A master's degree is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice. A master's degree normally requires previous study at the bachelor's level, either as a separate degree or as part of an integrated course. Within the area studied, master's graduates are expected to possess advanced knowledge of a specialized body of theoretical and applied topics; high order skills in analysis, critical evaluation, or professional application; and the ability to solve complex problems and think rigorously and independently.
A Master of Science degree conferred from Columbia University, an Ivy League university in New York City
Postgraduate education, graduate education, or graduate school consists of academic or professional degrees, certificates, diplomas, or other qualifications usually pursued by post-secondary students who have earned an undergraduate (bachelor's) degree.
A doctoral graduate (PhD) of Chulalongkorn University in Thailand, dressed in an academic gown for her graduation ceremony
A student receives her degree from the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education, Mexico City in 2013
The entry of students in the Natio Germanica Bononiae, the nation of German students at the University of Bologna, depicted in a 1497 image
