Master's Degree Programs
The master's degree is offered in many different fields and is designed to provide additional education or training in the student's specialized branch of knowledge,
well beyond the level of baccalaureate study.
The term "master's degree" includes a variety of awards of varying content, length, and purpose:
- Master's degrees awarded as advanced research degrees
- Master's degrees awarded as basic professional qualifications
- Master's degrees awarded as terminal degrees.
The two main types of master's degree programs are academic / research and professional.
One main difference between master's programs is whether or not they are designed for students who intend to continue toward a doctoral degree.
Those that specifically do not lead into doctoral programs are known as terminal master's programs. Most professional master's degrees fall under this category.
Credits earned in terminal master's programs may or may not be transferable or applicable in case you decide to continue toward a doctoral degree later on.
Some institutions restrict admission to certain departments solely to potential doctoral candidates, although they may award a terminal master's degree to students who complete a certain level of coursework but do not go on to their doctoral work. Other departments require a master's degree as part of the requirements for admission to their doctoral program.
Since policies vary from institution to institution and within various departments of each institution, it is best to check directly with individual graduate departments to determine the structure and admissions policies for their master's and doctoral candidates.
Academic Master's - Research Master's Degrees:
The master of arts (M.A.) and master of science (M.S.) degrees are usually awarded in the traditional arts, sciences, and humanities disciplines.
The M.S. is also awarded in technical fields such as engineering and agriculture. Original research, research methodology, and field investigation are emphasized.
These programs usually require the completion of between 30 and 60 credit hours and could reasonably be completed in one or two academic years of full-time study.
They may lead directly to the doctoral level.
Master's degrees are awarded in the academic disciplines and applied research fields for study and research from 1 to 3 years beyond the bachelor's degree or the first-professional degree. The length of the program depends upon the requirements of the discipline and the institutional faculty, which may include work in several fields related to the subject being studied.
Studies for research master's degrees involve the completion and defense of an independent thesis, the passing of comprehensive examinations set by the graduate faculty, and occasionally the completion of special projects in addition to participation in advanced seminars and courses.
Many master's programs offer a thesis and a non-thesis option. The degree is the same in both cases, but the academic requirements are slightly different.
Students in non-thesis programs usually take more coursework in place of researching and writing a thesis, and they take a written comprehensive examination
after all coursework is completed. Students in degree programs that include a thesis component generally take a comprehensive examination that is an oral exam
covering both coursework and their thesis.
Professional Master's Degrees:
These degree programs are designed to lead the student from the first degree to a particular profession.
Professional master's degrees are most often "terminal" master's programs, meaning that they do not lead to doctoral programs.
Such master's degrees are often designated by specific descriptive titles, such as master of business administration (M.B.A.), master of social work (M.S.W.),
master of education (M.Ed.), or master of fine arts (M.F.A.). Other subjects of professional master's programs include journalism, international relations,
architecture, and urban planning. Professional master's degrees are oriented more toward direct application of knowledge than toward original research.
They are more structured than academic degree programs, and often require that every student take a similar or identical program of study that lasts
from one to three years, depending on the institution and the field of study.
Professional degree programs usually require completion of between 36 and 48 units = one to two years of full-time study, and usually do not offer a thesis option.
They do not always require that the bachelor's degree be in a specific field, but they may recommend a certain amount of prior study or coursework in the subject area.
Master's degrees awarded for professional studies generally do not have an academic research component but are largely taught degrees with the frequent addition of a supervised project or report as part of the degree requirements. In many professional fields it is possible for the student to enroll in either a professional master's degree program or a research master's degree program depending upon his or her educational goals.
Master's Degree Titles:
U.S. degree titles are not governed by national laws, so an institution may exercise wide discretion in the nomenclature it uses for degrees.
Accrediting associations may exert some influence on degree titles, as do the labor market and the professional academic community,
but there are still a wide variety of master's degree titles in use.
The best way to tell whether a master's degree represents research work or professional studies is to either be familiar with the program
of the awarding institution or to examine the student's academic record to determine what type of degree requirements were met.
Therefore we highly recommend to contact all schools listed in the search results of our school directory!
Some of the more common master's degree titles are:
Master of Architecture (M.Arch) (usually a 2-3 year professional degree);
Master of Arts (M.A.) (usually, but not always, awarded for research studies in a wide variety of subjects);
Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) (generally a one-year professional degree);
Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) (nearly always a 2 year professional degree in management);
Master of Education (M.Ed.) (awarded for both professional and research studies in education subjects);
Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.) (a 2-3 year professional degree in studio, applied, or performing arts that is often considered a terminal degree);
Master of Library Science (M.L.S.) (a 2-year professional degree);
Master of Music (M.M.) (a 2-3 year degree in music that is usually professional (performance) but may sometimes be a research award);
Master of Public Health (M.P.H.) (usually a 2-year professional degree);
Master of Science (M.S.) (awarded for both research and professional studies in a wide variety of subjects);
Master of Science in Nursing (M.S.N.) (usually a professional degree but also awarded for research);
Master of Social Work (M.S.W.) (usually a 2-year professional degree); and
Master of Theology (Th.M.) (generally a research degree but may also be professional).
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