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Master's degree in North America
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This page refers to specific masters degrees in North America. Please see Master's degree for a more general overview.
Master of Laws (LLM) is an advanced professional degree in law, earned after first taking the four-year bachelor's degree (normally in a subject other than law), and the three-year Juris Doctor (necessary in most cases for licensing as a lawyer). The LLM course typically lasts one year and is usually in a specific area of law (e.g., taxation; international business law; etc.. Despite the name, a Master of Laws is a higher degree than a Juris Doctor.
The Master of Applied Anthropology (MAA) is a two-year program focused on training non-academic anthropologists. The University of Maryland, College Park developed this program to encourage entrepreneurial approaches to careers outside academia, where most new anthropologists are likely to seek and find employment. For this reason, it is considered a professional degree rather than a liberal arts degree.
Master of Accountancy (MAcc, MAc, or MAcy), alternatively Master of Professional Accountancy (MPAcy or MPA), or Master Science in Accountancy (MSAcy) is typically a one-year, non-thesis graduate program designed to prepare graduates for public accounting and to provide them with the 150 credit hours required by most states before taking the CPA exam. See also: Master of Science in Taxation
The Master of Arts in History provides its graduates with an exhaustive array of opportunities to pursue the world’s great personalities, events, nations, trends, periods, conflicts, and markings of progress. Many students who graduate with this kind of degree go on to become teachers, professors, historians, researchers, museum curators, and sometimes lawyers. This is looked at as a very prestigous graduate degree to have.
The Master of Arts in international economics and finance is a one year degree in the field of economics.
The Master of Arts in Liberal Studies (MALS) Master of Liberal Arts (MLA, ALM) and Master of Liberal Studies (MLS) are interdisciplinary master's degrees. Characteristics that distinguish these degrees from others include curricular flexibility, interdisciplinary synthesis via Master's thesis or capstone project, and optional part-time enrollment.
The Masters of Arts Management (MAM) is a professional graduate degree that prepares managers for the management of cultural and artistic organizations. The MAM degree focuses studies on much of the subject matter that a MBA Masters of Business Administration focuses on, which is to say the MAM degree focuses on strategic planning, marketing, organizational development, finance, budgeting, negotiations, statistical methods and applications, economic theory, and research. The characteristics that distinguish this degree from an MBA is that all course work is studied in the context of the not-for-profit or 501(c)3 model (U.S. tax-exempt status). Universities that offer a MAM degree are Carnegie Mellon University, George Mason University, Antioch University McGregor, Claremont Graduate University, and National University.
The Master of Arts in Professional Writing (MAPW) degree is a professional graduate degree program that prepares candidates for a wide variety of writing-related positions in business, education, publishing, and the arts. Coursework in three concentrations - applied writing, composition and rhetoric, and creative writing - allows students to gain theoretical and practical knowledge in various fields of professional writing.
The 4+2 or 5-year Master of Architecture (M.Arch.I) is a first professional degree, after which one is eligible for internship credit [and subsequent exam] required for licensure. The 2-year Master of Architecture (M.Arch.II) is a graduate-level program which assumes previous coursework in architecture (B.Arch. or M.Arch I).
The Master of Archival Studies degree is awarded following completion of a program at the School of Library, Archival and Informational Studies at the University of British Columbia, Canada.
The Master of Engineering (Magister in Ingeniaria) degree is awarded to students who have done graduate work at the master's level in the field of engineering. In the United States, engineering candidates are typically awarded MS degrees, although a growing number of schools also offer a MEng (e.g. the University of California, Berkeley). The distinction between the two programs varies between schools, but the MS is largely considered an academic degree, whereas the MEng is a professional degree. In the UK and Canada, candidates are generally awarded MSc, MASc or MEng degrees.
In Canada, the Master of Applied Science (MASc) is awarded to master's degree students with a research focus (having completed work leading to a thesis), while an MEng is awarded to master's degree students with a coursework focus and the completion of a research paper. The distinction between MASc and MEng is not definite since some universities grant only an MEng and some universities grant only an MASc, be it either research or coursework-focused.
In Francophone universities, however, the Master's Degree is frequently equated to the very often, lower-level, Maîtrise and is often abbreviated the same way as in English. For example MSc also stands for Maitrîse ès Sciences.
Coursework and practice 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). This abbreviation is also sometimes used to refer to a Master's in Theology (see ThM).
Master of Business Informatics (MBI) is a postgraduate degree in Business Informatics (BI). MBI programs combine information technology (IT) and management courses. The first master programs in Business Informatics were offered by the University of Rostock, as a face-to-face program, and by the Virtual Global University (VGU) together with the European University Viadrina Frankfurt (Oder) as an online program (see virtual education). Within the Bologna process, many Central European universities have been, or are in the process of, setting up master progams in Business Informatics. Due to legal frameworks and restrictions, however, most of these programs are forced to award an M.Sc. degree instead of an MBI degree.
Master of Business Administration (MBA), Master of Accountancy (MAcy), [[Master of Science in Taxation (MST), Master of Science in Finance (MST), Master of Business and Organizational Leadership (MBOL), Master of Health Administration (MHA), Master of Not-for-Profit Leadership (MNPL), Master of Public Policy (MPP), Master of Public Administration (MPA), Master of International Affairs (MIA), Master of Strategic Planning for Critical Infrastructures (MSPCI), Master of Science in Strategic Leadership (MSSL), and Master of Science in Management (MSM) are professional degrees focusing on management for the private and public sector, domestic and international.
The Master of Criminal Justice is a professional degree in the study of criminal justice. The program is designed as a terminal degree for professionals in the field of criminal justice or as preparation for doctoral programs. It may also be referred to as a Master of Science in Justice Administration (M.S.J.A.).
Master of Clinical Medical Science is a professional degree awarded to Physician Assistants.
The Master of Divinity (M.Div.) is the first professional degree in ministry (in the US and Canada) and is a common academic degree among theological seminaries. It is typically three years in length. Other theology degree titles used are Master of Theology (Th.M. or M.Th.), Master of Theological Studies (M.T.S.), Master of Arts in Practical Theology (M.A.P.T.), and Master of Sacred Theology (S.T.M.).
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.
Other education-related master's degrees conferred in the United States are Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.), Master in Teaching (M.I.T.), Master of Science in Education (M.S.Ed. or M.S.E.), Master of Arts in Education (M.A.Ed.), and Master of Adult Education (M.Ad. Ed.).
Master of Education of the Deaf
Master of Educational Technology is a part-time program within the Faculty of Education at the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Vancouver, Canada, focusing on curriculum design and technology integration.
Master of Environmental Studies
Master of Health Administration (MHA) is a two year degree similar to an MBA but instead is focused on health care systems rather than businesses in general.
Master of Industrial Design is a two or three year program in the field of industrial design.
The MID acronym is also used for a Master of International Development, which is a postgraduate degree in the study of developmental economics, non-governmental organizations and civil society, development planning, environmental sustainability, and human security.
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.
The Master of Forensic Sciences (MFS) is a specialized professional degree designed for law enforcement, lab personnel, attorneys, investigators and other professionals.
The Master of Health Science is awarded to students who have completed a post-graduate course of study in health sciences or health policy fields, usually associated with the Public Health field. The MHS is often a more focused program for public health professionals, often with non-health professional backgrounds. This degree is abbreviated as MHSc in Canada. New degree programs in the US, include MSHS (Master of Science in Health Sciences) that relate to this same particular program type are also becoming more common as universities and medical schools develop more degree specialties throughout the US.
Master of Management in the Network Economy is a one or two year interdisciplinary post-graduate program that uniquely blends information economics, technology management and business administration, in order to forge leaders able to understand and manage the complexity of organizations and markets in the digital economy. In certain universities, like the Catholic University in Italy, this Master encompasses typical courses of a Master of Information Systems Management (MISM or MIS/M) and the business knowledge you can gain from a Master of Business Administration (MBA) or a Master of Business and Organizational Leadership (MBOL).
The Master of Information Systems Management (MISM or MIS/M) is a 2 year degree geared towards professionals trained in both management and information systems. The culmination of both fields is often referred to as management information systems.
The Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA) degree is a professional degree in the field of landscape architecture.
A Master of Library Science (MLS) degree is the culmination of an interdisciplinary program encompassing information science, information management, librarianship, and/or related topics. Modern variants include Master of Library and Information Studies (MLIS), Master of Science in Information Studies (MSIS), Master of Librarianship, Master of Information Management and Systems (MIMS), Master of Science in Library Science (MSLS), and others. Some universities use standard degree titles such as Master of Arts. (University of Iowa) and Master of Science (University of Illinois) for their Library Science master's degrees.
The Master of Mass Communications is a two to three year degree in the field of journalism and mass communications that prepares degree candidates for careers in media management. Students typically undertake courses in media law, marketing, integrated communications, research methods, and management.
Master of Marketing Research (MMR) is a specialized degree in marketing focusing in research. Sometimes called a Master of Science in Marketing Research (MSMR).
Master of Music is a one year full time or two to four year applied degree in the field of music.
Master of Music Education is a two-year postgraduate degree in the field of music education. Master of Medical Education is also a postgraduate degree offered to people who already possess an MD degree.
Master of Medical Science is a two-year postgraduate degree in medical research, usually for those possessing a Doctorate of Medicine already.
The Master of Nonprofit Management (M.N.M.) program offers specialized, graduate-level knowledge for individuals currently working in the nonprofit sector or in organizations that partner with the nonprofit sector. The program provides advanced knowledge in nonprofit management, resource development, strategic planning, and program evaluation that serves to enhance the education and career development of students. This degree program provides opportunities for students to prepare for employment or to advance their careers as administrators in nonprofit organizations. The program is intended to produce graduates equipped with the management skills and analytical skills needed for successful careers in the nonprofit sector. The MNM program is offered through the Public Administration department at schools such as University of Central Florida.
The Master of Occupational Therapy is awarded to students who have completed a post-graduate course of study, and is now the entry-level degree for this profession.
The Master of Public Administration degree is a professional master's degree that provides training in public policy and project/program implementation.
The Master of Physician Assistant Studies is a professional degree providing training in the profession of a physician assistant to practice medicine based on the medical school model.
The Master of Public Health and Master of Science in Public Health degrees are awarded to students who have completed a post-graduate course of study in Public Health. The MPH is considered a management/leadership degree specific to the fields related to public health while the MSPH is considered an academic degree, with a focus on empirical research methodologies.
The Master of Pharmacy degree is awarded to students who have completed the four year undergraduate Pharmacy course. Failure to complete the course, but having completed three years, usually awards the student a Bachelors degree in Pharmaceutical Science.
In the United States and Canada, a Master of Philosophy or Magister Philosophiae (MPhil) degree is sometimes awarded to ABD (all but dissertation) doctoral candidates who have completed all coursework, passed their written and oral examinations, and met any other special requirements before beginning work on the doctoral dissertation. Such programs generally award the M.A. to students who have completed all coursework and preliminary exams (about two years after the B.A.), and the M.Phil. after advanced exams (comprehensives) and all language requirements have been met, and a dissertation topic approved (usually a year after the M.A.).
In other countries, assuming all requirements are met, the MPhil degree is generally awarded after about one year of full time study towards a doctorate. The MPhil is considered equivalent to the former French DEA (Diplôme d'études approfondies) and Spanish DEA (Diploma de Estudios Avanzados).
The Master of Project Management is a terminal professional degree awarded to students who have completed a post-graduate course of study, and is usually associated with construction management, urban planning, or architecture and engineering design management.
The Master of Public Policy is a master level professional degree that provides training in policy analysis and program evaluation at public policy schools. Over time, the curriculum of Master of Public Policy and the Master of Public Administration (M.P.A.) degrees have blended and converged, due to the realization that policy analysis and program evaluation could benefit from an understanding of public administration, and vice versa. However, MPP programs still place more emphasis in policy analysis, research and evaluation, while MPA programs place more emphasis on operationalization of public policies and the design of effective programs and projects to achieve public policy goals. Over the years MPP programs have become more interdisciplinary drawing from economics, sociology, anthropology, politics, and regional planning. Depending on the interest, MPP students can concentrate in many policy areas including but not limited to urban policy, global policy, social policy, health policy, non-profit management, transportation, economic development, education, information technology, and etc.
The Master's of Professional Studies (MPS or MProfStuds) is a terminal interdisciplinary degree and is sometimes used by programs that do not fit into any traditional categories. In some cases it is used as replacement for an MFA for programs with heavy technology focuses like NYU's Interactive Telecommunications Program. Other programs use it for Organizational Studies or interdisciplinary Social Science programs.
The Master of Science in Dentistry is a post-graduate degree awarded for Dentists with a DDS (Doctor of Dental Surgery) or DMD (Doctor of Medical Dentistry) degree, who have completed a post-graduate level course of study.
The Master of Science in Finance is a common degree in the corporate finance and investment finance world. Finance's answer to accounting's MAcc.
The Masters of Science in Medical Education prepares physicians for careers as academic Clinician-Educator-Scholars through didactic training in medical education and research methods, and mentored education research.[1]
The Master of Science in Information (MSI) is a graduate degree designed for information science professionals.
The Master of Sacred Music is a graduate degree combining academic studies in theology with applied studies in music.
The Master of Science in Funeral Direction is a programme offered by the University of Bath with the support of the National Association of Funeral Directors. It might be used in the future as a standardized professional qualification.
The Master of Science in Nursing is the most common title for a graduate professional degree in nursing. A few schools also use the titles Master of Nursing or Master of Arts.
The Master of Science in Natural Sciences (MSNS) program is a graduate degree designed for elementary, middle and high school science teachers, stressing content and the processes of natural sciences.
The Master of Science in Strategic Leadership (MSSL) graduate degree is an Executive Program in Organizational Leadership and Management Development, teaching the skills and knowledge to work more effectively with people, organizational systems, and complex information - critical factors for organizational success. MSSL objectives embody development of a leadership skill set, strategies for problem solving, and solutions to facilitate and manage change applicable in an office of one person to a company of thousands, whether they are profit, not-for-profit, service, retail, or manufacturing.
The Master of Science in Taxation (MST) is a professional graduate degree designed for Certified Public Accountants (CPAs) and other tax professionals. See also: Master of Accountancy
The Master of Social Work (MSW) is a professional graduate degree preparing students to become professional social workers, typically in either direct practice or community practice. MSW programs require students to complete an extensive field practicum, under mentorship of a senior social worker. MSW programs in the United States are accredited by the Council on Social Work Education.
The degree title MSW is not used in the US by all social work schools. The University of Chicago uses A.M. and Columbia University uses M.S. to name a few of the exceptions.
The Master of Studies (M.St.) is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom. The degree is typically studied for in Law, Fine Art, Humanities or Social Sciences and can be either fully-taught, research-based, or a combination of the two.
Assuming all requirements are met, the M.St. degree is generally awarded after about one year of full time study. The M.St. is considered equivalent to the French DEA (Diplôme d'études approfondies) and Spanish DEA (Diploma de Estudios Avanzados), in addition to other master's degrees such as the LL.M. (Master of Laws), M.Sc. (Master of Science), M.Phil. (Master of Philosophy) and so on.
The Master of Urban Planning (MUP), Master of City and Regional Planning (MCRP), Master of Urban and Regional Planning (MURP), Master of Environmental Design (MEDes (planning)) and Master of City Planning (MCP) are professional degrees in the study of urban planning.