The Ed.S. is referred to in education circles as a "mini-doctorate". It is a stepping stone from the masters to the Ph.D. and is used primarily in the field of education. I think it used to be the "AA" or something similar. Leave it to education to muddy the water of degrees even further. Howard Rodgers
Howard is correct - the Ed.S. is used strictly in the field of education (usually by secondary school teachers or lower, but not by college or grad school teachers). It used to be more well known as the "Masters + 30," and was the next stepping stone after the master's for a salary increase for teachers. The Ed.S. is now also called the "C.A.G.S." - Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study. However, all three terms - Masters + 30, Ed.S., and C.A.G.S. - mean the same thing. It is, indeed, the equivalent of "half a doctorate," 30 semester hours on top of a master's degree, and those who continue on usually go for the Ed.D. as opposed to the Ph.D.
Actually, Specialist's degrees are granted in Library Science, too. I'll have one at the end of this academic year if I play my cards right (please send good thoughts my way). Cheers, ------------------ Michael Wilson
What is the value of a "specialist" or "advanced study" certificate. In my opinion, not much. In theory the specialist certificate or certificate of advanced study is coursework beyond a masters degree, but does not include a dissertation. Sometimes a college will grant these certificates to individuals who are "all but dissertation" but who never complete the thesis. If you have any desire of getting a doctorate, it doesn't make any sense to enroll in a specialist program. Enroll in a doctoral program, the a.b.d. status is essentially that of a specialist. If you do get the specialist certificate and decide to pursue a doctorate, most stateside programs will want you to take coursework anyway. I think it is better to be a.b.d. with the chance of finishing the doctorate, than to have a specialist certificate which is a deadend.
Two problems with you thought process: 1. In education the Ed.S. is not a dead-end. It is an intermediary and the course can be carried forward to the Ed.D. 2. With an A.B.D. the coursework will, at some point in time, be past the allowable time period and will die, you cannot call yourself A.B.D. forever. With the Ed.S. the you will always have the initials. ------------------ Howard Rodgers
