivalent to a BA from a University elsewhere in the United Kingdom.

Norway
One of the degrees offered by the Norwegian University of Life Sciences and Norwegian University of Science and Technology is a Master of Technology degree. (More can be said: Due to the "Kvalitetsreformen" (directly translated: Quality reformation), the old "hovedfag" (main discipline) has been replaced with the "mastergrad" or "Master degree", lying in between the Bachelor degree and the Ph. D)

MArch, MLA, MUD, MA, MSc, MSocSc, MSW, MEng, LLM
Hong Kong requires two years of full-time coursework to achieve a masters degree.

For part-time study, three years of study are normally required to achieve a postgraduate degree.

MPhil
As in the United Kingdom, MPhil or Master of Philosophy is a research degree awarded for the completion of a thesis, and is a shorter version of the PhD.

Taiwan
In Taiwan, bachelor degrees are basically four years (with honors). There is an entrance examination required for people who want to study in Master and PhD degrees. The course offered for Master and PhD normally is research-based.

India
The Indian system is modelled after the United Kingdom's. The Masters degree is a postgraduate degree after Bachelors. It is the usual pre-requirement for a doctoral degree. MA (Master of Arts) relates to Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences; M.Tech (Master of Technology), M.E. (Master of Engineering) and MSc (Master of Science) relate to Technology, Engineering and Science (pure and applied) disciplines respectively. Besides there are degrees such as M.Stat (Master of Statictics) and LL.M. (Master of Laws).

MA, MSc, MBA
Post-graduate studies in Israel require graduation of first degree with high grades. There is also a direct track to doctorate for graduate students, which lasts 4 to 5 years. In this option the student must prepare a preliminary research work after 1 year, and if he passes the exam, he is automatically awarded with Master's degree.

MEng
This is relatively new degree, given by private colleges.