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A master's degree is an academic degree usually
awarded for completion of a postgraduate course of one or two years in
duration. In the UK it is sometimes awarded for an undergraduate course whose final year
consists of higher-level courses and a major research project.
MA, MS, MSc
The Master of Arts and Master of Science degrees are the basic type in most subjects and may be entirely
course-based, entirely research-based or a mixture. The Master's degree is intermediate between a bachelor's degree and a doctorate. In some fields, one customarily earns a masters before a doctorate; in others, work on a doctorate
begins immediately after a bachelor's degree.
MEd
Master of Education degrees are similar to MA, MS and MSc where the subject studied is education.
In the United States some states licence teachers with a bachelor's degree but require a master's within a set number of years as continuing
education.
United Kingdom
Undergraduate Masters
(MSci, MChem, MEng, MMath, MPhys, etc.) In the UK, many universities now have a four year
undergrad programme in science courses, with a project in the final year. The awards for these are named after the subject, so a
course in mathematics would earn a Master of 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, some are generally considered to
rank below postgraduate master's degrees such as MSc and MA.
Postgraduate Masters
(MSc, MA) These 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degrees (though the latter have largely been replaced by MPhil and MRes programmes, see below).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 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.
MPhil and MRes
The Master of Philosophy is a research degree awarded for the completion of a thesis. It is a shorter version of the
PhD 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. The Master of Research 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.
MAs in Oxford, Cambridge and Dublin
The universities of Oxford, Cambridge and Dublin award master's degrees to BAs without further examination, when a certain number of years after
matriculation (7 in the case of Oxford) have passed, and 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, and certain other privileges e.g. the right to dine at high table.
For the purpose of comparison, they are considered equivalent to BA/BSc degrees of other universities. The MAs awarded by Oxford
and Cambridge are colloquially known as the Oxbridge MA.
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
Although the science faculties of Scottish universities award the BSc degree, the standard first degree in Arts faculties (at
the four ancient universities) is
the Master of Arts (MA). This is equivalent to a BA from an English university.
Professional Master's degrees
- MBA - Master of Business Administration
- MM - Master of Management
- MArch - Master of Architecture
- LLM - Master of Laws
- MLIS, MLS, MIS - Master in Library and
Information Science
- MEd - Master of Education
- M.Eng. - Master of Engineering
- M.H.A. - Master of Health
Administration
- MUP, MURP, MCP, MCRP, M.Pl - Master of Urban (and Regional) Planning, Master of
City (and Regional) Planning, Master of Planning
- M.P.A. - Master of Public Administration
- M.P.Aff. - Master of Public
Affairs
- M.P.H. - Master of Public Health
- M.P.M. - Master of Public Management
- M.P.P. - Master of Public Policy
- M.S.W. - Master of Social Work
- M.Div. - Master of Divinity
See also:
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