Types of Advanced Degrees
Ph.D.'s
A Ph.D. is a research degree in any field of study. It is proof of the ability to do original and creative work in the field, and allows direct entry into research and teaching positions at universities and colleges, as well as to industry, foundations, and other institutions and organizations involved in discovery and problem solving.
A professional degree in law or medicine, by contrast, signifies completion of required and elective courses that prepare students for the certification examinations needed to practice as a physician or attorney. Members of a class in professional schools initiate training with one-three years of a common curriculum of core courses followed by one-two years of selectives/electives.
Ph.D.’s in the arts and sciences are awarded by specific departments. A student’s curriculum is planned individually with an advisor and a committee of faculty in the department. It is uncommon for two students, even in the same department, to complete the same set of courses.
Master's Degrees
Master’s programs in the arts and sciences are even less uniform than those leading to the Ph.D. A university may grant a master of arts (MA) or master of science (MS) degree automatically upon completion of the first year or a defined phase of course work toward a Ph.D. Or a university may award a master’s to students who choose not to complete the Ph.D. However, an increasing number of universities no longer accept students who are seeking the master’s degree as a terminal degree.
Many master’s degrees are actually professional degrees:
- MBA: Master of business administration
- MPP: Master of public policy
- MEM: Master of environment management
- MSW: Master of social work
- MSE degrees in biomedical engineering, civil and environmental engineering, electrical and computer engineering, mechanical engineering and materials science, engineering management