Master's degree
A master's degree is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice.[1] Within the area studied, graduates are posited to possess advanced knowledge of a specialized body of theoretical and applied topics; high order skills in analysis, critical evaluation and/or professional application; and the ability to solve complex problems and think rigorously and independently.[1]
In some languages, a master's degree is called a magister, and magister or a cognate can also be used for a person who has the degree. There are various degrees of the same level, such as engineer's degrees, which have different names for historical reasons. See List of master's degrees.
There has recently been an increase in programs leading to these degrees in the United States; more than twice as many such degrees are now awarded as compared to the 1970s. In Europe, there has been a standardisation of conditions to deliver the master's degrees and most countries present degrees in all disciplines.
Comparable European degrees
In some European countries, a magister is a first degree and may be considered equivalent to a modern (standardized) master's degree (e.g., the German university Diplom/Magister, or the similar 5-year Diploma awarded in several subjects in Greek, Spanish, Polish, Portugal, and other universities and polytechnics).
In Denmark the title candidatus or candidata (female) abbreviated cand. is used as a master's equivalent. Upon completion of for instance, a engineral master's degree, a person becomes cand.polyt. (polytechnical). Similar abbreviations, inspired by Latin, applies for a large number of educations, such as sociology (cand.scient.soc), economics (cand.merc., cand.polit. or cand.oecon), law (cand.jur), humanities (cand.mag) etc. A cand. title requires the obtainment of a bachelor's degree. In Finland and Sweden, the title of kand. equates to a bachelor's degree.
In France, the previous equivalents of master's degrees DEA and DESS have been replaced, following the Bologna Process, by both a Research Master (Master Recherche) and a Professional Master (Master Professionnel). The first was said to prepare for a PhD and the second one for professional life but the difference between these two masters tends to disappear and one would only speak about a "Master". A Research or Professional Master is a 2-year postgraduate training usually accomplished after a 3-year training, the Licence. The first year of the Master is called a "Master 1" (M1) and the second year of the Master is called a "Master 2" (M2).
In Italy the Master's degree is equivalent to the 2-year Laurea Magistrale, whose courses start after earning the 3-year Laurea Triennale (roughly equivalent to a Bachelor's degree). Architecture, Law, Pharmacy and Medicine faculties have not adopted these two degrees (commonly called "tre più due", i.e. 3+2) and are still earned after 5-year and 6-year Laurea Magistrale courses respectively.
In the Netherlands the titles ingenieur (ir.), meester (mr.) and doctorandus (drs.) may be rendered, if obtained in the Netherlands from a university, after the application of the Bologna process, as: M.Sc. instead of ir., LL.M. instead of mr. and M.A. or M.Sc. instead of drs. This is because a single program that led to these degree was in effect before 2002, which comprised the same course load as the Bachelor and Master programs put together. Those who had already started the program could, upon completing it, bear the appropriate title (M.Sc., LL.M. or M.A.), but alternatively still use the old-style title (ir., mr. or drs.), corresponding to their field of study. Since these graduates do not have a separate Bachelor’s degree (which is in fact – in retrospect – incorporated into the program), the Master’s degree is their first academic degree. Bearers of foreign Master's degree are able to use the titles ir., mr. and drs. only after obtaining a permission to bear such titles from the Dienst Uitvoering Onderwijs. Those who received their mr., ir. or drs. title after the application of the Bologna process have the option of signing like A. Jansen, M.A., or A. Jansen, M.Sc., depending on the field in which the degree was obtained, since the ir., mr. and drs. titles are similar to a Master's degree, and the shortcut M.A. or M.Sc. may officially be used in order to render such title as an international title.[4][5][6][7]
In Switzerland, the old Licence or Diplom (4 to 5 years in duration) or a the postgraduate DEA is considered equivalent to the master's degree.[8]
In Slovenia, all Academic degrees awarded after a minimum of 4 years of university studies and a successful defence of a written thesis are considered equivalent to the master's degree.
A master's degree is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice.[1] Within the area studied, graduates are posited to possess advanced knowledge of a specialized body of theoretical and applied topics; high order skills in analysis, critical evaluation and/or professional application; and the ability to solve complex problems and think rigorously and independently.[1]
In some languages, a master's degree is called a magister, and magister or a cognate can also be used for a person who has the degree. There are various degrees of the same level, such as engineer's degrees, which have different names for historical reasons. See List of master's degrees.
There has recently been an increase in programs leading to these degrees in the United States; more than twice as many such degrees are now awarded as compared to the 1970s. In Europe, there has been a standardisation of conditions to deliver the master's degrees and most countries present degrees in all disciplines.
Comparable European degrees
In some European countries, a magister is a first degree and may be considered equivalent to a modern (standardized) master's degree (e.g., the German university Diplom/Magister, or the similar 5-year Diploma awarded in several subjects in Greek, Spanish, Polish, Portugal, and other universities and polytechnics).
In Denmark the title candidatus or candidata (female) abbreviated cand. is used as a master's equivalent. Upon completion of for instance, a engineral master's degree, a person becomes cand.polyt. (polytechnical). Similar abbreviations, inspired by Latin, applies for a large number of educations, such as sociology (cand.scient.soc), economics (cand.merc., cand.polit. or cand.oecon), law (cand.jur), humanities (cand.mag) etc. A cand. title requires the obtainment of a bachelor's degree. In Finland and Sweden, the title of kand. equates to a bachelor's degree.
In France, the previous equivalents of master's degrees DEA and DESS have been replaced, following the Bologna Process, by both a Research Master (Master Recherche) and a Professional Master (Master Professionnel). The first was said to prepare for a PhD and the second one for professional life but the difference between these two masters tends to disappear and one would only speak about a "Master". A Research or Professional Master is a 2-year postgraduate training usually accomplished after a 3-year training, the Licence. The first year of the Master is called a "Master 1" (M1) and the second year of the Master is called a "Master 2" (M2).
In Italy the Master's degree is equivalent to the 2-year Laurea Magistrale, whose courses start after earning the 3-year Laurea Triennale (roughly equivalent to a Bachelor's degree). Architecture, Law, Pharmacy and Medicine faculties have not adopted these two degrees (commonly called "tre più due", i.e. 3+2) and are still earned after 5-year and 6-year Laurea Magistrale courses respectively.
In the Netherlands the titles ingenieur (ir.), meester (mr.) and doctorandus (drs.) may be rendered, if obtained in the Netherlands from a university, after the application of the Bologna process, as: M.Sc. instead of ir., LL.M. instead of mr. and M.A. or M.Sc. instead of drs. This is because a single program that led to these degree was in effect before 2002, which comprised the same course load as the Bachelor and Master programs put together. Those who had already started the program could, upon completing it, bear the appropriate title (M.Sc., LL.M. or M.A.), but alternatively still use the old-style title (ir., mr. or drs.), corresponding to their field of study. Since these graduates do not have a separate Bachelor’s degree (which is in fact – in retrospect – incorporated into the program), the Master’s degree is their first academic degree. Bearers of foreign Master's degree are able to use the titles ir., mr. and drs. only after obtaining a permission to bear such titles from the Dienst Uitvoering Onderwijs. Those who received their mr., ir. or drs. title after the application of the Bologna process have the option of signing like A. Jansen, M.A., or A. Jansen, M.Sc., depending on the field in which the degree was obtained, since the ir., mr. and drs. titles are similar to a Master's degree, and the shortcut M.A. or M.Sc. may officially be used in order to render such title as an international title.[4][5][6][7]
In Switzerland, the old Licence or Diplom (4 to 5 years in duration) or a the postgraduate DEA is considered equivalent to the master's degree.[8]
In Slovenia, all Academic degrees awarded after a minimum of 4 years of university studies and a successful defence of a written thesis are considered equivalent to the master's degree.
