Confused by higher education degrees? We can fix that.
The Master's degree dates all the way back to 1233, which gave an individual the credentials to teach at universities. As time went on, different masters degrees became initiated in the world of higher education and have enriched lives and careers ever since. The three most common masters degrees, Master of Arts, Master of Business Administration, and Master of Science, all provide a major stepping stone for those looking to increase their skill set; but what do they actually mean and what fields of study do they include?
Master of Arts (M.A.)
The MA was first known as the licentia docendi, or license to teach, at the Sorbonne in the 1200s. Fast forward a few hundred years later, MA degrees were brought to the United States after Harvard was founded. If your wheelhouse is in the arts, humanities, communications, or softer sciences, this is where you'd fit in best.
Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.)
MBAs were officially introduced to higher education thanks to Harvard's Graduate School of Business Administration in 1908. It wasn't until 1950 that MBA programs were offered outside of the United States when Canada and South Africa began incorporating them as a field of study. For those who work in marketing, accounting, finance, or possess a managerial role, this would be the ideal route to launch your career further. Having this tacked onto your name gives you more credence when you dub yourself an entrepreneur.
Master of Science (M.S.)
For all you lab rats, math whizzes, and Breaking Bad fans out there, you can thank the University of Michigan for being the first school to offer M.S. degrees beginning in 1858. If STEM or similar fields of study are where your strengths lie, you'd want to choose this path if you were to rise in the ranks of places like Lockheed Martin.
