Wait, that's the alternative to doing a PhD??
Bachelors - Masters - Licentiat - Doctor
A Lic. is not use din the US, but very common in Europe https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Licentiate_(degree)
And is basically what you can take out after half a Ph.D. program. In many technical schools in Sweden you are expected to do Lic. on the way to Ph.D. or if you burn out you at least have a Lic.