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Licentiate is the title of a person who holds an academic degree called a license. It exists in various African, European and Latin American countries and represents different educational levels.
[edit] Regional variations
In Belgian universities, a person titled Licentiate (or Licentiaat in Dutch) holds the equivalent education of a master's degree. Students used to receive a license after 4 or 5 years of successful study. The first two years were known as kandidatuur (candidacy), meaning students were qualifying themselves for study at the licential level. This candidate-licentiate system is now being replaced by an American-style bachelor-master system. The Belgian licentiate was also equivalent to the doctorandus in the Netherlands. Study is very rigorous. Students in Belgian universities usually take more than 30 hours a week (as opposed to an average of 15 at American universities.) Thus, students are able to complete their (licentiate or master's) degrees in four or five years, as opposed to the usual six at American institutions.
In Portugal, the Portuguese licenciatura (licentiate degree) was a combination of a first-cycle degree (Bachelor - 3 years) and an integrated second-cycle degree (Master - 1, 2 or 3 years, depending on the expertise) into one single degree (the licenciatura), with a full duration varying between 4 to 6 years, but with an automatic licensure for working in a particular profession and an accreditation by the respective professional orders - ordens profissionais. The licenciatura diploma is also required for those applicants who wish to undertake other masters and/or doctorate programs. Due to the integration of the Bologna Convention, in 2006, the new licenciaturas will be correspondent to one-cycle degree only (a Bachelor).
In Swedish and Finnish universities, Licentiate's degree equals completion of the coursework required for a doctorate and a dissertation roughly equivalent to half of a doctoral dissertation, likened to a MPhil degree in the British system. The Licentiate's degree is called a filosofie licentiat in Swedish and filosofian lisensiaatti in Finnish (Licentiate of Philosophy), teologie licentiat and teologian lisensiaatti (Licentiate of Theology) etc, depending on the faculty. Furthermore, the requisite degree for a physician's license is lisensiaatti; there is no Master's degree. (The degree lääketieteen tohtori "Doctor of Medicine" is a traditional doctorate, the highest degree and the requisite degree for the professor's position.) The licentiate is particularly popular with students already involved in the working life, such that completing a full doctor's dissertation while working would be too difficult.
In Switzerland most of the University degrees are called licentiate, but mostly used in its abbreviation lic. (coming from Latin licentiatus (m) or licentiata (f)). It is equivalent to a Master's degree and qualifies the holder for admission to doctoral studies. It will be progressively changed for the 'Master' grade, due to the Bologna Convention.
In Brazil, the licenciate is a 3-4 year degree that qualifies the graduate to teach primary and secondary education.
[edit] Domain variations
[edit] Theology
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Main article: Licentiate in Theology
The Licentiate of Theology was a sub-degree or diploma-level qualification offered by a number of educational institutions.
[edit] Medicine and Surgery
In Britain, several medical degrees are called licentiates. These include:
- Licentiate of the Royal College of Physicians (LRCP) (awarded by the Royal College of Physicians of London),
- Licentiate in Medicine and Surgery of the Society of Apothecaries (LMSSA), awarded by the Worshipful Society of Apothecaries of London
- Licentiate of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh (LRCPE), awarded by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
- Licentiate of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (LRCSE) awarded by the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh
- Licentiate of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow (LRCPSG), awarded by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow
Until 1999, these degrees were registerable with the General Medical Council, and allowed the bearer to practice medicine in the UK.
[edit] Bologna Convention
In 2003, the European Union organized the Bologna convention on higher education - 'The Bologna process' - in order to create uniform standards across the EU in that field. The resulting conclusions called for all European universities to change their degree programs to an undergraduate degree and a master's degree.
[edit] See also