title: Career opportunities for graduates with professional master's vs. PhD degrees.
abstract: Professional science master's degree programs are an appealing option to those who want to pursue a professional career and/or seek advancement in their career that does not necessarily require the more advanced PhD degree. These programs are designed to meet a workforce need for professionals and can be completed within 2 years. The student learns the professional skills to be successful in their chosen field, and data indicate a great deal of satisfaction by graduates from these programs. In contrast, those who wish to have a career goal in academia or research usually will pursue a PhD degree. Table 1 shows the important similarities and differences a student should consider when deciding whether to pursue a PSM or Ph.D. degree.
authors.forename: Patricia A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Gwirtz
mesh_terms: D002322:Career Mobility; D004500:Education, Graduate / Q000379:methods*; D004522:Educational Status; D006801:Humans; D010827:Physiology / Q000193:education*; D016730:Program Development; D015397:Program Evaluation