A master’s degree is a graduate degree, not the same thing as finishing an undergraduate program. In the United States, “graduation” simply means completing a degree. A master’s is one specific kind of degree, earned after a bachelor’s.
A bachelor’s degree is the standard undergraduate credential. It usually takes about four years of full-time study and mixes general education courses with courses in a major. It prepares you to enter the workforce or to continue studying.
A master’s degree builds on that foundation. It usually takes one to three years of full-time study and goes deeper into one field. Many programs end with a thesis, a capstone project, or a comprehensive exam. The goal is specialized knowledge, not a broad survey.
The term “graduate degree” covers both master’s and doctoral degrees. A doctorate, usually a PhD, takes several more years and centers on original research. “Postgraduate” is often used the same way as “graduate” and covers master’s and doctoral study alike.
Choose based on your goals. If you want to enter or move up in most professions, a bachelor’s or a master’s is the usual path. If you want to do research or teach at the university level, a doctorate is more typical. Before you commit, compare curricula, costs, and time commitments. For more on how these degrees relate, see whether a master’s is undergraduate or postgraduate and how a master’s compares with a bachelor’s, and read about the skills a master’s degree can build.
