Magister (degree)

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Magister (from lat.: magister = Teacher) is an academic degree used in differnt systems of higher education.

[edit] Austria and Germany

In Austria and Germany Magister is about equal to a masters degree. It usually requires five to six years of study. Before the start of the Bologna process which introduced the Bachelor's degree the Magister was the first degree, the shortest possible course of study.

[edit] Denmark

In Denmark the Magister is situated between the masters and ph.d. degrees. it gives the holder the right to use the title mag.art. (abbreviation of the latin magister artium - teacher of the arts), if the degree is in humanities, mag.scient if it's in natural science and mag.scient.soc. if it's in sociology. The degree can no longer be obtained in science (since 1978), but only in humanities, where it is rarely used today. The last semester for beginning the education for the degree is autumn 2007.

The degree consists besides the contents of the masters degree, among other things by an extension of the thesis. The degree was introduced in 1848 as a supplement to the existing masters degress. The education aimed to, that the candidate should find employment as a researcher. Sometimes the degree was obtained after the masters degree had been obtained.

Today most students interested in becoming researchers obtain a ph.d. instead after their masters degree.