There are academic terms that often raise many questions among students today. Two of them refer to the terms postgraduate and master's degree. Which is better of the two when it comes to training or specializing? Are they totally incompatible studies or, on the contrary, can they complement each other?
If you have doubts about them, you should not worry, since in the following article We are going to talk to you in detail about both concepts.
What is a postgraduate
In the case of the postgraduate course, it should be noted that it is not necessary to have a university degree when doing it. It is a complementary training that deals with a specialized subject or discipline and that the student decides to carry out throughout their academic year. By not having too many teaching hours, the student can complete several postgraduate degrees. and specialize in the chosen subject. There are three types of graduate degrees:
- University expert title. If the student chooses this postgraduate class, he must have a university degree and be a professional in the sector. The credits obtained for completing this postgraduate course range from 30 to 35. At the time of obtaining said degree, it is not necessary to complete a final project.
- University Specialist Degree. With this degree, up to 60 credits can be obtained and the student has the option of presenting a postgraduate final project.
- University diploma. It is not necessary to have a university degree to do so, although it is essential to have professional experience in the area to be studied. This type of postgraduate course is aimed at improving the professionalization of the person who undertakes it.
What is a master's degree
Unlike what happens with the postgraduate, To do a master's degree you need to have a university degree. A master's degree usually lasts one to two years and is considered a second cycle university. The master's degree is nothing more than an advanced training of the university career in question. The student who completes a master's degree is going to specialize at an academic and professional level in the career that she has completed at the university. With the master's degree, the student receives from 60 to 120 credits. There are two types of Master:
- Official master's degree It is accredited by the National Agency for Quality Assessment and Accreditation or by the assessment bodies established by the CCAA.
- Private Master's degree. It is offered by universities and is mainly oriented towards the student's professional and employment development.
On many occasions, students who finish a master's degree decide to complete their training by completing a doctorate. To do this, it is necessary to have completed an official master's degree that is approved as such. The doctorate is considered as a third university cycle.
What are the differences between a postgraduate and a master's degree?
We must start from the basis that the current university system is made up of three cycles: the first cycle would be the university degree, the second cycle would be the master's or postgraduate degree, and the third cycle would be the doctorate.
The duration of a master's degree is usually one to two years, while a postgraduate course usually lasts about 150 teaching hours. Another of the great differences between the two studies is that while to take a master's degree you need to be in possession of a university degree, in the case of a postgraduate degree it is not necessary to have finished the degree.
One of the great advantages offered by the postgraduate degree is that by having few teaching hours, the student can take several while combining them with their academic year. The person who manages to finish several postgraduate studies manages to have a fairly complete training in relation to the subject studied. This is key when it comes to completing their training and accessing the labor market.
In short, I hope that your doubts have been resolved regarding the master's degree and the postgraduate course. It should be noted that these studies can be complemented and done without any problem. If what you want is to complete your studies and increase your training, the best option is to complete a master's degree. In the event that what you are looking for is to specialize in a certain subject or discipline, the most advisable thing is to take some postgraduate studies.