39 articles
Master's degree
Master's degree: postgraduate qualification at ISCED level 7, historically the Magister; awarded after a bachelor's, typically 1-3 years, 60-120 ECTS in Europe; taught, research, MBA, and conversion variants with field-dependent earnings returns.
Philosophy, politics and economics
Philosophy, politics and economics (PPE), also called Modern Greats at its founding, is an interdisciplinary undergraduate degree created at Oxford in 1920 and now taught at over a hundred universities worldwide.
Post-nominal letters
Post-nominal letters, also called post-nominals or designatory letters, are credential abbreviations placed after a name (e.g. PhD, OBE, FRCGP), ordered by convention: honours, appointments, degrees, memberships.
Professional degree
Professional degree: a credential certifying readiness to begin licensed practice in a profession, such as the J.D. or M.D. In US federal student aid it determines higher loan limits ($200,000 vs $100,000), a definition contested in the 2026 RISE rule litigation.
Square academic cap
Square academic cap (mortarboard, trencher): flat stiff square board on a skullcap with central button and tassel; derived from the pileus quadratus, made square by Paris in 1520, standardized in the US by the 1895 Intercollegiate Code.
Terminal degree
Terminal degree: the highest academic degree awardable in a field, usually a PhD or professional doctorate (JD, DBA, EdD), sometimes a terminal master's such as the ALA-accredited librarianship degree, MBA, or history MA; used in US accreditation, hiring, and promotion standards.
Thesis
A thesis, also known as a dissertation, is a document presenting a candidate's original research and findings, submitted to earn an academic degree, from bachelor to doctoral level.
Undergraduate degree
Undergraduate degree: the first tertiary qualification, chiefly the bachelor's degree (ISCED level 6, UNESCO 'first university degree'). Distinguished from short-cycle tertiary and master's long first degrees; OECD data show 77% of first-time graduates earn one, with a 39% earnings premium.
Wrangler (University of Cambridge)
A Wrangler at the University of Cambridge is a first-class student in the Mathematical Tripos; the top-ranked one was the celebrated Senior Wrangler until public ranking ended in 1909.