A master's degree is a postgraduate academic degree awarded after the completion of an academic program of one to six years in duration. In the recently standardized European system of higher education diplomas, it corresponds to a one to two year (60 to 120 ECTS credits) postgraduate program undertaken after at least three years of undergraduate studies. It provides higher qualification for employment or prepares for doctoral studies. In the USA and Canada, a master's degree entails a one- or two?year course in which students would normally enroll after completing a bachelor's degree. However, in some European countries, a magister is a first degree and may be considered equivalent to a modern (standardized) master's degree (e.g., the German university Diplom/Magister, or the similar 5-year diploma awarded in several subjects in Greek, Spanish and other universities and polytechnics). In the Francophone countries, a DEA