The decision of which graduate degree to pursue is just as important as deciding to attend graduate school in the first place. Most master’s degrees are highly specialized, so you need to make sure the degree is correctly aligned with your career goals and the employment marketplace. For example, let’s say you wanted to go into environmental advocacy. Should you pursue a highly technical degree, like an M.S. in Environmental Science, or a Master of Public Administration with an Environmental Policy concentration? That decision is based on many factors and should be thoroughly researched. Here is some other helpful information that will help you understand what all those advanced degree letters mean.
Master’s Degrees provide additional and specialized training, experience, research, and scholarship in a particular discipline.
MS – Master of Science
MA – Master of Arts
MBA – Master of Business AdministrationM.Ed. – Master of Education
MSN – Master of Science in Nursing
MSW – Master of Science in Social Work
What is the difference between the MS and MA degrees? In general, the MA degree has a broader scope with a strong emphasis on one or more of the following areas: the humanities, an interdisciplinary field, discipline-specific theoretical and general knowledge, or professional field of study. The MS degree is more of a focused approach with a science base to include a balance of liberal arts, technological knowledge, and practical skills needed for a particular discipline within the field.
A professional degree provides training to acquire specific skills and knowledge necessary to work in a particular profession.
J.D. – Juris Doctorate (law)
M.D. – Medical Doctor
D.V.M. – Doctor of Veterinary Medicine
Pharm.D. – Doctor of Pharmacy
D.D.S. – Doctor of Dental Surgery
D.O. – Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine
D.P.T. – Doctor of Physical Therapy
The highest degrees awarded are Doctoral Degrees, which require completion of an academic program of studies, a comprehensive examination, and often a dissertation, which is a significant work of original research. For example: PhD (Doctor of Philosophy), Ed. D. (Doctor of Education), or PsyD (Doctor of Psychology). Specialist and Advanced Master’s Degrees are study beyond the master’s but less extensive than the doctoral. For example: Ed. S. (Education Specialist). And Post-Doctorate degrees are simply advanced study/research/training in a particular area, not really “degrees.”