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Online Master's Degrees

Sometimes known as a graduate degree, a master's degree can be awarded from both colleges and universities. A master's degree can be earned when a student has determined which field of study he/she wishes to pursue (called a major) and then he/she completes the curriculum required over and above a bachelor's degree. Usually, a master's degree will take one to two years to complete, though others take longer.

You will normally find a student completing a master's degree will fall into one of four tracks — Master of Arts (M.A.), Master of Science (M.S.), Master of Education (M.Ed.), and Master of Business Administration (MBA). Some degrees are even more specific, as you can find students who get a Master of Fine Arts degree (M.F.A.).

When students go forward in college or university for a master's degree, they are normally looking to specialize in one or two areas within their field of study. They get specialized classes focusing on a specific subfield within their chosen major. For example, a student graduates with a bachelor's degree in history. Although a complete degree in itself, the student goes back and receives a Master of Arts in American History degree.

To obtain a master's degree, a student must complete a challenging curriculum based on the specialty area chosen. Many colleges and universities are selective about whom they accept into a master's degree program, based on GPA and other test scores. In most master's degree programs, students must complete a thesis paper in order to graduate. A thesis is a scholarly research project that results in a paper approximately 50 pages long.

Online Master's Degree Programs