Once reserved as an elite achievement for lawyers and doctors or a step to a Ph.D. and an academic career, master's degrees have become a vital credential for professional advancement. Demand for the master's has risen as students seek better credentials to distinguish themselves from others and as employers ask for workers with more job-specific training. Programs can be good for universities not only by increasing enrollment, but also by improving image and building professional relationships. But the tension between vocational training and academic concerns can cause problems.
Programs succeed when they provide both professional credentials and academic rigor.
They're at their worst when they do one or the other exclusively. All rights reserved.