Career Development
Center
  Occidental College
 1600 Campus Road,
Coons 109
 Los Angeles, CA
 90041-3314

 Email: careers@oxy.edu
 Phone: 323.259.2623
 Fax: 323.341.4900

 
Graduate and Professional Education Information

What Degrees Are Available?

Masters Degrees (M.S., M.A., M.Ed., M.B.A.)

Course-type program: Student is required to complete the outlined coursework.

Comprehensive exam program: Student is required to complete coursework at the end of which an examination must be successfully passed.

Thesis-type program: In addition to completing required coursework the student must also submit a thesis - an original piece of research.

Specialist Degree (Ed.S.)

Usually pursed after a Master's degree, but is not as extensive as a Doctorate degree. This degree is frequently found in Colleges of Education.

Doctorate Degree

Involves coursework, comprehensive examinations and a dissertation. The dissertation is an original piece of research, which is considered a significant contribution to the discipline.  The Ph.D. (Doctor of Philosophy) is only one of many Doctorate degrees available. Others are available in specific disciplines such as Medicine (M.D.), Dentistry (D.D.S. or D.M.D.), Law (J.D.), Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M.), Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) and Education (Ed.D.).

Post-Doctorate

Usually involves extended research in a particular area. This research may be sponsored by the department or by an organization. A post-doctorate is not a degree, rather an extended period of specialized training or research.