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Master's degrees continue to be a strong choice to advance your education鈥攁nd in turn your career. The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) found that the number of master's degrees conferred between 2011 and 2022 increased by 16 percent []. What's more, jobs requiring a master's degree are expected to grow significantly over the next decade, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics [].

Whether you opt to begin a master鈥檚 program immediately after earning your bachelor鈥檚 degree or first enter the workforce and gain some professional experience, an online master鈥檚 program can often be more flexible option than attending an on-campus program. Discover more about online master鈥檚 degrees, including the types available, what it takes to apply, and how you can determine the best program for you.听听

What's an online master's degree?

An online master's degree is a graduate degree you earn online. Rather than relocate to attend an in-person program, you'll work through your coursework from home, either by attending virtual classes at a set time or by completing asynchronous classes on your own time.

Increasingly, students are opting to earn their master鈥檚 degree online. A 2018 study from the Urban Institute found that 31 percent of students enrolled in master鈥檚 programs in 2016 earned their degree online []. That's because master's degree students tend to be professionals who work full-time and require greater flexibility. 听

What types of master鈥檚 degrees are available online?

The areas you can study online at the master's level continue to expand, and it's typical nowadays to earn a Master of Arts (MA) or Master of Science (MS) online in subjects pertaining to the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. These include history, English, marketing, mathematics, biology, foreign languages, and psychology. You can also earn a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) or Master of Business Administration (MBA) online.

During the 2020-2021 school year, the majority of students earned a master鈥檚 degree in business, education, and the health professions []. Engineering and public administration/social services were also popular master鈥檚 degrees.

Some popular online master鈥檚 degrees include:

• Master of Computer Science

• Master of Business Administration (MBA)

• Master of Public Health (MPH)听

• Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)

• Master of Engineering (MEng)

• Master of Science in Finance听

• Master of Arts in Psychology

• Master of Science in Marketing

• Master of Arts in International Relations听

• Master of Arts in Communication

Learn more: MA vs MS Degrees: A Guide

What can you do with an online master's degree?

The major difference between an online master's degree and an in-person master's degree is the way you earn it. Your online master's program should provide the same curriculum and skills development as an in-person master's degree.

Thanks to your advanced education, you may find that you can pursue more advanced roles, including managerial or leadership positions:

*All salary data from BLS and Glassdoor as of July 2024.

Master's degree holders also tend to make higher median annual salaries: $90,324 compared to $77,636 for bachelor's degree holders []. Learn more about the kinds of salaries you can command with an online master's degree, as well as what you can do with a master's degree earned in specific areas, including:

• Public health

• Data science

• Computer science

• Business administration

• Health care administration

Online master鈥檚 degree costs + time to graduation

An in-person master鈥檚 degree costs between $30,000 and $120,000, depending on whether you attend a public or private institution []. However, many online master鈥檚 degrees tend to cost less. For example, the University of Colorado Boulder's Master of Science in Computer Science available on 糖心vlog官网观看, costs a total of $15,750.听听

The length of your program will depend on what you choose to study and where you choose to study it, but a master鈥檚 degree takes between 18 months and two years to complete when you attend full-time.听

Benefits of earning your master鈥檚 degree online听

Besides the lower costs and the opportunity to learn at your own pace, there are a number of other benefits you may experience from earning your master鈥檚 degree online.听

• Work while going to school: Online master鈥檚 programs often provide flexible scheduling, which may make it easier to work full-time while earning your degree. Not only can that help offset some of your degree costs, but it also means you won鈥檛 pause your professional development as you focus on your education.听

• More school choice: You will have to apply to each online master鈥檚 program that you鈥檙e considering, but when you choose a fully online program, you won鈥檛 have to relocate in order to attend. That means you鈥檒l have more access to some of the top-rated schools in the country鈥攁nd around the world.听

• Network with your peers: Earning a master鈥檚 degree online no longer means having to forego the benefits of socializing and networking with your peers. A growing number of online master鈥檚 programs foster those kinds of connections using an array of virtual tools.听

• Refine important workplace skills: Earning your bachelor鈥檚 online requires both self-discipline and time management thanks to the self-paced and flexible nature of learning. Both are important workplace skills, and earning your master鈥檚 online can help you strengthen your abilities in each area.听听听

Is an online master鈥檚 as valuable as an in-person master鈥檚?听

In most cases, what you learn is more important than how you learn it, which is why it鈥檚 crucial that you find a program that aligns with your larger educational goals. Two helpful questions to pose as you research potential programs include:听

• Will the coursework help me gain a broad understanding of the subject?听

• Will I be able to deepen that knowledge through special electives or concentrations?听

Certain programs may be more hands-on than others, such as nursing or chemistry degrees. In those cases, how you learn may be important. Although you have the option of attending such master鈥檚 programs online鈥攎any of which are designed and equipped to help you succeed virtually鈥攜ou may want to investigate how you will learn important procedures or experiments.

Thanks to the growing demand for telehealth, earning your nursing degree online may make you more comfortable and familiar with technology in a way that can ultimately benefit your career.听听

How to select the best online master鈥檚 program for you听

Determining which online master鈥檚 program will be best for you means first figuring out why you want to earn your master鈥檚 degree. What do you want to achieve with your master's? Once you know why you want to pursue a graduate degree, spend time researching programs鈥攂oth online and in-person鈥攖o figure out which makes the most sense for you and your resources.

Let鈥檚 go over a few factors you can incorporate into your research.听

Accreditation

Attending an accredited college or university that offers online degrees can provide you with some assurance that you鈥檙e earning a quality education. It can also help you qualify for federal student aid via the annual FAFSA form. Each school should note its accreditation type (regional or national).听听

Program focus

Many master鈥檚 programs list a number of concentrations that can deepen your area of expertise. For example, MPH students can concentrate in environmental health, global health, or epidemiology, or MBA students can concentrate in marketing, operations, or management. If you鈥檙e interested in learning about a niche area, look for programs that allow you to focus or concentrate in it.听

Flexibility

An online master鈥檚 degree should offer some amount of flexibility, but it can differ by school or program. Find out whether your courses will be asynchronous or synchronous, and how much you鈥檒l be able to work at your own pace in order to determine the best approach for your schedule. 听

Structure

Some online master鈥檚 degrees are entirely online, while others are hybrid (a mix of in-person and online courses). Depending on the structure you prefer, you should find master鈥檚 programs that will suit your needs.

Learning technology

Each college or university employs different technology to administer online learning. It helps to know what type of learning management system (LMS) and other virtual tools you might expect to encounter.

Faculty credentials

Who ultimately teaches your courses is important. Spend time looking into each program鈥檚 online faculty鈥攎any of which may also teach in person, depending on the school. Think about how their expertise or academic qualifications will help contribute to your overall learning.听

Networking

Not all online master鈥檚 programs foster networking among peers, but if that鈥檚 something you鈥檙e interested in, then it鈥檚 best to find programs that provide that kind of opportunity.听

How to apply to an online master鈥檚 program听

Applying to an online master鈥檚 program is relatively similar to applying to an in-person master鈥檚 program. As you narrow the programs that most interest you, pay attention to their deadlines so that you have all of your materials gathered in time.

Each college or university may have different requirements, but in addition to the application you鈥檒l complete for each program, you can expect to supply the following materials:听

• Standardized test scores (GRE or GMAT)

• Undergraduate transcripts听

• Personal statement听

• Writing sample (depending on program)听听

• Letters of recommendation

Explore further听

Learn more about online master鈥檚 degrees available to earn through 糖心vlog官网观看's esteemed university partners. Earn your graduate degree in an in-demand field from a number of top-ranked universities. What's more, many universities on 糖心vlog官网观看 offer performance-based admission, so you can work your way into your degree program by taking and passing a certain number of courses.听