Master's is a academic degree received by an individual and granted by a higher education institution, usually by a University.
The Masters is considered a postgraduate course. stricto sensu, that is, it has between 2 to 5 years of duration. Upon completing the master's course, the individual receives the title of teacher in the specific area that was studied.
At the end of the master's course, normally, the student must present a dissertation thesis on a particular topic that is of interest to the chosen field of study. The dissertation must also be defended in a presentation to a panel of judges (usually, PhD professors from the university), who will evaluate the work and award the final grade.
In the hierarchy of academic degrees, the master is among the graduation or bachelor's degree it's the doctorate degree.
Currently, with the help of new information and communication technologies, the number of distance masters courses. The distance master's degree is a non-presential teaching modality, that is, the physical presence of a teacher is unnecessary. or tutor to teach the classes, which can be watched from computers anywhere in the world, by example.
In some countries, such as Portugal, the Masters is an academic degree that is incorporated into undergraduate courses. Like Bologna Process (agreement establishing the European Higher Education Area), undergraduate students receive the title of masters automatically, as soon as they finish their studies, as the master's course is integrated with the graduation.
Another modality that is gaining ground is the professional master's, which qualifies the student for the labor market, unlike the traditional master's model that sends the student to the middle academic.
See also the meanings of PhD, CNPQ, Strict Sensu,University, dissertation, University education and difference between lato sensu and stricto sensu.