Masters Degree
"The following information discusses Master's Degrees in general. Not all schools will offer all of the different types of master's degrees. Please use the navigation menu and click on the link of the school in order to see which specific programs they have."
General Information
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 course whose final year consists of higher-level courses and a major research project. In the recent standardized European system of higher education diplomas, it corresponds to a two-year graduate program to be entered after three years of undergraduate studies and in preparation for either high-qualification employment or for doctoral studies.
Types of Masters Degrees
MA, MS
The Master of Arts (Magister Artium) and Master of Science (Magister Scientiae) 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 or graduate programs, one customarily earns a master's before a doctorate; in others, work on a doctorate begins immediately after the bachelor's degree. Some programs provide for a joint bachelor's and master's degree after about five years.
Professional Masters Degrees
Master of Business Administration (MBA), and Master of Public Administration (MPA), are professional degrees focusing in management for the private and public sector.
MASc, MEng
The Master of Engineering degree is awarded to students who have done graduate work at the masters level in the field of engineering. While in the United States, candidates in engineering are typically awarded MS degrees, in the U.K. and Canada, they are generally given MSc or MEng degrees.
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.
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).
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.
MPhil and MRes
A Master of Philosophy or Magister Philosophiae (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. 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.
Featured Programs [10]
Master of Business Administration
The MBA program is designed to enhance the management skills students need to function effectively within an organization. Emphasis is placed on quantitative analysis of business information to improve business decision making. To prepare students for this decision-making role, the MBA has been designed to introduce the theory or principles that frame a wide range of problems or issues in each of...
Master of Business Administration
The MBA program is designed to enhance the management skills students need to function effectively within an organization. Emphasis is placed on quantitative analysis of business information to improve business decision making. To prepare students for this decision-making role, the MBA has been designed to introduce the theory or principles that frame a wide range of problems or issues in each of...
Master of Business Administration / Accounting
The program is designed to develop or enhance the financial management skills necessary to function effectively within private businesses, non-profit organizations, and public agencies. The program concentrates on managing fiscal resources within the structure, culture, and mission of any organization. The accounting specialization addresses advanced costing techniques, accounting theory,...
Master of Business Administration / Global Management
The Global Management program helps current and future global managers gain the specialized skills needed to lead multicultural and multinational work forces. The curriculum is structured with two primary goals in mind: to provide you with a broad-based understanding of the economics of international business operations, and to prepare you for managing human and material resources within various...
Master of Business Administration / Health Care Management
The MBA/HCM is designed to provide students with the business management skills needed to manage successfully in todays health care delivery systems. The MBA/HCM program emphasizes the identification, analysis, and solution of complex management problems with a foundation of health care concepts and decision models that will support the variety of management roles that can be seen in todays health...
Master of Business Administration / Human Resource Management
The MBA/HRM program is designed to meet the needs of a broad but unique population - the working adult manager or supervisor who could benefit from a graduate business education. Because human resources management science tools are applicable to the problems of the public sector as well as the private sector, students whose career interests involve not-for-profit enterprise are also encouraged to...
Master of Business Administration / Marketing
The Master of Business Administration/Marketing (MBA/MKT) program develops students for the role marketing managers play in defining business problems, assessing information, considering alternatives, and choosing the best solution. Students in this program will complete five specialized courses in e-Marketing Theory and Application, Consumer Behavior, Marketing Research, Marketing Strategy, and...
Master of Business Administration / Technology Management
Whether you are involved in the development, management, or marketing of technology, this program will teach you how to meet the unique challenges of the ever-changing technology industry. The most successful organizations will continue to employ managers, engineers, designers, and systems analysts who can interpret business plans as easily as schematic drawings. Your studies will focus on the new...
Master of Business Administration Public Administration
The Master of Business Administration/Public Administration program (MBA/PA) is designed to enhance the management skills students need to function effectively within an organization. This program addresses public policy analysis and public financial management. Students will explore the varying needs of internal and external stakeholders in the public sector and how public managers can tailor...
Master of Science in Nursing / Master of Business Administration / Health Care Management
The Master of Science in Nursing/Master of Business Administration/Health Care Management (MSN/MBA/HCM) program is designed to provide nurses with a unique blend of advanced nursing and business management skills needed to manage today's innovative health care delivery systems. The program combines essentials from both degree programs to provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary to...