College Zone - Printable Version - Student Zone - Advanced Degree

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Once you’ve determined what your goals are for graduate or professional school, you’ll have to decide what type of degree can get you where you want to be. The different types of advanced degrees include master’s, doctoral and professional degree. Each degree is structured to meet the needs of specific careers or personal goals, and each takes a different amount of time to accomplish.

Master’s Degree

A master’s degree is an advanced degree following a bachelor’s degree. It usually takes less time to attain (one to two years, depending if you’re full-time or part-time status), but demands a higher standard of knowledge and dedication than a bachelor’s degree. Most master’s degrees are built on extensive research and intricate analysis. You may be interested in working toward a master’s to meet a certain job position’s requirements, to further your knowledge, or to advance your career and earning potential.

Doctoral Degree

A doctoral degree is a high-level degree that can follow a bachelor’s or master’s degree. This type of degree is work-intensive and usually requires full-time attention. Most are earned by researching a unique and specific topic under a professor’s supervision. Earning a doctorate could take anywhere from two to five years, or even longer. You may be interested in pursuing a doctorate if you plan to work in a high-profile profession, such as a psychiatrist or college professor.

Professional Degree

A professional degree is required for work in fields such as law and medicine. These fields have specific schools of study that concentrate on a particular area of expertise. In order to attend, you must have a bachelor’s degree. The study will then be focused on earning the specific professional degree for your field of study.