Why do some college degrees have specialized names and others don't?

October 9, 2013 2:08 PM

I have always wondered why some degree programs have a specialized degree name (MPA, MBA, MM, MSW, MLS, etc.) while other degree programs are just an MA in ____ or an MS in ____. Who decides these distinctions and why?

For example, you can get an Master of Arts in English but you can't get a Master of English. Or you can get a Master of Science in Biology but you can't get a Master of Biology. Why is this?

posted by Librarypt to Education (7 answers total)

I'm not sure there's a universally applicable answer, but in many cases the 'elaborated degree' for lack of a better term is associated with professional programs versus purely academic programs. My degree, the MPH, qualifies me to take the CPH certification and work in several public health jobs. Someone with an MPA degree is assumed to be qualified to work a number of jobs in government. Someone with an MSW is qualified for a variety of positions, and the list is longer if they pursue licensure (which they need an MSW to do).

Again, this probably doesn't work perfectly for every example, but I think it's the most common explanation.
posted by j-dawg at 2:28 PM on October 9, 2013

Best answer: I suspect it has something to do with the academic or scholarly aspect of the degree as opposed to the practicality of it.
For example, getting an MA in English provides you with additional scholarly experience in the field of English. It doesn't necessarily make you better at writing. However, an MBA is supposed to make you a better businessperson, not just a scholar of business theory.

If the degree is primarily practical or clinical, you'll probably find that it follows the specialized degree name format. If it's academic or scholarly (e.g. it doesn't prepare you for a specific job) it probably falls under MA or MS in XXX.

Of course there are always exceptions, and the vast majority of programs will somewhat blur those lines (if only because you need to study theory to understand real-world implications), but that's my general interpretation.

There are also "hybrid" degree names, like MAT - it stands for Master of Arts in Teaching, but it's not the same as MA in Teaching. The equivalent might be MA in Education. Or another school might issue an MS in education, which also goes to show that the same effective degree can have various names depending on the institution that issues the degree. In other words, the specific title of the degree is not nearly as meaningful as the content.

Further, it's the same distinction between Ph.D. and other doctorates which are clinical and experiential in nature. For example, Ph.D. in Psychology (research-based) vs. Psy.D. (clinical). Or Ph.D. in Marketing (research) vs. DBA (Doctor of Business Administration; clinical).
posted by trivia genius at 2:30 PM on October 9, 2013

Best answer: Usually, specialized degrees are issued by schools training folks in professional services. Often, you can can pursue Ph.D.s in the same fields (Library Science, Social Work, Business Admin) that prepare you to contribute to the theoretical or empirical research in that field, but the Masters is more or less terminal for practitioners.

My hypothesis is that professional schools wanted to emphasize that the Masters was not an intermediary step to a higher degree in the field (unlike many MA/MS) programs and may not fit nicely into the Arts/Sciences distinction due to an interdisciplinary approach.

I'm an Urban Planner, and there are silly number of degrees in my field (MA, MS, MUD, MUPP, MURP, MCRP). Usually the MS degree is awarded to people who want to stay on an academic track but do not yet have the necessary credentials to enter a Ph.D. Program.
posted by voiceofreason at 2:30 PM on October 9, 2013

It has to do with how old the field is. Bachelor of Arts, Master of Arts, and Doctor of Philosophy all date to the medieval European university system, and were used for any field of study. The Bachelor of Science (and Master of Science) degree was introduced in the 19th century as a result of increasing specialization. The MBA wasn't introduced until the 20th century.
posted by oinopaponton at 2:33 PM on October 9, 2013 [1 favorite]

In my field, Ecology, an MS generally implies a research-based degree in which you took some classes, but the main focus was executing an original research project and writing a thesis. The professional master's degrees are generally almost entirely coursework, with maybe an "exit project", but generally nothing that requires the research work of a true master's thesis.
posted by hydropsyche at 2:35 PM on October 9, 2013

Agreeing with voiceofreason. The three-letter degrees (MFA, MBA, MSW, etc.) are terminal degrees. The MA and MS are stepping stones to a PhD.
posted by zanni at 4:48 AM on October 10, 2013

You usually don't have a major in a professional degree because they are generalist degrees. Your specific focus comes in your internships and the elective courses you take.

For example, my MBA transcript indicates that I had a concentration in marketing but the diploma does not.

Law degrees are another good example of this. There are usually no majors or concentrations in law. A law degree is a credential that allows you to take the bar exam. Once you take the exam, you can practice any kind of law regardless of the coursework you took in law school.
posted by Gringos Without Borders at 11:20 PM on October 10, 2013