The master's degree confers different titles depending on the student's discipline. Humanities students earn a Master of Arts, science students earn an MS, and education students earn an M.Ed. Master's degree titles also differ in professional fields; for example, business students earn an MBA.
The requirements for a master's degree are unique to each institution, but all students spend two to three years earning their degree.
The Executive MBA (EMBA) is for full-time business professionals who want to further their education without interrupting their careers. Because they have busy schedules, EMBA students earn their degree by attending night and weekend classes and completing work online. The title of the degree reflects the nature of their study.
Graduate students in the sciences and humanities can earn a doctorate after acquiring a master's degree by writing a dissertation. The highest academic degree available, doctorates confer the rank of "PhD." Doctorates in education confer a different title, "EdD," because education degrees used to require different research, but now the two programs are nearly identical. The average PhD student spends three to six years acquiring a doctorate.
Graduate doctorates also exist in professional fields, including the doctor of medicine (MD), the doctor of dental surgery (DDS) and the doctor of physical therapy (DPT). Compared to a PhD student, the average student in a professional doctorate program spends half as many years earning the degree and does not write a dissertation or other major research project.