In general, people pursue doctoral degrees because they wish to work as a research scholar or teach at a university. People enroll in master’s degree programs to advance in other sorts of careers. There are two main types of master’s degrees: academic and professional.

• Academic master’s degrees include the Master of Arts (M.A.) and Master of Science (M.S.). These are usually awarded in the traditional arts and sciences, although the M.S. is also offered in certain technical fields such as agriculture and engineering. Original research (the thesis) is emphasized. Students are generally required to take a core set of classes but have a considerable number of electives. An academic master’s typically involves one or two years of postgraduate study, and many students continue studying to earn the Ph.D. Academic master’s programs that do not lead to a Ph.D. are referred to as "terminal master’s."

• Professional master’s degrees are designed with very specific career goals in mind. These degrees often have unique titles such as Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) and Master of Education (M.Ed.). These training programs are less focused on research; they are more concerned with the direct application of knowledge. For example, instead of completing a thesis, students might intern with a business or complete a group project. These programs may offer electives, but a professional master’s program is generally more structured than an academic master’s program. A professional master’s degree typically involves one to three years of study.

Many bachelor’s degree programs may be combined with a master’s curriculum. In this way, the overall study time is decreased. The doctoral degree is designed to prepare college and university professors and expert research scholars. The most common doctoral degree is the Ph.D., which represents "Doctor of Philosophy." However, students also earn titles such as Doctor of Business (D.B.A.) and Doctor of Education (Ed.D.). Completion of this degree requires contributing the dissertation, which is a paper that summarizes the existing research in a specific area and then documents and analyzes the student’s original research project. When the dissertation is completed, the student "defends" the paper by answering questions before a committee of advisers. Usually five to eight years are invested in the pursuit of a doctoral degree.

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