award the M.A. to students who have completed all coursework and preliminary exams (about two years after the B.A.), and the M.Phil. after advanced exams (comprehensives) and all language requirements have been met, and a dissertation topic approved (usually a year after the M.A.). In other countries, assuming all requirements are met, the MPhil degree is generally awarded after about one year of full-time study towards a doctorate. The MPhil is considered equivalent to the former French DEA (Diplôme d'études approfondies) and Spanish DEA (Diploma de Estudios Avanzados). Physician Assistant Studies The Master of Physician Assistant Studies is a professional degree providing training in the profession of a physician assistant to practice medicine based on the medical school model. This degree is also sometimes seen as an MS in Physician Assistant Studies (MSPAS), the Master of Physician Assistant Practice (MPAP) Professional Counseling The Masters of Arts in Professional Counseling (MAPC) is a two-year program that prepares individuals for the independent professional practice of psychological counseling, involving the rendering of therapeutic services to individuals and groups experiencing psychological problems and exhibiting distress symptoms. Includes instruction in counseling theory, therapeutic intervention strategies, patient/counselor relationships, testing and assessment methods and procedures, group therapy, marital and family therapy, child and adolescent therapy, supervised counseling practice, ethical standards, and applicable regulations. Professional Studies The Master's of Professional Studies (MPS or MProfStuds) is a terminal interdisciplinary degree and is sometimes used by programs that do not fit into any traditional categories. In some cases it is used as replacement for an MFA for programs with heavy technology focuses like NYU's Interactive Telecommunications Program. Other programs use it for Organizational Studies or interdisciplinary Social Science programs. Professional Writing The Master of Professional Writing (MPW) degree is a professional graduate degree program that prepares candidates for a wide variety of writing-related positions in business, education, publishing, and the arts. Coursework in three concentrations - applied writing, composition and rhetoric, and creative writing - allows students to gain theoretical and practical knowledge in various fields of professional writing. Project Management The Master of Project Management is a terminal professional degree awarded to students who have completed a post-graduate course of study, and is usually associated with construction management, urban planning, or architecture and engineering design management. There are a limited number of universities and schools worldwide to be accredited by the Global Accreditation Center of the Project Management Institute®