Most master's degrees for liberal arts and the sciences are either a Master of Arts or a Master of Science degree. Certain types of master's degree programs have specialized degrees. For example, completing a graduate program in the fine arts -- music, writing, drama and art -- results in a Master of Fine Arts degree. Other specialized master's degrees include the Master of Education, the Master of Business Administration, the Master of Social Work, Master of Laws and Master of Science in Nursing.
The most typical doctorates issued are the Doctor of Philosophy and the Doctor of Education. Like the master's degree, some specialized areas of study have their own special doctorate degree. Students who graduate from medical school earn a Doctor of Medicine or a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, while law students earn a Juris Doctor. Other doctorates include the Doctor of Divinity, Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and the Doctor of Dental Surgery.
Before a student is admitted into a graduate program leading to a master's or doctorate, he must first have graduated from a four-year college with a bachelor's degree. Most colleges and universities also require a student to take a standardized graduate-level admissions exam. The Graduate Record Exam, or GRE, is the test most prospective graduate students will take. There are different exams for certain fields of study. Medical students take the Medical College Admission Test, or MCAT; law students take the Law School Admission Test, or LSAT; and business students must take the General Management Admission Test, or GMAT. Other requirements may include written recommendations, an essay, writing samples (creative writing), portfolios (art and design) or auditions (music, drama).
Most graduate programs require students to complete and submit for review a long research project. For master's degree programs, this project is called a thesis. For doctoral programs, this project is called the dissertation. Both are written manuscripts derived from research. A dissertation is longer; it may be several hundred pages in length. A thesis is usually between 50 and 100 pages in length. Creative Writing students have the option of writing what is known as a creative thesis, which may be poetry, fiction or creative nonfiction.
Students begin working on a thesis or dissertation after they have completed the required course work in their chosen field of study. While working on this final project, students attend regular meetings with a faculty advisor, but mainly work on their own, outside the classroom environment. Upon completing a thesis or dissertation, students are expected to present their project in front of a gathering of faculty members, including faculty advisors. This session is called a "defense." The presentation consists of an oral argument in which students explain their project and research methodologies and answer questions about the project.