Career - Masters & Honours (by research)
The Masters and Honours (or Honors) degree qualifications discussed under the headings below refer to programs of study involving the completion of a research project. Masters and Honours degrees by research are embarked on following the completion of a Bachelor degree. Students completing Masters or Honours degrees by research are able to demonstrate the independent ability to engage in advanced laboratory work with minimum supervision, the ability to apply critical analysis & problem solving to research, and the ability to communicate scientific research to a high level both written and orally. In this regard students completing Masters and Honours degrees by research often qualify for advanced research assistant positions that are less likely to be offered to graduates with Bachelor degrees alone. Masters and Honours degree qualifications by research may also provide a pathway into Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) research programs if desired. As Masters and Honours degrees by research are embarked on following the completion of an undergraduate Bachelor degree they are often referred to as Postgraduate degrees, Higher degrees or Research degrees.
The terms Masters and Honours may also have other meaning depending on the country in context. In some countries Masters titles may also be awarded for the completion of additional subjects (usually an additional three semesters) beyond the total required for a Bachelor degree. In this respect, such a Masters degree is like an extended Bachelor degree and is often referred to as Masters by coursework. In some countries Honours may also refer to a distinction listed on a Bachelor degree to show the student achieved significantly high marks.
Masters (by research)
A typical Masters program usually consists of a 1.5 – 2 year program involving predominantly a research project presented as a thesis. Thesis format usually includes a background introduction to the area of research, aims of the research project, materials and methods used for the research project, results, discussion interpreting the results and their significance, a conclusion suggesting next steps / future directions to further advance the line of research, and a bibliography of references. In most programs a seminar presentation is also required. Admission to a Masters program usually requires achieving a certain minimum score upon completion of a Bachelors degree. In many countries a Masters degree is often required for progressing to a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) program. In some circumstances a Masters degree in progress may be upgraded to a PhD in progress saving valuable time in comparison to if the two programs were completed separately. Though highly competitive, scholarships for Masters degrees are often available predominantly designed to cover the students living costs. In many cases the fees for the Masters program are covered by the university or particular research group / lab, as the findings of the Masters program are expected to contribute to the overall success of the group. For example, findings of a Masters program may contribute data for journal publications by the research group.
Honours (by research)
Using Australia as an example, a typical Honours program is a one year (2 semester) program involving predominantly a research project presented as a thesis. Thesis format usually includes a background introduction to the area of research, aims of the research project, materials and methods used for the research project, results, discussion interpreting the results and their significance, a conclusion suggesting next steps / future directions to further advance the line of research, and a bibliography of references. In most programs a seminar presentation is also required. Admission to an Honours program usually requires achieving a certain minimum score upon completion of a Bachelors degree. It is also expected that the study area for the completed Bachelors degree will be compatible with the proposed project area of the Honours degree. In general, Honours projects can be conducted in any area of the biosciences as long as an academic supervisor / supervising laboratory with such expertise can be found. The student is usually responsible for paying the course fees for an Honours degree. An Honours degree with high academic score or rank is one means for obtaining entry into a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) program.
Masters versus Honours
For international students prepared to study away from their home countries it is important to consider not only your potential study options abroad (which countries offer Masters, Honours, or both) but also the qualifications that will be most widely accepted in the country for which you plan to reside for the majority of your working career once your studies are completed.
Whether to choose Masters or Honours is a decision the majority of domestic students will not have to make as most countries do not offer both. The majority of countries offer Masters programs. For domestics students residing in countries that offer both, the following factors should be considered:
Honours research programs have the advantage over Masters programs in that they are shorter in duration. Though longer in duration, the costs of a Masters program is often covered by the university or research group and a scholarship may be awarded, whereas the cost of an Honours program is often covered by the student without scholarship. However, given the Honours graduate may enter the workforce a year or so earlier than the Masters graduate, there may actually be little economic advantage for one pathway over the other. In some circumstances Masters graduates may initially be offered higher pay rates compared to Honours graduates. However, some employers may prefer to hire an Honours graduate if this is considered cheaper and budget is a concern. In most cases the job candidate will be obliged to accept the advertised pay rate / salary regardless of the degree type held. Regardless of the starting pay rate, any pay increases over time are usually associated with increased years of experience rather than initial Masters or Honours degree qualification.
Though a Masters degree is considered a higher qualification compared to an Honours degree (due to the greater duration) there is very little difference in the jobs that holders of either degree may be considered suitable candidates for as both demonstrate independent research capabilities. Any job will likely be given to the candidate whose research project (including the research area and techniques used) matches most closely with the job description. In this respect it is very important to consider the research area when making any study decisions regardless of degree type. Even if you choose to study a niche subject area such as neuroscience, if you gain experience in commonly used techniques such as cell culture, animal models, microscopy, etc you will still be attractive to a broad employer base. On the other hand, having unique skills such as brain dissection may give you a very competitive advantage, though the associated job opportunities may be rare.
If planning to work in different countries throughout the world, Masters qualifications are widely recognised. However, the number of years of research work experience possessed (regardless of your degree type) will play a huge role in your employ-ability.
If your goal is to progress to a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) program a one year Honours program plus a four year PhD program will add up to a five year investment. In some cases a Masters student approaching the completion of the second year of study may be upgraded to a PhD program rather than graduating. In this scenario a final two years may be required to complete a PhD, thus resulting in a total four year investment. However, in the event that a Masters in progress is not upgraded to a PhD, but rather requires completion and assessment before commencement of a PhD, the total time invested may total six years (two years Masters plus four years PhD). It is therefore somewhat of a gamble as to whether a Masters would be a shorter or a longer path to PhD completion.
