University of Mazandaran

Master's Degree

As a general rule that applies to UMZ as well, you’ll need to have an undergraduate bachelor’s degree before you can do a master’s degree. Broadly speaking, there are two types of master’s degrees: taught master's and research master's. However, University of Mazandaran only offers taught master's. A master's degree usually lasts two or three years, or four to six semesters. In the academic system of Iran, master students generally should participate in university classes to pass the predetermined courses according to the curriculum, then the university will provide the necessities for MA thesis or any other research or extra-curriculum activities. 

To put it baldly, the majority of students will be taking a master’s to improve their career chances. Even if you’re completely academically-minded, you’ll need a master’s in order to further your academic career.

Sometimes you’ll have to take a master’s degree to prepare yourself for a particular career route. For example, if you want to become a social worker, but your first degree is unrelated, then taking a master’s is a necessary step for your career. Equally, with careers that place big emphasis on academic ability, such as becoming a human rights barrister, a relevant master’s degree will be a bonus.

PhD Degree

A PhD or Doctor of Philosophy (or Ph.D.) is a postgraduate degree. It doesn’t just apply to the study of philosophy, but rather uses the word ‘philosophy’ in the Greek sense, meaning “a love of wisdom”. The diversity of PhDs in Iran shows that this love of wisdom can be explored in a variety of subjects, from humanities to cell biology.

Doing a PhD is all about devoting several years of your life to researching a particular subject. A student is awarded a PhD upon the completion of a substantial project, thesis or dissertation on a specialist topic, which is based on a body of original academic research. This doctoral thesis can be between 40,000 and a staggering 120,000 words.

A PhD usually lasts four years, although there are some which incorporate taught modules and last five years.