Graduate school programs
From BluSkyPedia
There are a number of different programs offered by graduate schools. Since going to graduate school can be such a tremendous boost for your career, it makes sense to list some of the different options to show you what is possible. Many people aren't aware of all the possibilities at grad school and there is a particular lack of knowledge about the shorter programs that don't lead to a degree, but allow you to improve your skills and achieve some level of recognition for your graduate work.
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Graduate Citation
A graduate citation is recognition for successfully completing a small number of classes. Usually this involves 3 to 5 classes. It isn't a degree, but it does allow you to have something that can be listed on your resume. Generally this looks better than just showing that you took some classes. If it looks like you took some classes and then quit, it may actually hurt you more than it helps. The citation shows that you started something and then finished it. For many employers, that is what they are looking for in your educational qualifications anyway--the ability to complete a course of study.
Graduate Certificate
A certificate from a graduate school is similar to a citation. It isn't a degree, but it offers a level of recognition for your academic accomplishment. Usually a certificate requires quite a bit more work than a citation--often just a few classes short of a full master's degree. However, you don't have to do a thesis as part of your certificate work and for many people the thesis is the most time consuming part of a degree anyway.
Master's Degree
A master's degree is the degree that leads to a doctorate and is a step above a bachelors degree. Usually a masters degree will take 2 to 4 years to complete. The goal of a master's degree is a broad level of knowledge in a given field. This level of academic achievement should put you well beyond the average worker in your field by a significant margin. Master's degrees usually prepare the student for academic work, but still have many benefits for someone looking at the broad market place.
Professional Degree
Professional degrees have many different meanings. Generally they are starting to be seen as a degree beyond a master's degree that prepares one for working in their profession. It is like a doctorate for someone who doesn't want to work in academia. Since a good portion of doctorate work is research, the professional degree requires significantly less time to complete since the research part is not included.
One of the downsides of a professional degree is that it isn't quite as clear what level of education you've obtained. This is particularly true when dealing with people outside of your specialty. Someone else in the same field may know how to value your degree, but someone outside may not.
Doctorate
A doctorate is a terminal degree preparing one for work in research or to teach. Unlike other degrees, it offers a very narrow field of specialization and generally you will become a world expert on a very narrow body of knowledge. Since you'll be the expert, a doctorate requires a great deal of research. You can't learn what you need to know simply by sitting in a class because there is no one to teach the class because it is so specialized. Generally a doctorate candidate attempts to find a field of study that has not previously been covered in order to do original research.
While other degrees generally try to give you a breadth of educational experience, doctorates let you focus on going deep in one particular area. When you complete your studies you will probably be one of only a handful of people in the world who are truly experts on a vary narrow subject. For example, a historian might become an expert on the two or three years in the life of a famous person they are studying.