Differences between an Own Degree and a Master’s Degree

University is a complicated place, full of challenges and issues that are quite difficult to face for most people. So if you are at this stage, you may be interested in knowing what the objective differences are between a University Degree and an Official Master’s Degree. In any case, here is all the information on this point. In accordance with the conditions set out in the regulations and the specific provisions issued by the Ministry of Higher Education.

Specific qualification

It is defined as a lifelong learning activity aimed at acquiring a set of competences through advanced and higher training of a specialised nature. At the same time, it is particularly oriented towards offering specific responses in multidisciplinary environments.

Master’s degree

The other condition, the official master’s degree, could be said to differ mainly from the degree itself in terms of its scope of application and recognition. The own degree is at national level, and in the case of the official master’s degree, it is established for all EU member states. This would be a plausible difference to take into account between a university’s own degree and an official Master’s degree.

In short, we could define an official master’s degree as a professional qualification accredited by the National Agency for Quality Assessment and Accreditation (ANECA). This agency is attached to the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport. This agency is objectively responsible for evaluating and approving the official master’s degrees taught in Spain.

In this sense, this type of qualification is approved at European level. Therefore, the countries of the European Higher Education Area recognise it as such. At the same time, it provides access to doctoral studies. In addition to scoring specifically for postgraduate training in a competitive examination.

Among this type of qualification, we can highlight the following modalities:

The Qualifying Master’s Degree: We have already mentioned this one above. This qualification enables you to carry out a regulated professional activity within the country. This allows you, as a graduate, to exercise that profession without major complications.

The Erasmus Mundus Master’s Degree: This is offered by different universities around the world. Studies must be taken in at least two of the programme countries.

Upon completion of this master’s degree, you will be awarded a joint degree. This is a single degree awarded on behalf of at least two higher education institutions.

And finally the inter-university Master’s degree: these are offered by several universities across the country. Sharing the same curriculum at each university.

Price

Now, when it comes to price, how much is the difference between these two types of degrees, does it vary too much from one degree to the other or is there just a small difference?

Let us tell you the following, as you might expect, the prices change substantially between one degree option and the other;

The prices of Official Master’s degrees depend entirely on the Spanish Government, and are therefore set by the Ministry of Education. They finance a large part of the tuition fees, making them more accessible to the interested student.

And the prices of the Master’s degrees are determined by the universities that offer them. These are determined by the universities that offer them. And they tend, therefore, to be significantly more expensive compared to the official Master’s degree.

Duration

In terms of duration, the following must be said;

The Official University Master’s Degree, in accordance with Royal Decree 1393/2007, will have between 60 and 120 credits, corresponding to one and two years of training, respectively.

On the other hand, the duration of the Master’s Degree Títulos Propios is determined by the university that endorses it. Although the specific duration of each of them is usually 60, 90 or 120 credits.

Professional opportunities

Finally, the question is, which one has the best professional opportunities?

Let’s be clear about this, there is no data that can objectively determine that one or the other has better professional opportunities. Therefore, we could intuit that it is something that depends on the training of each student and not so much on the conditions to which the training plans lead.

So, there being no significant difference, you can opt for the one that is most attractive to you. As long as you meet the requirements, it will be quite useful for your professional life. Therefore, both options, a university degree and an official Master’s degree, are very good options indistinctly.