Types of Master’s Degrees

If you have been awarded a Bachelor degree but are still looking to study, this post is going to help you decide what type of degree fits your interests. In fact, today we are going to explain the different types of master’s degrees. With a better understanding of their differences, you are going to be able to make the right choice.

Types of Master’s Degrees

The difference between an MA and an MSc

The main difference between a Master of Arts, known as MA, and a Masters of Science, known as MSc, is related to the chosen major. As the name implies, an MA covers cultural and artistic topics, whereas an MSc offers more topics related to science. For example, a student of a Master of Arts normally gets his or her degree in History, Liberal Arts, English or a Foreign Language. On the other hand, a student of an MSc normally earns a degree in Engineering, Biology or something on that line. Another big difference between the two courses involves the courses and the way they are taught. Generally speaking, an MA is less technical than an MSc and requires less research. You can visit mastersportal for more information.

Master in Business Administration

One of the types of master’s degrees that is worth mentioning is the Master in Business Administration, better known as an MBA. A full-time MBA is a postgraduate degree that normally lasts two years. There are many different Industry-Specific Academics that students can choose from. Some of those are accounting, marketing, finance and business economics. The Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration was the first institute in the world to establish an MBA back in 1908. A few years later, more specifically in 1957, INSEAD offered the first MBA in Europe. INSEAD is a Business School based in Fontainebleau, France, with campuses in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. However, there are more business schools to choose from. The London Business School, SDA Bocconi, and the Copenhagen Business School are just some of the finest institutes in the world when it comes to business studies.

The difference between a postgraduate diploma and a masters degree

Postgraduate diplomas and Masters degrees are on the same academic level. However, they are slightly different. In fact, a postgraduate diploma is composed of 120 credits instead of 180, which is the number of credits that compose a Masters degree. Postgraduate diplomas do not always involve having to write a dissertation or thesis. Students tend to be evaluated by a combination of assignments, coursework, and exams. This becomes useful for those master students whose situation changes throughout their studies. At times, students realize that in-depth research is not something they are keen on doing. Therefore, they decide not to write a thesis. In that case, they can graduate with a postgraduate diploma and do not have to drop out of school and feel like they wasted their time (and money!).

postgraduate certificates

For those of you who would like to attend a vocational course, for example, a legal practice course or an academic course, there are postgraduate certificates. These are shorter versions of diplomas of only 60 credits.

Conclusion

These are the main types of master’s degrees. The first thing that changes between one and the other is their size. To summarise, a Master’s degree is 180 credits, a postgraduate diploma is 120 credits, and a postgraduate certificate is 60 credits. These numbers determine how long and how difficult the degree can be.

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