Graduate Programs

There are three primary graduate degree programs in the United States.

1. First Professional
2. Master's
3. Doctorate

All three programs are available to a candidate that has completed a Bachelor's degree, also known as an undergraduate degree, from a higher education institution such as a college or university.

A First Professional degree is required for license into a specific career such as medicine or law. The credentials usually require 3-4 years of full-time specialized study.

Master's degrees are often placed in a further hierarchy such as Master of Arts, Master of Science, Master of Philosophy, etc. The credentials usually require an additional 1-2 years of further full-time study after the student has earned a Bachelor's degree in a related field.

A Doctorate degree is the highest academic degree attainable in the United States and usually requires that the student has obtained a Master's degree or Professional degree. The most common example is the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD). Other examples include the Doctor of Engineering (DEng) and Doctor of Science in the (DSc). There are minimum requirements for completing coursework or research for doctorate degrees, and is usually three years, but the majority of students take between 5-10 years to complete a doctorate degree.

Learn about Paying for Graduate School