A graduate student is someone who has earned a bachelor’s degree and is pursuing additional education in a specific field.
Graduate Degrees
More than 1,000 U.S. colleges and universities offer programs leading to a graduate degree in a wide range of fields. The two main graduate degrees in the United States are the master’s degree and the doctoral degree. Both degrees involve a combination of research and coursework. Graduate education is characterized by in-depth training and specialized instruction. Study and learning are more self-directed at the graduate level than at the undergraduate level.
Master’s Degree:
- Provides education and training in a specialized branch or field.
- May be ²¹³¦²¹»å±ð³¾¾±³¦,Ìýe.g. master of arts (MA) or master of science (MS)} or ±è°ù´Ç´Ú±ð²õ²õ¾±´Ç²Ô²¹±ô,Ìýe.g. master of business administration (MBA), master of fine arts (MFA), master of social work (MSW), or master of education (MEd)
- Programs may offer a thesis or non-thesis option.
- Generally requires one to three years of additional study beyond a bachelor’s degree.
Doctoral Degree:
- Prepares students for college faculty and research scholar positions, or for other careers that require advanced knowledge and research skills.
- May be ²¹³¦²¹»å±ð³¾¾±³¦,Ìýe.g., doctor of philosophy (PhD) or ±è°ù´Ç´Ú±ð²õ²õ¾±´Ç²Ô²¹±ô,Ìýe.g., doctor of education (EdD), or doctor of business administration (DBA).
- Requires that candidates pass a comprehensive examination and complete original research leading to a dissertation.
Professional degree programs that lead to licensure in specialized fields such as law or medicine are also available in the United States. For most programs, a bachelor’s degree in a specific field is not required; however, some programs do require ±è°ù±ð°ù±ð±ç³Ü¾±²õ¾±³Ù±ðÌýcoursework. For example, a student entering medical school may have a bachelor’s degree in philosophy, but will also have taken a significant number of prerequisite courses in biological sciences, chemistry, mathematics, and social sciences.