Students at the graduate level may occasionally undertake specialized, short courses of study. Most of these study programs result in the award of a certificate, frequently called a Certificate of Advanced Study (C.A.S.). The C.A.S. is not considered a degree but it does constitute completion of a structured program of study at the graduate level. Graduate level certificates are awarded in both academic and professional specialties, especially in the fields of education, visual and performing arts, languages and linguistics, religious vocations, the social sciences, and the health professions. In the field of education there is one recognized degree that is intermediate between the master's and the research doctorate. The degree of Education Specialist (Ed.Sp.) is awarded for professionally oriented studies, usually culminating in an independent applied research project, that prepare the student to assume leadership and management roles in the primary and secondary education career streams. Note: Some resources in this section are provided by the U.S. Department of Education.