A master's degree is the certificate that students get after they complete their bachelor's degree and continue to study in a university in some specific field. In other words, a person must first get a bachelor's degree before they can get a master's degree. People with this degree are considered to possess more advanced knowledge of the field that they had studied, as compared to those who only get a bachelor's degree. There has recently been an increase in programs leading to these degrees in the United States. More than twice as many such degrees are now awarded, as compared to the 1970s. In Europe, most countries offer master's degrees in all fields.