Online Masters Degree Programs

This article looks at what is the campus and online masters degree program is, and what it entails. A masters is considered to be part of graduate level education, and is typically earned after one completes the bachelors degree.

There are many reasons to consider earning a master degree in an area of your interest depending on your career goals. Doctoral degrees online are the ideal option for people who want to return to school but need the flexibility. Distance Learning PhD programs are available by colleges that are traditional campus-based or fully online. Online doctoral degrees are research-based, and are usually the highest degree you can earn for graduate study, and is thus a terminal degree for most disciplines. The doctoral degree classification includes degrees like the Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.), Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) Doctor of Public Health, Doctor of Education (Ed. D.), Doctor of Nursing Science (D. NSc.), and the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree in many field (e.g. arts, business, engineering, education, engineering, humanities, public administration, sciences, etc.).

Masters Specializations and Concentrations

Universities with Online Masters Degree Programs

University of Phoenix

Capella University

Walden University

The University of Liverpool

Grand Canyon University

Liberty University

Northcentral University

Masters Level Education and Training

Typically, a masters degree takes about two years to complete, but may range between one year and three years depending on the area of study, and the number of credit hours that one completes each quarter or semester. It is not uncommon for students to earn their masters degree part-time, given that many who enroll in graduate school are working professionals who can only take a few classes at a time. Typically these students take one or two classes each semester. More and more universities are now offering degrees and courses online adding flexibility for the students.

In order to be accepted into a masters program, requirements may include submitting scores for the GRE or GMAT depending on the program, a minimum undergraduate GPA that will vary by program, letters of recommendation, goal statement, and a resume or CV. In most cases students are required to maintain a GPA of at least 3.0 to remain in the masters program.

The idea of the masters degree is to specialize beyond the undergraduate degree. Programs tend to require advanced level coursework and the curricula are rigorous and tend to expand on content that is covered in the bachelors degree program. In other cases, the content is brand new. Courses require students to do a lot of reading and work on projects and where possible link what they are doing in school with what is going on in their professional lives. Research is also generally required as part of the program of study.

Let's now look at how to get an online masters degree. Masters programs are offered at virtually all areas that offer undergraduate degrees. Examples include psychology, counseling, English, mathematics, geography, biology, nursing, human services fine arts, social work, criminology, economics, education, business, etc. The list is truly endless.

The most common masters degrees are the Master of Business Administration (MBA), the Master of Arts (MA) in the liberal arts and social sciences and the Master of Science (MSc) in the science fields. For those in the teaching profession the Master of Education (MEd) and the Master of Arts in teaching (MAT) are typically conferred, although some programs do offer the MA or MSc depending on the program structure. For those in the arts the Master of Fine Arts (MFA) is the terminal degree, which means that doctoral degrees in the discipline are typically not offered.

Some online masters degree programs are typically offered at the masters levels and then transition on to the doctoral degree. This is not to say that bachelor degree programs are not available but rather, the nature of the programs tends to call for advanced coursework. Examples of this include the Master of Arts of Social Work (MSW), the instructional design and technology degree, and the master of public health (MPH).

There are also other programs that go directly from the bachelor to the PhD program, bypassing the masters degree but if the student does not complete the doctorate they may get masters credit. This will depend on the actual school and discipline. Some examples include chemistry and psychology.

Some programs consider the masters degree a professional degree. This means that students may work toward licensure or certification. This is often regulated by a government agency or other approved non-government body. To earn this certification, an exam would be taken at the end of the program of study upon completing program requirement. This means that one would have had tot be enrolled in a regionally accredited program in order to qualify to take the exam.

Both the online masters degree requires students to take various courses, where the actual number of credit hour will vary, but may range around 36 hours or thereabout in the semester structure. In addition, depending on the program students would be required to complete one or more of the following: comprehensive exam, thesis, masters research project, internship practicum, scholarly publication, portfolio, or presentation. While the masters degree calls for rigorous study and time management skills, overall, its advantages programs outweigh the challenges.