What it means
کارشناسی ارشد (kârshenâsi-ye arshad) is the official Persian term for a master’s degree, the postgraduate qualification that follows a bachelor’s (lisâns). The phrase is a compound of two elements: کارشناسی (kârshenâsi), a pure-Persian word meaning expertise or professional recognition, and ارشد (arshad), an Arabic adjective meaning most senior or highest. Together they convey the idea of advanced-level expertise. In informal speech, Iranians often shorten it to ارشد (arshad) alone. A common synonym in written contexts is فوق لیسانس (fowq-e lisâns), literally “above-licence,” which is a hybrid of Arabic fowq and French lisâns.
How to use it
- دارم ارشد میخونم. (dâram arshad mi-khoonam.) “I am doing my master’s.”
- قبولی ارشد دانشگاه شریف خیلی سخته. (qabuli-ye arshad-e dâneshgâh-e Sharif kheyli sakht-e.) “Getting into Sharif University for a master’s is very difficult.”
- مدرک کارشناسی ارشدم رو هنوز نگرفتم. (madrak-e kârshenâsi arshad-am ro hanuz nagreftam.) “I still haven’t received my master’s diploma.”
- بعد از ارشد میخوام دکترا بخونم. (bad az arshad mi-khâm bekhoonam doktorâ.) “After my master’s I want to study for a PhD.”
Cultural note
In Iran, admission to a kârshenâsi arshad programme requires passing a national postgraduate entrance exam, the آزمون ارشد (âzmun-e arshad), which is administered annually and is intensely competitive. Holding a master’s degree carries significant social prestige and is often a prerequisite for academic or senior government positions. The distinction between kârshenâsi arshad and the older term fowq-e lisâns is largely generational: the former is the official and younger form, while the latter is still heard among older speakers.