Master of Philosophy
The Master of Philosophy is offered by many universities in Australia, and it is often the only option to undertake a master's degree in select schools. In Australia, the Master of Philosophy is a research degree which mirrors a Doctorate of Philosophy (PhD) in breadth of research and structure. The candidates are assessed solely on the basis of a thesis. A standard full-time degree often takes two years to complete. The Australian National University, University of Sydney, Curtin University, Griffith University and Melbourne University are also examples of Australian universities offering Masters of Philosophy.
Diplom
The duration of the "Diplom" degree programmes differed depending on subject and university. An official average duration ("Regelstudienzeit") was set by law in each German state, usually being four years for a "Diplom (FH)" and 4, 4.5 or 5 years for a "Diplom / Diplom (Univ.)". In exceptional cases, universities were allowed to set longer average durations for certain subjects (HGRP1995 § 26 (3), NHG2007 § 6 (3), HmbHG2001 §53 (3)). However, due to the curriculum set by most universities in Germany, the 4, 4.5 or 5 years for a "Diplom / Diplom (Univ.)" were often exceeded.
Although being a first degree, because of its actual duration, the "Diplom / Diplom (Univ.)" was and is in Germany not considered as an equivalent to a bachelor's but rather to a master's degree, as also expressed by the equivalent ECTS credits for the "Diplom / Diplom (Univ.)".