Master's and Doctoral Degrees: What's the Difference?
While considering master’s vs PhD, you need to think about the core reason. If your primary objective is to add a new skill, specialization or qualification to your resume, in order to move up in the payscale faster than would be possible by working at a job, then a master’s degree is the right choice for you.
Similarly, the yearly tuition fees for a PhD are often cheaper than a taught Masters. Things are different in the Sciences, however: an MRes in a scientific subject usually has the same fees as an MSc degree. Both kinds of Masters typically involve extensive laboratory work, which explains the similar tuition fee levels.
Degree Programs Degree programs can be completed at various levels: associate's, bachelor's, master's or doctorate. This can take two years for an associate's degree, four years for a bachelor's.
All that sounds pretty bad for the PhD. But here's the most essential difference between the two degrees: PhDs advance knowledge, whereas MDs merely apply existing knowledge.
A master’s degree is also referred to as a graduate degree. Pursuing a master’s degree is a way to specialize in a particular area of study and usually requires one or two additional years of school. The most prevalent degree titles include the M.A. or Master of Arts, M.B.A. or Master of Business Administration and M.S. or Master of Science.
The 2007 QS International Recruiter Survey reveals the salary benefits of a graduate degree, and which sectors place the highest value on a master's or PhD. You may have many reasons for considering a master's or PhD program, but evidence gathered from employers around the world suggests that candidates with graduate degrees earn more money than their colleagues without such qualifications.
The primary difference between PhD and professional doctorate programs is the type of research conducted in the independent research phase. PhD students are expected to create, expand, and contribute to knowledge, research, and theory in their field of study. This kind of discovery is often called original research.