Why is Master's Degree Needed?

Graduate School
1

<p>Other than some special cases (ex. PhD., architecture 4+2, etc.), why is Master's Degree needed? What and where is it used for?</p>

2

<p>For many it is a specialization credential. For example, if you teach high school in the U.S. you will be expected to have or work toward a Master’s in Education on in your subject. Some career paths require this as well. </p>

3

<p>It really depends on the discipline and on the individual student. In many sciences (notably physics and chemistry), the M.S. is not required but in some disciplines expect a student to get the Masters degree before moving on to a Ph.D. (some social sciences and humanities for example). In engineering, a Masters degree can be a professional degree with a different purpose than a Ph.D. might have (research).</p>

<p>In addition, some students feel it is to their advantage to get experience in a Masters degree before moving on to a Ph.D. It can also be a question of timing where the student did not think he/she wanted a Ph.D. only later to decide that it would be advantageous.</p>