Master's Degrees Online: The Paper Edge

You've just graduated with your Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts degree. It seemed like a major accomplishment at the time—and it is. But, nearly everyone you work with has something more. In a few short years, you'll see yourself passed over for promotions and leadership positions all because someone with a "graduate" degree gets considered first. You may have family and other responsibilities and feel that you can't take the time off to go back to school and get a Master's degree. Thanks to the multitude of online programs, you don't have to miss a day of work.

What is a Master's Degree
A Bachelor's degree typically involves four or five years of full time study, depending on your major and on whether you choose to take any summer classes or cram an extra course or two each semester. The first two years of any bachelor's degree program involve required core courses—English, math, basic sciences, sociology, physical education, psychology, technology, and an elective or two. In the second semester of your sophomore year, your class choices are more focused on your particular major. By your junior and senior years, nearly all of your classes are major related.

Thus you have two full years at best that focus on the area of your career. The core courses are important for building a foundation, but that still leave you with only two years of education in fields that have grown increasingly complex and specialized. The graduate degrees take what you learned in your first four years and develop that specialized knowledge that will give you the edge you need in your career. You can think of it as a "paper edge" because having the Master's Degree diploma will give you a competitive edge even over people who would normally outrank you by virtue of experience. It may not be correct, but for some reason, employers assume that if you have that extra piece of paper, you are just a little more qualified, have a little more knowledge, and will ultimately do a better job than a person who has worked for years without that little piece of paper.

Getting the Degree Online
Since you have achieved your bachelor's degree, you already know your study requirements and habits. You may also know that going back to school for a graduate degree is going to be expensive as most colleges charge about twice as much per credit hour for graduate courses as they do for undergraduate courses. In fact, the two major factors that prevent people from achieving graduate degrees are cost and time. Many people have families or other financial responsibilities by the time the bachelor's degree program is finished. Since a traditional master's degree program involved two more years of full-time study, many feel that they cannot afford to be out of the work force for that long.

Getting the Master's Degree Online changes both the cost and the time factor. First, the cost for Online programs is less than a traditional college program, but the same financial aid via grants and loans is available. Furthermore, many employers will reimburse you for the cost of successfully completed courses providing the study will enhance your performance on the job. Secondly, the time element is virtually eliminated. You do not have to complete the program in two years, but can spread it out over three or four years—whatever will fit your work schedule. The college may give you a date by which time the program must be completed, but usually it will be flexible enough to give you the time you need.