Candidate (degree)

Candidate (Latin: candidatus or candidata) is the name of various academic degrees, which are today mainly awarded in Scandinavia.

In Scandinavia and the Nordic countries, a higher professional-level degree usually corresponds to 5–7 years of studies.

[1] In Ancient Rome, men running for political office would typically wear togas chalked and bleached to be bright white at speeches, debates, conventions, and other public functions.

In Scandinavia, the term was introduced in the early 18th century and initially referred to the higher degrees in theology, law, and medicine.

In Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, the term "candidate" was eventually used for higher professional academic degrees, usually awarded after around 5–7 years of studies.

[5] In Norway, the Quality Reform of 2003 enacted the nation's compliance with the Bologna process, and most candidates' degrees are no longer awarded for academic qualifications.

After obtaining the certificate, one was entitled to use the academic title "Candidatus" (prenominal abbreviation Cand.).

Students in a four-year class received the degree at the end of their second or during their third year, depending on the criteria set by the institution.

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 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 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.

is a graduate degree awarded in Denmark equivalent to a Master of Science in Information Technology.

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; Swedish: Juris kandidatexamen, Jur.

was replaced by Oikeustieteen maisteri (abbreviated OTM; Swedish: Juris magister, JM), which is obtained after five years of law studies (180 + 120 ECTS).

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, the lower degree was Varanotaari, abbreviated VN (Swedish: Vicenotarie), and current lower degree Oikeusnotaari, shortened ON (Swedish: Rättsnotarie, RN) is awarded after completing three years of study (180 ECTS).

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.

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.

is an academic degree awarded in Denmark, Iceland, and Norway following a six-year medical school education.

[30] 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.

psych or cand.psychol) is an academic degree in Psychology currently awarded in Denmark and Norway.

[31] In scope and length, it is equivalent to a degree somewhere between a master's and a doctorate in clinical psychology.

is a higher-level degree awarded by Danish universities to graduate students in the mathematics and natural sciences.

is an academic degree awarded after completion of a six-year higher education program in theology in Iceland, Denmark, and Norway.

Equivalent degrees in other countries qualify a student to practice as a veterinarian, such as a Master of Veterinary Science.

In Norway, the title is one of the few candidate degrees that has continued to be awarded after the Quality Reform 2003.