Candidate of the Arts A Candidate of the Arts (
Latin:
Candidatus/candidate magisterii; abbreviated as
cand.mag) is an academic degree currently awarded in Denmark. The degree is officially translated into English as
Master of Arts and requires five years of studies. It is not to be confused with the
magister's degree (
magister artium or
magister Scientiarum), a degree requiring 7–8 years of studies with a strong emphasis on the scientific thesis, and which is the approximate equivalent of a
PhD degree. The degree was initially introduced in Denmark in 1883. For most of its history, the degree usually required between 4 and 5 years of studies. In its later years, the formal minimum requirement was 3.5 years for the faculties of
mathematics and
natural sciences, and 4–4.5 for the faculties of
humanities and
social sciences. Today, the degree is awarded only in humanities and requires five years of studies. The degree was also awarded in Norway beginning in 1920, based on the Danish degree; since 2003, it is no longer awarded.
Candidate of Arts and Letters A Candidate of Arts and Letters (Latin:
Candidatus/candidata philologiae; abbreviated as
cand. philol.) is an academic degree in Arts and Letters awarded in Denmark. It is considered an entry-level scientific degree for careers in academia (qualifying for positions as assistant professor or lecturer), as doctorates traditionally are awarded later in the job to senior academics. The degree was once awarded in Norway but had also been phased out by 2007. At the time, it typically required six years of study at Norwegian universities.
Candidate of Economics A Candidate of Economics (Latin:
Candidatus/candidata economics; abbreviated as
cand.oecon.) is an academic degree in
economics currently awarded in Denmark and formerly in Iceland and Norway. It is roughly equivalent to a
Master of Economics. The degree was introduced in Norway in 1905 as a supplementary academic degree in economics. The program usually lasted two years, was conferred by the
Faculty of Law, University of Oslo and primarily intended for those already holding a
cand.jur. degree. The cand.oecon. did not qualify its holder for higher civil servant positions. In 1934, it became an independent 5-year program in economics. The degree was replaced in Norway by the Bachelor/Master's degree system in 2003. The degree was first made available at the
University of Iceland in 1964 as a 4-year program in
Business Administration at the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration. It was replaced in 1996 by the current bachelor's and master's of science programs.
Candidate of Information Technology A Candidate of Information Technology (Latin:
Candidatus/candidata informationis technologiæ; abbreviated as
cand. it.) is a
graduate degree awarded in Denmark equivalent to a
Master of Science in Information Technology. In Denmark, the title can be obtained at the
IT University of Copenhagen and through
It-vest (a collaboration between several Danish universities).
Candidate of Law A Candidate of Law (Latin:
candidates/candidate juris; abbreviated as
cand.jur.) is both a graduate law degree awarded to law students in the
Nordic region as well as an "academic status" designation for advanced
Law School students in
German-speaking countries.
In the Nordic countries The Candidate of Law degree was once awarded in
Denmark,
Estonia,
Finland,
Iceland,
Norway and
Sweden. The application process to study for the degree was highly competitive throughout the Nordic region, as the qualifying exam to practice law could only be taken at a university, where the government officially granted the
diploma privilege. All Nordic countries—except Denmark—have changed their law degrees from the Candidate to a master's due to the Bologna Process. In Finland, the
Oikeustieteen kandidaatti (abbreviated OTK; , Jur. kand.) was replaced by
Oikeustieteen maisteri (abbreviated OTM; , JM), which is obtained after five years of law studies (180 + 120
ECTS). Those previously granted a candidate of law diploma could continue using their previous title in Finland. In Iceland, the
Embættispróf í lögfræði (
cand. jur.) degree has been replaced by the
ML í lögfræði (
mag. jur.) title. In Norway, the cand.jur. was formally replaced in 2003 by the
Master i Rettsvitenskap master's degree, which is obtained after five years of law studies equivalent to 300
ECTS. The last
cand. jur. degrees were awarded in Norway in the spring of 2007. In Sweden, the
Jurist kandidatexamen (
jur. kand.) degree was replaced by
Juristexamen in 2010, which is completed after four-and-a-half years of studying at the average pace (270
ECTS). Previously graduated
jur. kand. diploma holders were eligible to continue using their title before and after the Bologna process; the academic degree is split into two different diplomas. Previously, the lower degree was
Varanotaari, abbreviated VN (), and current lower degree
Oikeusnotaari, shortened ON (, RN) is awarded after completing three years of study (180
ECTS). Before the
Soviet occupation, a post-graduate law degree was awarded as a cand.jur. in Estonia. President
Konstantin Päts, for example, held a cand. jur. degree from the
University of Tartu. The use of the candidate system in Estonia is tied to the colonial influence of the nordic counties, especially Denmark.. In Estonia, the current post-graduate law degree is
Õigusteaduse magister. In Denmark, the
Juridisk kandidateksamen (cand. jur.) is obtained after five years of law studies (180 + 120
ECTS). Undergraduate degree is
Bachelor i jura (
bac. jur.) which usually take three years to complete (180
ECTS).
In Germany, Austria, and Switzerland In Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, the term "cand. iur." is a designation used in the academic environment by advanced
law students. However, it is not an academic degree. Instead, the designation is used in an internal university context or the context of
publications, for example, contributions to
journals or
anthologies. The designation is usually obtained after successful completion of the intermediate examination (after 4 to 6 semesters) and roughly corresponds to the qualification level of a
Bachelor of Laws. Before passing the intermediate examination, law students shall use the designation "stud. iur." (
studiosus iuris). In
Germany, law school is completed with the passing of the
First Law Examination after 4–6 years of study. Subsequently, graduates can be addressed as "Ref. iur." (Rechtsreferendar) or "Jurist Univ." Some law faculties also award the academic degrees "Diplom-Jurist", "Diplom-Jurist (Univ.)" or "Mag. iur." In
Austria, the degree program ends with a diploma examination, and the academic degree "Mag. iur." is awarded. In
Switzerland, the designation "cand. iur. is no longer common since the Bologna reform has changed the degree program to the Bachelor's and Master's system so that the academic degrees "BLaw" (Bachelor of Law) are awarded after three years and "MLaw" (Master of Law) after further two years of study. The academic degree "lic. iur." was abolished during the Bologna reform. In the undergraduate BLaw program, students generally use the designation "stud. our."
Candidate of Mathematics and the Natural Sciences A Candidate of Mathematics and the Natural Sciences (Latin:
Candidatus/candidate realism; abbreviated as
cand. real.) is a former academic degree used in Norway and conferred in
mathematics and
natural sciences. It was abolished in 1985. There was originally no set duration for the completion of this degree, although 7–8 years was normal, and including a dissertation which usually took between 2 and 4 years to complete. As of 1985, the formal requirement amounted to 6 years of studies and dissertation work, although there was a strong tradition for extensive dissertations, leading many students to take longer. The degree is sometimes translated as
PhD.
Candidate of Medicine A Candidate of Medicine (Latin:
Candidatus/candidata medicinae; abbreviated as
cand. med.) is an academic degree awarded in Denmark, Iceland, and Norway following a six-year
medical school education. Medical students in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland carry this title during their medical studies before being awarded the degree of Dr. med. (Germany) or Dr. med. univ. (Austria) after defending a doctoral or diploma thesis before a jury. Along with candidate degrees in veterinary medicine, psychology, and theology, it is one of the few Latin degree titles still awarded in Norway.
Candidate of Political Science A Candidate of Political Science (Latin:
Candidatus/candidata scientiarum politicarum; abbreviated as
cand.scient.pol.) is an academic degree in
political science, awarded by several
Danish universities. The degree historically required six years of study, but currently requires five. The current five-year degree is equivalent to, and is translated into English as, a
Master of Science in political science. Until 2008, the equivalent degree was awarded in
Norway as a
cand.polit. degree.
Candidate of Politics A Candidate of Economics (Latin:
Candidatus/candidata politices; abbreviated as
cand.polit.) is an academic degree in
economics, currently only awarded in Denmark. In Denmark, cand.polit. refers exclusively to the Candidate's economics degree awarded by the
University of Copenhagen. Economics degrees from other Danish universities are known as
cand. oecon and
cand. merc. In Norway, the cand.polit. was formerly awarded an academic degree in all
social sciences, including economics, psychology, sociology, and political science. It normally requires at least six years of study, although many students extend this period. At the time of its abolition, the cand.polit. degree was in practice a two-year or a two-and-a-half-year extension to the four-year
cand.mag. degree or equivalent qualifications. Following the Quality Reform of 2003, it has been replaced by a
Master of Philosophy degree, shortening the nominal study time from six to five years.
Candidate of Psychology A Candidate of Psychology (; abbreviated as
cand. psych or
cand.psychol) is an academic degree in
Psychology currently awarded in Denmark and Norway. In Denmark, the degree is awarded by the
University of Copenhagen,
Aarhus University,
University of Southern Denmark, and
Aalborg University. In Norway the degree is awarded by the
University of Oslo, the
Norwegian University of Science and Technology, the
University of Bergen, and the
University of Tromsø. In scope and length, it is equivalent to a degree somewhere between a master's and a doctorate in
clinical psychology. It was introduced at the
University of Copenhagen in 1944 and at the
University of Oslo in 1948 based on the Danish degree. In Denmark, the degree requires five years of studies, while in Norway, it requires five years of academic studies and a one-year internship as part of the studies. As part of the Bologna Process, the degree in Denmark consists of a three-year bachelor's degree in psychology followed by a two-year master's degree in clinical psychology that gives the right to use the title
cand.psych. Although completion of the degree qualifies the holder to apply for a license as a clinical psychologist, it does not in itself authorize the holder to practice clinical psychology. In Norway, after the final exam, those with a cand. Psychol. May apply for and will usually be granted the authorization to practice clinical psychology. In Denmark, two years of supervised practice is required before full approval.
Candidate of Science A Candidate of Science (Latin:
Candidatus/candidata Scientiarum; abbreviated as
cand.scient.) is an academic degree currently awarded in Denmark and formerly awarded in Norway. It is roughly equivalent to a
Master of Science degree. In 2003, the cand.scient. degree was replaced in Norway by the
Master of Science degree as part of the adoption of the Bologna Process.
Candidate of Theology A Candidate of Theology (Latin:
Candidatus/candidata theologiæ; abbreviated as
cand. theol.) is an academic degree awarded after completion of a six-year higher education program in
theology in Iceland, Denmark, and Norway. The title is protected by law in Denmark and Norway. In Denmark, the title is described as equivalent to
Master of Theology, while in Norway, it ranks higher. In Norway, it is one of the few candidate degree titles to have remained after the Quality Reform of 2003. It can only be issued by four institutions:
NLA University College, the
University of Oslo, the
MF Norwegian School of Theology, and
VID Specialized University.
Candidate of Veterinary Medicine A Candidate of Veterinary Medicine (Latin: ; abbreviated as
cand.med.vet) is an academic degree awarded in
Scandinavian countries following a 5.5 to 6-year veterinary medical school education. Equivalent degrees in other countries qualify a student to practice as a veterinarian, such as a
Master of Veterinary Science. The degree is awarded by the
Norwegian University of Life Sciences in Norway, the
University of Copenhagen in Denmark, and the
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences in Sweden—the only educational institutions in the Scandinavian countries to offer the veterinary degree. In Norway, the title is one of the few candidate degrees that has continued to be awarded after the Quality Reform 2003. == See also ==