When and How the Need for Knowledge Changed the Education System

The first Master's degrees were awarded as early as the 12th century and were probably based on degrees given by Emperor Justinian to students at his academies in Rome and Constantinople in the 6th century. The Universities of Bologna, Paris, and Oxford, also know as the "original three" European universities, were the first institutions to offer Master's degrees in fields such as the arts, law, medicine and theology. At that time, a Master's degree from one university would not necessarily be recognized at another. Today, with the Bologna Accord and international accreditation, this is rarely a problem.

Originally, earning a Master's degree was the highest possible level of scholarly achievement and granted the scholar the right to teach (Licentia docendi). Indeed, after attaining the title of "Master," scholars were obliged to teach in their university for two years. At the time, the titles 'Doctor,' 'Master,' and 'Professor' were basically interchangeable and earning one title instead of another was based more on the location of the university than on academic factors.

As the renaissance swept through much of Europe, European universities began to change not only their curriculum, but also their approach to education. As a result, the Master's degree also evolved. During the 14th-16th centuries, learning the Trivium (logic, grammar and rhetoric) and the Quadrivium (arithmetic, geometry, music and astronomy) became a requirement for gaining the opportunity to earn a Master's degree. It was also during this time that the distinction between 'Doctor' and 'Master' began to resemble what it is today.

As the number of universities granting degrees increased throughout Europe, differences in the types of Master's degrees and their requirements increased correspondingly. The Bologna Accord, also known as the Bologna Process, marked a modern attempt to standardize the European university system. The Bologna Accord aims to facilitate mobility by providing common tools (such as a European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System – ECTS and Diploma Supplement) to ensure that periods of study abroad are recognized in the home country.

There are currently 47 participating countries, but despite continued efforts, significant differences remain in higher education systems from one place to another. For example, the Bologna Accord fails to standardize the definition of one ECTS point. Italy, for instance, defines one point as 25 hours of study, while Hungary defines it as 30 hours.

However, the Bologna Accord has yielded some very positive results. For example, every country participating in the Bologna Accord has adopted two basic degrees, the Bachelor's and the Master's. Typically, a Bachelor's degree requires 180-240 ECTS credits and a Master's requires an additional 90-120 ECTS credits, depending on the course.

The process of earning a Master's degree has come a long way over the last 900 years and continued changes can be expected as European standardization progresses. As noted above, differences still remain from one country to another, both in Master's degree courses and titles, since implementation of the Bologna Accords is not fully accomplished yet. Despite these differences, Master's degrees from today's University of Bologna, University of Paris, and University of Oxford have much more in common than they had even 200 years ago.