The master's degree demonstrates the diversity and complexity of graduate education in the twenty-first century. This study tracks its development and multiple trajectories in the context of a culture of professionalization and credentialism that now permeates every level of American society. Analyses of master's degrees in fourteen academic and professional disciplines and three interdisciplinary fields illustrate the changing landscape of graduate education.

In building on her previous study of master's education, The Master's Degree: Tradition, Diversity, and Innovation (1986), the author identified initiatives that support continued innovation in master's education and that will continue to propel its pivotal role in the marketplace. She concludes her study with recommendations for extending the discourse on graduate and professional education, reframing questions about its principles and purposes, and addressing the consequences of transformation.

This book will appeal to educators, employers, and policymakers who are concerned about the future of higher education in competitive, globalized environments.

This is the fourth issue the 31st volume of the Jossey-Bass series ASHE Higher Education Report. Each monograph in the series is the definitive analysis of a tough higher education problem, based on thorough research of pertinent literature and institutional experiences. Topics are identified by a national survey. Noted practitioners and scholars are then commissioned to write the reports, with experts providing critical reviews of each manuscript before publication.