Master’s or equivalent level

Programmes at ISCED level 7, or Master’s or equivalent level, are often designed to provide participants with advanced academic and/or professional knowledge, skills and competencies, leading to a second degree or equivalent qualification. Programmes at this level may have a substantial research component but do not yet lead to the award of a doctoral qualification. Typically, programmes at this level are theoretically-based but may include practical components and are informed by state of the art research and/or best professional practice. They are traditionally offered by universities and other tertiary educational institutions.

Instruction at this level often takes the form of lectures by staff who are typically required to have attained ISCED levels 7 or 8. Programmes at this level may involve the completion of a research project or thesis that is more advanced than those expected at ISCED level 6 and less advanced than those expected at ISCED level 8.

Entry into ISCED level 7 programmes preparing for a second or further degree normally requires the successful completion of an ISCED level 6 or 7 programme. In the case of long programmes that prepare for a first degree equivalent to a Master’s degree, entry requires the successful completion of an ISCED level 3 or 4 programme with access to tertiary education. Entry into such programmes may depend on subject choice and/or grades achieved at ISCED levels 3 and/or 4. Additionally, it may be required to take and succeed in entry examinations. ISCED level 7 programmes have a significantly more complex content than programmes at ISCED level 6 and are usually more specialised. Upon completion, individuals may continue their education at ISCED level 8 (doctoral-level education) although not all ISCED level 7 programmes give direct access to ISCED level 8.

Programmes classified at ISCED level 7 may be referred to in many ways, for example: master programmes or magister. However, it is important to note that programmes with a similar name to ‘master’ should only be included in ISCED level 7 if they satisfy the criteria described in the following paragraph. For international comparability purposes the term ‘Master’s or equivalent level’ is used to label ISCED level 7.

For the definition of Master’s or equivalent level, the following criteria are relevant:

Main criteria
a) Theoretically- and/or professionally-based content;
b) Position in the national degree and qualification structure; and
c) Entry requirement.

Subsidiary criteria
a) Minimum cumulative duration of long first degree programme; and
b) Direct access to ISCED level 8 programmes.

Programmes at this level typically prepare for a second or further degree, following a first degree from ISCED level 6 or 7 programmes. Equivalent qualifications, such as post-graduate professional qualifications, are also classified at ISCED level 7 unless already classified at ISCED level 6.

Programmes of at least five years’ duration preparing for a long first degree/qualification are included at this level if they are equivalent to Master’s-level programmes in terms of their complexity of content. Such programmes usually involve the preparation of a substantive thesis or dissertation. In this case, the degree/qualification awarded gives direct access to ISCED level 8 or the programme is equivalent to a second or further degree programme already classified at the ISCED 7 level. Highly-specialised professional studies of similar or greater cumulative duration in tertiary education (e.g. medicine, dentistry, veterinary science and in some cases law or engineering) which cover – in both breadth and depth – an equivalent amount of content, though typically without the preparation of a thesis or dissertation, are also included at this level.

Second or further degree programmes at this level typically have a duration of one to four years of full-time study. For education systems in which degrees are awarded by credit accumulation, a comparable amount of time and intensity would be required. The cumulative duration of studies at the tertiary level thus lasts from usually five to eight years or even longer.

Tertiary education programmes providing direct access to ISCED level 8 are normally classified at ISCED level 7. However, not all ISCED level 7 programmes provide access to ISCED level 8.

ISCED level 7 includes programmes leading to the award of research qualifications that are designed explicitly to train participants in conducting original research but are below the level of a doctoral degree. These programmes will often meet many of the same criteria as an ISCED level 8 programme, although they tend to be of shorter duration (cumulative duration of five to six years from the start of tertiary education), typically lack the level of independence required of students seeking an advanced research qualification, and prepare for entry into ISCED level 8 programmes. Within the level, they are classified depending on their position in the national degree and qualification structure.

Two dimensions differentiate education programmes at ISCED level 7:
• Programme orientation; and
• Position in the national degree and qualification structure.

Programme orientation

The following two orientation categories are available:
• Academic; and
• Professional.

Position in the national degree and qualification structure

The following four categories for a programme’s position in the national degree and qualification structure are defined for ISCED level 7:
• Stage (or programme) within a first degree at Master’s or equivalent level with a cumulative theoretical duration (at tertiary level) of less than five years, therefore insufficient for completion of ISCED level 7;
• Long first degree programme at a Master’s or equivalent level with a cumulative theoretical duration (at tertiary level) of at least five years (that does not require prior tertiary education);
• Second or further degree programme at Master’s or equivalent level (following successful completion of a Bachelor’s or equivalent programme); and
• Second or further degree programme at Master’s or equivalent level (following successful completion of another Master’s or equivalent programme).