List of master's degrees in North America
This list refers to specific master's degrees in North America. Please see master's degree for a more general overview.
Accountancy
, alternatively Master of Professional Accountancy, or Master Science in Accountancy is typically a one-year, non-thesis graduate program designed to prepare graduates for public accounting and to provide them with the 150 credit hours required by most states before taking the CPA exam.Master of Accounting is an 8-month degree offered by the University of Waterloo, School of Accounting and Finance in Canada that satisfies the 51 credit hours and CKE exam requirement needed to write the Chartered Accountant Uniform Final Exam in the province of Ontario. The School also delivers a Master of Taxation program. The School is housed in the Faculty of Arts.
Master of Professional Accounting is a two-year, non-thesis graduate program offered by the University of Saskatchewan in Canada. In the United States, the University of Texas at Austin offers a Masters of Professional Accounting degree.
Administration
, Master of Management, Master of Accountancy, Master of Science in Taxation, Master of Science in Finance, Master of Business and Organizational Leadership, Master of Engineering Management, Master of Health Administration, Master of Not-for-Profit Leadership, Master of Public Policy, Master of Policy, Planning and, Management, Master of Public Administration, Master of International Affairs, Master of Global Affairs, Master of Strategic Planning for Critical Infrastructures, Master of Science in Strategic Leadership, and Master of Science in Management are professional degrees focusing on management for the private and public sectors, both domestic and international.Adult Education
While other advanced degree education programs tend to be more widely known, the Master of Science in Adult Education provides professional educators with expert-level tools for success in the adult learning environment and advancement in educational leadership. As the name suggests, this degree program provides ample opportunity for the student to take a more scientific approach to the study of education. Many M.S. Adult Education programs offer concentrations in Community Service and Health Sciences, Human Resources, Technology, and Training and Development.Advanced Study
In the United States the Master of Advanced Study also the Master of Advanced Studies degree is a post-graduate professional degree issued by numerous academic institutions, but most notably by the University of California. M.A.S. programs tend to "concentrate on a set of coordinated coursework with culminating projects or papers rather than emphasizing student research" and frequently are structured as interdisciplinary offerings.In Canada, the Master of Advanced Study degree is an independent research degree.
Advanced Studies programs tend to be interdisciplinary and tend to be focused toward meeting the needs of professionals rather than academics.
Appalachian Studies
The Master of Appalachian Studies focuses on research into culture, i.e. music, sociology, and sustainability within the region of cultural and geographic region of Appalachia. This degree primarily develops understanding of the historical, political, geographic, and socio-economic circumstances that have led to Appalachia and similar regions to become what they are today.Applied Anthropology
The Master of Applied Anthropology is a two-year program focused on training non-academic anthropologists. The University of Maryland, College Park developed this program to encourage entrepreneurial approaches to careers outside academia, where most new anthropologists are likely to seek and find employment. For this reason, it is considered a professional degree rather than a liberal arts degree.Applied Ethics
Applied ethics programs typically focus on the practical use of ethical theory to address real-world issues. These programs are differentiated from traditional ethics and bioethics programs by their focus how ethical principles translate to actionable methodologies, frameworks, and policies to guide governance, research, medicine, public interests, and private industry. The Duke Master's in Applied Ethics & Policy is a 1-year master's degree program offered by the Graduate School at Duke University that provides two tracks in bioethics and tech ethics.Applied Politics
The Master of Applied Politics is a 2-year master's degree program offered by The Ray C. Bliss Institute of Applied Politics at The University of Akron. It is one of the few professional master's degree programs in the United States focusing on practical politics and efforts to influence political decisions. This includes winning elections, campaigning, fund raising, influencing legislation and strengthening political organizations. MAP graduates have gone on to manage campaigns, run for political office, join polling and fundraising firms, and start their own consulting firms.Applied Sciences
The two Master's programs offered in Management Sciences provide both course work and research opportunities in the areas of operations research, information systems, management of technology, engineering and other areas. Operations research, mathematical modeling, economics, and organizational behavior, and other related concepts underlie success in almost all areas of management. Refer to the Master of Engineering degree section for more information.Architecture
The 4+3 or 5-year Master of Architecture is a first professional degree, after which one is eligible for internship credit required for licensure. The 2-year Master of Architecture is a graduate-level program which assumes previous coursework in architecture.Archival Studies
The Master of Archival Studies degree is awarded following completion of a program of courses in archival science, records management and preservation. The degree was first offered at the University of British Columbia, and is currently offered at Clayton State University. The Master of Archives and Records Administration is offered by San Jose State University.Bioinformatics
The Master of Science in Bioinformatics degree builds on a background in biology and computing. Students learn how to develop software tools for the storage and manipulation of biological data. Graduates typically work in the biotechnology or pharmaceutical industries or in biomedical research. The career prospects are excellent.Biomedical Sciences
The Master of Biomedical Sciences degree prepares students for medical schools, related health professions, and other biomedical careers. The curriculum integrates graduate level human biological sciences with skill development in critical thinking, communication and teamwork.Broadcast Journalism
The Master of Broadcast Journalism degree prepares students for reporting and journalism in television and radio broadcasting, i.e. on the scene reporting and newsroom newscasting and meteorology.Chemistry
The Masters of Science in Chemistry is a degree that prepares recipients for jobs as higher-level industrial chemists, laboratory technicians, and for doctorate programs in Chemistry. Schools often offer two programs - a coursework-based masters and a research-based masters. The coursework masters is offered through completion of a number of graduate level chemistry classes and may require the recipient to complete a research proposal to demonstrate their expertise. The research masters is offered through completion a certain number of hours devoted to academic chemistry research, classes related to the research being performed, and the completion of a thesis consisting of the research completed during the masters and its impact of the research on the field.Christian Education
The Master of Arts in Christian Education is a seminary degree primarily designed for those in the field of church ministry. Various specializations include children's ministry and youth ministry, among others. Thus, many children's pastors and youth pastors obtain the degree, while senior pastors usually pursue the Master of Divinity degree. The degree is usually obtained in 2–3 years.City and Regional Planning
is a professional degree in the study of urban planning.Clinical Medical Science
Clinical Medical Science is a professional degree awarded to Physician Assistants.Communication
The Department of Communication of the University of Ottawa offers a Master of Arts in Communication degree with thesis or with research paper.The program focuses on five fields of specialization: media studies; organizational communication; health communication; identity and diversity in communication; government communication.
Both teaching and research explore major issues related to new information and communication technologies in media and organizations at the national and international levels.
The academic department of Art History & Communication Studies at McGill University offers Master of Arts degrees, which are differentiated either as Interdisciplinary or as Noninterdisciplinary programs. The duration for a Non-Thesis option is two years of full-time study. The period for a Thesis option may last longer, depending also on the required level of courses and complexity of the thesis. Students who are admitted to the Interdisciplinary Thesis option Communication Studies - Gender and Women's Studies might have to earn "very high research" credits at the 700-PhD-level, and they may need to complete their program in the maximum of three years of full-time candidature.
The Communication & Media Arts Department at Lancaster Bible College offers a Master of Arts degree in Strategic Communication Leadership.