Due to the Bologna Process, Europe is starting to unify and standardise its higher education qualifications so that international students such as yourselves, are able to study abroad and not worry about whether your qualifications will be recognised. Around the world, the levels of study are categorised in the following ways:

1. Undergraduate degree, also known as 'Licence' or 'Bachelors'

2. Masters degree

3. Doctorate degree

However, within each level there are differences between courses. Length of study, degree titles, mode of study, variances among countries are just some of the factors that you should be aware of when choosing your graduate program. Read our guide on Master's Degrees and find out which course best suits you.

In order to study a course at Master's level, you typically need to have a reasonably high-grade undergraduate or Bachelor's degree. Broadly speaking, Master's degrees can be classified as either Taught Master's Courses or Research-based Master's Courses.

Taught Master's Courses

Teaching and learning on taught Master’s courses may be in the form of essays, project work, industrial or business placements, lectures, tutorials or discussion groups. Taught Master's courses usually include a project or short research dissertation, which you work on individually or as part of a group. Taught Master's programs are typically one to two years in duration and are very specialised. The Master of Arts (MA) and the Master of Science (MSc or MS) degrees are the basic degree types that cover most subjects.

Master of Arts (MA)

This is a graduate academic Master's degree awarded by universities in a large number of countries. The MA is typically studied in the Arts, Humanities, Theology and the Social Sciences (although some universities will award a Master of Science for some Social Sciences Masters degrees). MA degrees typically take one-two years to complete.

Master of Science (MSc or MS)

This is a graduate academic Master's degree awarded in the pure and applied sciences and takes one to two years to complete. The Master of Science is usually studied to obtain a higher qualification for employment prospects or in preparation for doctoral studies. The Master of Science degree is generally abbreviated to MS in the US and MSc in British Commonwealth nations and Europe.

Master of Engineering (MEng)

The Master of Engineering can either be an academic or professional Master's degree in the field of engineering. However, the type of MEng offered varies across some countries:

• USA - The MEng is mostly a professional degree offered as a coursework-based graduate program

• UK – The MEng is an undergraduate degree with a dissertation in the final year

• Canada - The MEng is a graduate degree involving coursework and a thesis or research paper

• Germany – The MEng as a coursework and applied research degree course was introduced in 2000 and is gradually replacing the former ‘diplomingenieur’ graduate degree

• Australia – The MEng is a research degree requiring the completion of a thesis. The MEng is NOT the Master of Engineering Science or Master of Engineering Studies, which are coursework-orientated, Masters degrees

Research Master's Courses

This type of Master's degree is awarded for the completion of a thesis in any subject and is mostly self-directed work with few taught elements. A Master's degree by research is typically offered as a Master of Philosophy (MPhil), (and a Master of Research, MRes, in the UK).

Master of Philosophy (MPhil)

The MPhil in the UK, US, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong and some other countries signifies a research degree requiring the completion of a thesis.

The MPhil is often taken as a provisional enrolment for the PhD, in the UK, students sometimes make the decision to continue to a PhD during their MPhil course. In the US, the MPhil is sometimes awarded to PhD candidates when they complete their required coursework but before they defend their doctoral dissertations.

Master of Research (MRes)

In the UK, the MRes is a graduate degree available in a range of academic disciplines. The MRes is designed to prepare students for a career in research. The MRes is more structured and organised than the MPhil but it differs from a taught Masters by placing particular emphasis on a large dissertation (usually between 35,000 - 40,000 words) in addition to a few taught modules.