Degrees of Freemasonry Explained: Entered Apprentice, Fellow Craft, Master Mason and Beyond
The foundational degrees of Craft Freemasonry are Entered Apprentice, Fellow Craft and Master Mason. Those three degrees form the basic Masonic progression in many jurisdictions. Numbers such as 32° and 33° belong to additional systems such as the Scottish Rite and should not be read as one universal ladder in which a 33° Mason automatically outranks every Master Mason.
This page owns the broad Masonic degrees search intent. For the fraternity as a whole, start with What Is Freemasonry?. For the narrower honorary Scottish Rite question, see 33 Masonic Meaning.
The three Craft degrees
1. Entered Apprentice
Entered Apprentice is the first Craft degree. At a public level, it introduces a candidate to the lodge, Masonic symbolism and themes of moral self-improvement. It marks the beginning of the Masonic journey rather than a completed status.
2. Fellow Craft
Fellow Craft—also commonly written Fellowcraft—is the second degree. Public Masonic explanations often associate it with learning, development and the disciplined use of a person’s abilities. It builds on the first degree rather than replacing it.
3. Master Mason
Master Mason is the third Craft degree and, in many jurisdictions, the point at which a member has completed the foundational Craft sequence.
A Master Mason is not the same thing as the Worshipful Master. Master Mason is a degree status; Worshipful Master is a lodge office. This distinction prevents one of the most common misunderstandings in Masonic terminology.
Are there only three Masonic degrees?
It depends on what you mean by “Masonic degrees.” Craft or Blue Lodge Freemasonry centers on the first three degrees. After becoming a Master Mason, members in many jurisdictions may choose to join additional Masonic or appendant bodies with their own ceremonies, grades or degrees.
Those systems build on a Master Mason foundation within their own organizational structures. They do not turn all of Freemasonry into one worldwide numbered hierarchy.
What are the Scottish Rite degrees?
The Scottish Rite is the best-known source of high degree numbers. The Scottish Rite Northern Masonic Jurisdiction publicly explains that the Symbolic or Blue Lodge confers Entered Apprentice, Fellowcraft and Master Mason, while its Scottish Rite system adds 29 degrees numbered 4° through 32°.
That is why “32nd-degree Mason” should not be interpreted as “29 ranks above a Master Mason” in a single universal chain of command. It means a Master Mason has received additional degrees within that Scottish Rite system.
What is the 33rd degree?
In the Scottish Rite Northern Masonic Jurisdiction, the 33° is an honorary degree conferred for exceptional service to the fraternity or society. Its official guidance says it cannot be petitioned for.
So the 33° is not a universal secret-ruler rank. It is an honor within a particular Masonic system. Our separate 33rd Degree guide owns that narrower search intent.
Where does the Royal Arch fit?
This is a good example of why jurisdiction matters. In England, UGLE describes the Royal Arch as closely connected to the Craft journey, while its governance is separate through the Supreme Grand Chapter. Other countries organize Royal Arch Masonry differently within their broader Masonic systems.
Do not assume a degree chart made for one country maps perfectly onto another.
Do higher numbers mean higher authority?
Not necessarily. Degree, lodge office and governing authority are different things:
- Degree: a stage or ceremony in a Masonic system.
- Lodge office: a role such as Worshipful Master, Secretary or Warden.
- Grand Lodge office: a jurisdictional leadership role such as Grand Master.
- Appendant-body degree: a degree in an organization such as the Scottish Rite after the Craft foundation.
A Mason can hold a high-numbered appendant-body degree without presiding over his Craft lodge. A Grand Master’s authority comes from constitutional office in a Grand Lodge, not simply from the largest degree number next to his name.
How long does it take to become a Master Mason?
There is no worldwide timetable. Some jurisdictions allow relatively quick progression; others require education, proficiency or minimum waiting periods between degrees. Lodge schedules also affect timing.
Anyone considering membership should ask the actual lodge about its process rather than relying on a viral claim that a person can become a Mason in a fixed number of days. See How to Become a Freemason for the broader application process.
What do the degrees teach?
Public Masonic sources describe the degrees as moral and philosophical instruction expressed through symbolism, allegory and ceremony. The point is not to collect numbers for status. The first three degrees provide a framework that members can continue studying throughout their Masonic lives.
A public educational article can explain the structure and themes without reproducing passwords, signs or private ritual text.
Frequently asked questions
Is a 32nd-degree Mason higher than a Master Mason?
Not in a universal Craft hierarchy. The 32° is a Scottish Rite degree received by a Master Mason who joins that Rite. Craft lodge status and Scottish Rite degree numbering are related but distinct systems.
Can you apply for the 33rd degree?
Not in the Scottish Rite Northern Masonic Jurisdiction. Its official guidance says the 33° is honorary and cannot be petitioned for.
Is Worshipful Master the fourth degree?
No. Worshipful Master is a lodge office, not a fourth Craft degree.
Are Masonic degrees identical everywhere?
The first three Craft degrees are widely recognizable, but ritual details, terminology, timing and appendant structures vary by jurisdiction.
A note on degree-themed products
Retail Masonic objects should not be mistaken for degree certificates or official lodge regalia. Our Masonic challenge coin and Masonic Coins & Freemason Gifts collection are decorative keepsakes. Buyers who need jurisdiction-specific regalia should follow their lodge or Grand Lodge requirements.
Explore More Masonic Guides
Start with the first Craft degree and what Entered Apprentice means.
Continue to the second Craft degree and its emphasis on learning and development.
Understand the third Craft degree and what Master Mason status does—and does not—mean.
Degree-specific product examples: CWM currently carries an Entered Apprentice Apron, a Fellowcraft Apron, and a Master Mason Apron. These examples should not be treated as universal regalia standards; confirm the recipient’s jurisdiction and lodge practice first.