The main difference between postgraduate and Masters is their entry requirements. Postgraduate degrees require a first degree or a Bachelor’s degree as an entry-level qualification, whereas some Master’s degrees do not require the first degree as an entry requirement.
Both postgraduate and Masters’s degrees are certifications awarded by a university to a person who has mastered a well-established set of knowledge within a specific area. Although both postgraduate and Master’s degrees take place after the undergraduate level, there are numerous differences between postgraduate and Masters’s degrees.
Key Areas Covered
1. What is a Postgraduate Degree
– Definition, Features
2. What is a Master’s Degree
– Definition, Features
3. Similarities Between Postgraduate and Masters
– Outline of Common Features
4. Difference Between Postgraduate and Masters
– Comparison of Key Differences
Key Terms
Postgraduate, Masters
What is a Postgraduate Degree
Postgraduate education refers to higher education that requires a first or a bachelor’s degree as an entry-level qualification. Postgraduate degrees comprise a range of qualifications such as Master’s degrees, postgraduate diplomas, postgraduate certificates, and PHDs. Moreover, postgraduate degrees allow the students to continue their higher studies in a specialized subject. Furthermore, there are numerous postgraduate institutes that offer courses for students.
Students may follow postgraduate courses for different reasons. For example, some students continue their postgraduate education to move to an academic or research field, while some students follow postgraduate programs to specialize in a career path. Moreover, some people choose postgraduate programs to change their study or career paths completely. Although the first degree or the bachelor’s degree is the basic entry qualification to the postgraduate degrees, other qualifications may vary according to the subject categories, the level of qualification, the course, and the university. Furthermore, higher postgraduate level qualifications like Ph.D. requires a student to have both undergraduate and postgraduate degrees as the entry qualifications. Therefore, the candidates should always check the required qualifications and course requirements when choosing a postgraduate degree or a course. When compared to undergraduate degrees, postgraduate courses are shorter in duration.
What is a Master’s Degree
A master’s degree is a postgraduate qualification a college or university offers to students, typically after one or two years of additional study following a bachelor’s degree. A master’s degree may also contribute to enhancing employability in certain fields. Students can follow a master’s degree either full-time or part-time. Thus, if the Master’s program involves full-time study, it takes 1-2 years for completion, whereas if the Master’s program involves part-time study, it takes 2-4 years for completion.
The course outline of Master’s degrees may also vary accordingly. There are some master’s degrees that consist of one-year coursework and a one-year research component. Moreover, some courses consist only of a two-year research component or else only the two-year course work. Different teaching methods like online teaching and physical teaching methods are used when conducting lectures for Master’s degrees. In some instances, lectures take place physically. On the other hand, in some cases, lectures are conducted distantly. In addition, some master’s degrees require the student to undertake an internship. Internships are often required in the fields of business or medical-related master’s courses.
Similarities Between Postgraduate and Masters
- Both postgraduate and Master’s degrees require entry qualifications.
- Postgraduate and Master’s degrees explore the studies in a specific field deeply.
- Both qualifications enhance employability in certain fields.
Difference Between Postgraduate and Masters
Definition
Postgraduate education refers to higher education that requires a first or a bachelor’s degree as an entry-level qualification, while a Masters is a postgraduate qualification a college or university offers to students typically after one or two years of additional study following a bachelor’s degree
Qualifications
Although postgraduate degrees require a first or bachelor’s degree as entry qualifications, not all Master’s degrees require a first or bachelor’s degree as entry qualifications.
Duration
The time duration of postgraduate degrees may vary according to the course and the university, whereas Master’s degrees may take 1-2 years or 2-4 years depending on the full-time or part-time study.
Entry Qualifications
Although higher postgraduate level qualifications like Ph.D. requires to have both undergraduate and postgraduate degrees as entry-level qualification, a Master’s degree does not require such qualifications as entry-level qualifications.
Internships
In some instances, business or medical-related Master’s courses require internships, whereas postgraduate degrees do not lay much emphasis on internships.
Conclusion
The main difference between postgraduate and masters is that postgraduate degrees allow students to continue their higher studies in a specialized subject, and they require a first degree or a Bachelor’s degree as an entry-level qualification, whereas a Master’s degree is a postgraduate qualification a college or university offers to students typically after one or two years of additional study following a bachelor’s degree.
Reference:
1. “Postgraduate Education.” Wikipedia. Wikipedia Foundation.
Image Courtesy:
1. “Henry Wellcome’s Master in Pharmacy Certificate Wellcome L0034385” By Welcome Images (CC BY 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Photo of Person Holding Graduation Cap and Diploma” by Pavel Danilyuk (CC0) via Pexels
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