When we decide to pursue a master's degree, several questions go through our minds, starting with the area of knowledge we wish to delve into. In law, we consider the major legal branches: civil, criminal, tax, social security, among many others. After choosing what we want to study, the big question arises, which only becomes clear when we are actually about to enroll in the master's program: academic or professional?
Perhaps for other fields of knowledge such a distinction is natural, since some areas, like chemistry, already create a distinction between academic and professional knowledge from undergraduate studies onwards, where there is a distinction between a bachelor's degree and a teaching degree. But for legal professionals, this distinction is not so clear, since many times academic knowledge directly impacts the professional performance of those who implement the law; therefore, there is some confusion between what is academic and what is professional knowledge.
This short excerpt aims to help you understand the differences between a professional master's degree and an academic master's degree, thus helping you find the one that best suits your profile and goals. But regardless of which master's degree you choose, know that IDP offers both high-quality academic and professional master's programs ready to meet your needs and help you achieve your objectives.
Is there a difference in quality between a professional master's degree and an academic master's degree?
This is the first question that comes to mind for anyone faced with such a distinction; it's a natural question stemming from our academic-centric culture, which tends to judge courses with practical application as being of inferior quality compared to those with theoretical study. The short answer is: there is no distinction in quality. Let's elaborate on this a little more.
Starting with the fact that the Ordinance 131 of June 28, 2017 The regulation edited by CAPES is clear in stating that professional master's programs will undergo the same evaluation criteria as academic master's programs; one only needs to observe the... Article 3 of the aforementioned ordinance:
Article 3. Professional stricto sensu postgraduate courses will comply with the same rules and requirements for authorization, recognition, and renewal of recognition established in CES/CNE Resolution No. 7, of December 11, 2017, necessarily depending on prior evaluation by CAPES.
If there is no difference in quality, then on what is this differentiation based? This distinction rests on the objective of each course. While the professional master's degree focuses on the practical application of the course's knowledge in the job market, it follows a pragmatic logic. The academic master's degree aims at research, the creation of new knowledge, and therefore its logic is more theoretical, much more abstract than the professional modality.
In this sense, this is the understanding of the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel – CAPES, which provides in Ordinance 131 of June 28, 2017 The goal of a professional master's degree is the practical application of knowledge in society, as we can see below:
Article 2. The objectives of professional master's and doctoral programs are:
I – To train qualified professionals for advanced, innovative, and transformative work process practices, aiming to meet the social, economic, and organizational demands of various sectors of the economy;
Although professional master's degrees have a more pragmatic focus, this does not mean that such postgraduate courses lack a significant theoretical component and extensive in-depth study. Similarly, academic master's degrees are not completely detached from reality, as many of the problems and discussions within them are rooted in reality. In this sense, Article 2, item V of CAPES Ordinance 131/2017 establishes the importance of innovation as one of the objectives of professional master's degrees.
V – to train doctoral students with a profile characterized by autonomy, the ability to generate and transfer innovative technologies and knowledge for novel solutions to highly complex problems in their field of expertise.
In other words, in an academic master's program, innovation is the end goal, while in a professional master's program, innovation is a means to achieve the solution of a pragmatic problem.
The differences in objectives between a professional master's degree and an academic one impact the work of professors, as well as affecting the way students learn.
Difference in the classroom
The way a professor approaches the class varies from one master's program to another, as there are distinct objectives between the courses. While in a professional master's program the professor seeks to provide students with the tools to better understand and thus solve everyday problems, in an academic master's program the professor seeks to stimulate students' curiosity, expand their horizons, and show the limits of knowledge.
Naturally, the classes have different dynamics, not necessarily in the subjects of study themselves, but in the perspectives from which they are analyzed. For example, both professional and academic master's programs involve the analysis of court decisions; however, the analysis done in a professional master's program will be different from that in an academic master's program. In a professional master's program, the rationale for decisions will be analyzed in order to establish the best strategies for dealing with that matter, whether in favor of or against the ruling. In an academic master's program, the analysis of the ruling aims to understand how the courts judge this matter, based on what they reach a particular conclusion, and what this indicates about our legal system.
It is noteworthy, therefore, that the professional master's degree focuses on pragmatic analysis, while the academic master's degree concentrates on metaphysical implications. Therefore, classes in the professional master's program will cover issues existing both in society and in the legal system with practical implications. In contrast, the academic master's program focuses on the philosophical aspects of the legal system.
Which one is best for me?
Understanding that your goals align with the goals of the master's program is the best way to make the right choice. Any discrepancy between a student's expectations and what the master's program has to offer can lead to endless disappointment.
The professional master's degree, due to its pragmatism and its course closely grounded in reality, should satisfy those professionals who seek an education with a more practical application. For example, a lawyer, or even a judge, who deals with real problems all the time and needs to utilize their arsenal of tools to address these problems.
The academic master's degree, with its focus on theoretical discussion and metaphysical analysis of law, is not so much aimed at finding pragmatic solutions to common problems, but rather at encouraging critical analysis of the legal system and, especially, legal theory. It is intended for those who wish to pursue an academic career. Whether as a professor or researcher, an academic master's degree is ideal to help you consolidate and expand your legal knowledge.
It is important to highlight, as will be discussed in an excerpt to be published here on the IDP blog, that an academic master's degree has its practical uses, obviously, but it is not the same as a professional master's degree.
In any case, regardless of whether it's a professional master's degree or an academic master's degree, the important thing is that IDP is here to help you in both cases. IDP has highly experienced professionals, which is ideal for professional master's programs, and its students also possess the necessary theoretical depth for academic master's programs. Don't waste time, become an IDP student too.
Discover the IDP master's degree programs:
Academic Master's Degree in Law
Professional Master's Degree in Law
Professional Master's Degree in Law, Justice and Development
References
BRAZIL . Ministry of Education. Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES). Ordinance No. 60, of March 20, 2019.
