Difference between masters degrees?

After researching the right masters degree for myself over the last few months, I've come across a lot of options. I've seen the usual M.A., M.S., and MBA degrees, but I've also seen ones that are just Masters in Something. For example I've seen MBAs in Sports Management, and M.S. in Sports Management and those I understand. You get a master of science degree in sports management. However, I've also seen programs that offer a Masters in Sports Management. Doesn't say M.S. or M.A. or anything like that. Just Masters in Sports Management. I couldn't find any information online about this type of masters so I figured I'd ask. I understand the difference between M.S., M.A., MBA, and even M. Phil. and M. Psy., but its hard for me to figure out what kind of masters it is when it just says masters. Thanks for the help.

 

There is no functional difference. A good example would be Management. You can get an MBA in Management, an MS or an MA in Management or even a Master of Management.

Outside of the U.S. you might also find a Master of Studies.

At some schools you get an MSW, at others (far fewer than there used to be) you get an MS in Social Work.

So there isn't really much of a difference to understand as the differences are largely cosmetic and don't typically have any impact in the workplace.

 

Traditionally, the M.S. (or MSc) and M.A. are scholarly degrees. The MBA and others are professional degrees. But these lines can get a little blurred here and there, so YMMV.

The MPhil is not used commonly (if at all) in the U.S. In the UK, graduate research students interested in pursuing the PhD are first admitted to the MPhil and, if their proposals are sufficiently, they're later "upgraded" to the PhD. If not, they have the option of remaining in pursuit of the MPhil. Also, the MPhil can be used as a consolation prize for a failed doctoral thesis. I'm not sure how often the MPhil is actually awarded, though.

 

It's annoying that my master's degree is called a Master of Security Studies. When I fill out applications, sometimes they have a dropdown menu that makes you pick MS, MA, MBA, MSW, etc. They don't have an option for "masters." Since a Master of Security Studies is virtually unheard of, I just choose MA or MS. Really, they could have just called it an MA or MS in Security Studies and called it a day. I'm also annoyed at how they combined the security studies department with the criminal justice department rather than the political science department, but that's a different topic.

 

List of Masters degrees many types

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_master%27s_degrees

Go to the above WIKI site
It list about a hundred different Master's degrees awarded in the US and world
and links with descriptions of each one!

 

Thank you for the replies everyone. I figured there was no difference, but was just curious. Below is exactly what I don't understand. Why make it a Master of Something instead of just a MA or MS? I guess that's one for the suits on the upper floor.

 

In the US, the MPhil is offered by universities in New York as a consolation prize for a failed dissertation.

 

Probably not. I suspect the degree program in question is highly focused on practice, not scholarship. Perhaps standards internal to the school required the distinction, or perhaps standards place by the accreditor.

You could ask them.

 

It's a sub-field of international relations, so it's filled with theory. There was also a thesis option. We all had to take research methods and an introductory course that went over political science theory. Unlike homeland security, which usually is offered as an MA or MS, it is not an applied field. I looked at other security studies and national security studies programs that were either an MA or MS, and there was no real difference. The school did other things that made no sense such as combine the security studies department with the criminal justice department even though there was no overlap in faculty. The security studies professors had degrees in history, international relations, leadership, and public policy. The border studies and criminal justice professors had degrees in criminology, criminal justice, and social work. The security studies department should have been combined with the political science department. Security studies concentrations are usually in international relations programs. I brought this up twice with no response. My guess is that they did this because they wanted them to be their moneymaker, military-attracting programs.

 

As a possible reason, university regulations may state that MA or MS degree is only offered by say School of Arts and Sciences, and has some common standards like GRE requirement. So individual department or school, if they want to run their own program, may need to come up with a creative nomenclature.

 

I could be very annoying. Yesterday I received an advertising email from Central Michigan University for this degree: Master of Science in Administration

This type of degree is not new . . . . just annoying. I am sure there are some differences from a MBA and a MSM, but when does it start to just get silly ?


Michael

 

There used to be more apparent differences between an MSM and an MBA. Today? Not so much. The MBA is a professional degree that broadly covers all matter of business, traditionally at least. The idea is that the marketing executive, the accountant, the lawyer and the human resources exec get the same broad education. Each will take courses in areas that they do not work in.

These days, however, the MBA has been watered down somewhat with the addition of countless concentrations. Want an MBA with hardly any accounting or finance coursework? You can find one.

You can find an MBA in HR program that is almost indistinguishable from an MS in HR. If there is a difference it is likely that the MBA requires an extra few courses in broader business topics.

I've seen a few instances where the MS/MA/MPS is dropped. I recall seeing a program that was actually "Master of Human Resources" (MHR).

Some of this, I imagine, might reflect the fact that these degrees are no longer scholarly. Many MS in HR programs don't include a thesis or comprehensive examination. It's just coursework. So it isn't a scholarly degree at all. It's wholly professional and some schools just adjusted accordingly.

I spoke once before about a colleague who has a Master of Science in Business Administration. I've heard him refer to it as his MBA and the program has since been replaced by an MBA program. But, still, there it is.

It can be annoying if you really focus on it. Otherwise I think it is largely inconsequential. Employers are unlikely to see much of a difference between an MS in Administration and an MS in Management. If they do feel there is a difference it is likely to be subtle enough to simply not matter.

As I have said before, if that (degree quirks) is the most interesting thing to talk about during your job interview then you aren't getting hired.

 

Indiana State University offers both a M.A. and M.S. in Criminal Justice (both by DL), with the difference being that the M.A. requires a thesis, while the M.S. requires more coursework, but no thesis. The M.A. is billed as a preparatory degree for Ph.D. study, while the M.S. is intended for those looking to teach as adjuncts, at community colleges, etc.

 

The same department offers an MS in Homeland Security and an MS in Criminal Justice. Neither one of those programs require the GRE. I just think that they really wanted the program to have a stupid name. When I started, my concentration was Regional Studies. In the middle of my program, they changed the name of my concentration to Regional Security, which is what I ended up with on my transcript. After I graduated, they changed the name back to Regional Studies, which is what I wanted because that's the more common name. I don't think they knew what they were doing, and that's probably why the director was replaced and half of the Security Studies faculty quit.

 

There are also degrees such as Master of Engineering - M.Eng or Master of Technology
- M.Tech Master of Technology Management degree.
Usually - one-year program.

Example

Program Design - Fung Institute for Engineering Leadership

 

I remember reading in one of the Bears' Guide of a fellow who went through an entire program, only to realize at the end that he was getting a M.A. in Architecture, and not the Master of Architecture that he wanted, and was quite upset about it. I've always meant to as Dr. Bear about that, whether the difference was personal preference, or if it really meant something for architects.

 

I believe that the NAAB (National Architecture Accreditation Board) only accredits Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch.) degrees, Master of Architecture (M.Arch.) degrees and Doctor of Architecture (D. Arch.) degrees. Most states require a NAAB degree in order to be licensed.

NAAB Website: Architecture Programs - ARCHITECTURE PROGRAMS

So as I understand it, the usual educational path for architects is earning an NAAB B.Arch. degree, which is a very difficult and demanding five-year degree, or earning a BS in Architecture (which might not be license qualifying) and then an NAAB M.Arch. on top of it.

If somebody did a BS in Architecture, then an MA in Architecture, the combination might not be license qualifying in many places.

 

There is also M.Ed for Master of Education and MPH for Master of Public Health. There are so many master's degrees. I just advise people to pick the program that they believe will fit their career goals (or interest).

 

Well, that answers it, thanks.

I have to say, I'd be pretty upset, too.

 

I met a gentleman once who was insistent that his Master of Science in Law (I'm not sure if that was the actual degree. It was a Masters level graduate degree in law that wasn't a JD) qualified him to sit for the bar. He maintained that he simply didn't want to become a lawyer.

The last time I spoke to him he was appealing the decision of the Bar Examiners to deny his eligibility and was planning to sue said examiners. I wouldn't hold my breathe waiting for his suit to completely upend the practice of law in New York.

If you are engaging in a program for a career path that will require licensure the onus is on you to ensure that the program will help you meet those goals. That wasn't as easy in a pre-internet world but it was certainly possible.

It gets murkier when it comes to distance learning. Accreditation is often, but not always, a deciding factor. A counseling program might qualify me for licensure in California but not in New York. It was always that way. The difference is that a guy in New York would not have been tempted by that CA program because it was unavailable without physically moving to CA.

But you can't really blame anyone else for a fail like that. These licensing bodies typically have people on staff. If you call them they tend to answer questions. These days the licensing regulations are available for public scrutiny with the click of a button.

In New York there is a database of license qualifying programs within the state. One would be wise to use it. Doing so would reveal a number of in-state non-MSW programs that qualify you to be licensed as a social worker. It would also reveal that some programs which, at first glance, would appear to be a path to licensure, are not.

So I'd be mad too. I'd be mad at myself mainly. But, as dear old Dad used to say...

Sometimes you just have to pay stupid tax.