Postgraduate education (synonymous in
North America with
graduate education, and sometimes described as
quaternary education) involves studying for
degrees or other qualifications for which a first or
Bachelor's degree is required, and is normally considered to be part of tertiary or
higher education. In North America, this level is generally referred to as
graduate school.
The organization and structure of postgraduate education is very different in different countries, and also in different institutions within countries. This article sets out the basic types of course and of teaching and examination methods, with some explanation of their history.
In some programs in the traditional German system, there is no legal distinction between "undergraduate" and "postgraduate". In such programs, all education aims towards the Master's degree, whether introductory (Bachelor's level) or advanced (Master's level). The aim of the Bologna process is to abolish this system.
There are four main types of qualification studied for at the postgraduate level academic and vocational degrees, and academic and vocational certificates and diplomas.
