Perhaps you have ever heard that someone has done or finished a master's degree, or even in a job position you have read that applicants are asked for a certain type of master to be able to apply for the job. For this reason, It is important that you understand well what a master's degree is.
The official master's degrees were added to the current offer of postgraduate and master's degrees. But what is a postgraduate degree, an own master's degree and a university master's degree? Keep reading to find out and choose the best option for you in each case.
Postgraduate
Any course that has been done with a university degree already is a postgraduate degree. It must be a course that is up to 400 hours long. The price of postgraduate courses will vary depending on the center where you study. Normally due to the content load it is not necessary to do a postgraduate final project to obtain the degree but it will depend on the criteria of the center.
Own master
It is necessary to differentiate the master's degree from the university master's degree. At this point we will analyze the master's degree itself ... it is the most recognized postgraduate study. Its duration is usually up to two years and with an academic load of up to 500 hours.
It usually has a price that is between 3 and 50 thousand euros. Depending on the type of master. It can be a general master's degree to start in a certain area or a specific one to delve more deeply into the knowledge of a specific field.
They are private degrees from the university or endorsed by non-university centers. They tend to have more flexibility but they do not have an homologation from the European Higher Education Area. Despite this, this type of master has prestige and quality.
University and official master's degree
This type of master is usually registered in the European Higher Education Area. They are public studies and that is why it is socially recognized and can be continued, for example with a doctorate.
It usually lasts a year or two at the most. Theoretical and practical training is obtained and a master's final project must be prepared at the end of the course. The price of this type of master is usually dictated at the public level and will vary depending on the credits to which the student enrolls. Usually its price is less than a master's degree.
What should you choose?
You can choose one type of master or another depending on what your interests are. Both types of master's degrees are really official, only that it is governed by its own credit accounting system and has nothing to do with those of a public nature. But both are run by universities.
A university master's degree is approved by the State and it is easier to process if you want to go to a foreign university. On the other hand, a master's degree does not have any legal regulations that regulate it. This means that both masters exist but neither takes the place of the other. They are complementary because each one covers different academic needs.
When we talk about a university master's degree, it is usually aimed at recent graduates who want to continue their training and want to guide them to a professional practice apprenticeship or to the field of research. For you to understand better, the old 5-year degrees are now 4 years of bachelor's and 1 or 2 of masters, Therefore, to be able to complete their training in a specific way, they have to do the master's degree.
On the other hand, an own master's degree is aimed at another audience, exactly professionals who want to expand their professional field, their knowledge, who want to renew or recycle themselves professionally. This is usually done to adapt to social changes and market demands. Or even also, to change the career path.
There is also a key difference that you should know between your own master's degree and the university one: it is the teaching staff. While the university master's degree, all the teachers belong (or a large part) to the university that imparts it (having an academic training, in the master's degrees, three-quarters of the teaching staff do not need to be university students.
The own master's degree has a more real and professional character and the university one has a more academic character. Anyway, if you know the type of master you want to do, you just have to get down to work!