During the earliest years of European universities, 1130-1160, some faculties offered "masters" degrees while others offered doctorates. At that time they were essentially equivalent, each was a license to teach their subjects. Probably the earliest doctorates were the Doctor of Civil Law and the Doctor of Canon Law. Essentially the term Doctor and Master were equivalent. The Doctorate gradually replaced that of Mastership as the highest degree in the higher faculties of theology, law, and medicine, while master was retained for the 'lower" faculty of arts. This resulted in the doctorate being considered a superior degree to the master's and the M.A. became a prerequisite for the doctorate. This system recognized the importance of the mastership and doctorate as more than just teaching degrees by the 14th century. Doctoral degrees expanded into multiple subjects that had not awarded doctorates before by the 16th century, codifying Masters degrees as the junior graduate degree.
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