Home » Degree Proposals » Self-Supported » Degree Types

Self-Supporting Degree Types

In its 1996 policy, UCOP mandated that all self-supporting degrees be part-time professional master's programs. This requirement evolved and UCOP's new guidelines allow campuses to establish whether they will permit full-time self-supporting master's degrees programs or retain the part-time requirement (see UCOP 2011 Policy on Self-Supporting Degree Programs).

Berkeley decided to keep the part-time requirement. In 2011, the Academic Senate approved the EVCP's task force report which made this recommendation: Berkeley Final Report of the Task Force on Self-Supporting Degree Programs.

Because of this decision, there is now essentially no differentiation at Berkeley between the self-supporting Master of Advanced Studies degree, which is always part-time, and the self-supporting professional Master's Degree.

Professional Master’s Degree – part-time program

A professional Master's Degree (e.g., MPH, MPP, MBA) emphasizes application of knowledge rather than research training and does not lead to doctoral work. It is more structured than an academic degree program and may last from one to four years. It usually offers a Plan II program capstone: the comprehensive exam or Master's project. It is often designed for working professionals and fits the profile of the MAS described below.

Master of Advanced Studies Degree – part-time program

The primarily vocational MAS is intended for working professionals who are engaged in full-time employment and wish to upgrade their skills and develop their knowledge in order to achieve professional advancement. MAS degrees are principally intended to be self-supporting programs, targeting a specific professional niche not served by traditional research master's degree programs. Some faculty may teach in an MAS program as an overload and receive compensation for this in addition to their regular salary. MAS degrees are to be considered as of the same quality as traditional Master's degrees.

Characteristics of Self-Supporting Degree

(excerpts from UCOP, Policy on Self-Supporting Graduate Professional Degree Programs, September 13, 2011 — the most recent policy statement on self-supporting programs)

• Not funded from State General Funds.
• Established to
  • primarily serve a non-traditional population, such as full-time employees, mid-career professionals, international students, and/or students supported by their employers;
  • be offered through an alternative mode of delivery, such as online instruction or a hybrid model;
  • be alternatively scheduled, such as during evenings, weekends, and summers; and/or
  • be offered in an alternative location (e.g., off-campus centers)
• May be undertaken only when a demonstrated need exists in a specific field of study.
• Shall not be undertaken if proposing departments' resources are strained and are likely to produce an adverse effect on their regular state-supported programs
• Must hold to the same standards of quality as regular programs, as determined by the appropriate Graduate Council
• Should be staffed with ladder-rank faculty on the same basis as regular programs. Certain practice-oriented degree programs may warrant a higher proportion of non-regular faculty but that proportion must be in keeping with the standards of each campus' Graduate Council.
• Should not correspond to regular programs that a campus is authorized to offer.

Last Updated: August 22, 2012 10:54 AM