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Before choosing to do a master's or specialization, it is essential to define the best postgraduate modality for your career. Both alternatives contribute to deepen your knowledge in the area of your training, but there are some important differences between them, which you must be aware of.
This is because the course must be suited to your profile and your professional expectations. In any case, the programs demand time and dedication from the student, who will leave much more qualified and prepared to face the challenges of the job market. Another point to be considered is how the master's or specialization will contribute to the professional career, mainly in terms of appreciation for leadership positions and financial rewards. Are you interested in the subject? So, keep following and see which option is best for you: master's or specialization. Check it out below!
Before making the choice between the postgraduate modalities, you need to be very clear about what your biggest professional goals are, knowing where you want to go. The master's degree, for example, is aimed at those who want to pursue an academic career, working both in research and teaching. However, currently, some graduate programs are offering the so-called professional master's degree, combining the academic basis of the course with the practical application of knowledge in the job market. The specialization or MBA is aimed at those who want to improve in their training area, performing specific functions in specialized companies in the segment. While the MBA has a more managerial foundation, specializations have a diversity of content themes for those interested. It should be noted that both options require an undergraduate degree, even if they have different purposes. It is possible that postgraduate programs temporarily accept the declaration of completion of the course until the diploma is obtained. See, below, what are the main characteristics of a master's and specialization course, to understand which option best fits your profile.
The master's degree is one of the postgraduate possibilities, that is, it aims to train researchers and professors at a higher level. Generally, it lasts for two years and requires discipline and the defense of a dissertation at the end of the course, on a specific topic. During the master's degree, the student is accompanied by an advisor from the program to which he is linked, to continue the research, and most of the classes are theoretical and face-to-face. However, even if the master's degree is an excellent opportunity to deepen a certain subject, it does not have immediate applicability in the job market, except for those called professional master's degrees. Thus, with a scientific and academic purpose, the modality is ideal for those who wish to pursue a career teaching at public and private colleges, as well as participating in selection processes for substitute professors at public universities. With the title, it is possible to participate in higher level contests, having more chances of having future financial stability. Depending on the line of research and the low demand, it is possible to obtain good placement in the labor market, even outside the academic environment.
Specializations are part of the category, which is more practical and geared toward the job market. The MBA, for example, is considered a specialization in business and administration, ideal for those who already work and want to acquire more strategic knowledge of management and business leadership. MBA courses have an approximate workload of 360 hours in our country and can reach 480 hours in other countries. In the end, the student also needs to present a conclusion work, usually a monograph or a specific project related to the course content. Specialization is an excellent investment for anyone thinking of relocating professionally, taking a more technical approach that provides the title of specialist in a given area. With this type of postgraduate degree, therefore, it is possible to expand the possibilities of acting in the market and adapt more easily to new job opportunities.
Having your objectives very clear, you will need to evaluate which is the best postgraduate option, according to your career profile. If you want to gain academic notoriety and have access to good positions, the master's degree is the ideal course alternative. However, in addition to the mandatory classes, you will have to dedicate a good part of your time to research, which ends up increasing your study costs, especially if you choose to study at a private university. There are master's courses in several public universities, however, if you opt for full dedication, you will possibly receive a scholarship and will not be able to work in other companies, except in the academic area. Specialization, on the other hand, offers training that is more practical and consistent with the needs of the job market. In addition, they tend to have more affordable tuition and provide more flexibility, with classes once or twice a week. There are specialization course options in which classes are concentrated on just one weekend at a time, increasing the chances of students taking the course in locations farther from their homes. Even so, both options allow the person to apply for selective processes in public bodies that generally offer positions through competitions. What is worth noting is that having one of the titles on your resume is an efficient way to stand out and get ahead of the competition.
After choosing the course, it is essential to research the classification of the educational institution before the development agencies and the Ministry of Education. This is because there is no point in taking a course that has little visibility and credibility in the job market. The Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (Capes) periodically evaluates the postgraduate courses, in the form of academic, professional, and doctoral master's degrees, and assigns a classification. Therefore, educational institutions that begin their activities in postgraduate courses obtain level 4, with a maximum of 7. After students defend their master's and doctoral degrees, it is desirable that this level increases, otherwise the program tends to be misjudged. Regarding specialization, the Ministry of Education recommends a minimum workload of 312 hours, based on a well-structured pedagogical project consistent with the theme's objectives. Other points to be considered by the future student are the program content, the qualification of the professors, the experience of the graduates, and the payment conditions of the monthly fees. For those who choose to take a specialization course or master's degree outside the locality where they live, it is interesting to account for travel, accommodation, and food expenses, to calculate the final costs.
