Master's degree come with many benefits and now a growing number of students are opting to earn their master’s degree online.
Master's degrees continue to be a strong choice to advance your education—and 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 [1]. 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 [2].
Whether you opt to begin a master’s program immediately after earning your bachelor’s degree or first enter the workforce and gain some professional experience, an online master’s program can often be more flexible option than attending an on-campus program. Discover more about online master’s degrees, including the types available, what it takes to apply, and how you can determine the best program for you.
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’s degree online. A 2018 study from the Urban Institute found that 31 percent of students enrolled in master’s programs in 2016 earned their degree online [3]. That's because master's degree students tend to be professionals who work full-time and require greater flexibility.
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’s degree in business, education, and the health professions [4]. Engineering and public administration/social services were also popular master’s degrees.
Some popular online master’s degrees include:
Master of Arts in International Relations
Master of Arts in Communication
Learn more: MA vs MS Degrees: A Guide
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:
Sample job title | Master’s degree | Salary |
---|---|---|
Social worker | Master of Social Work (MSW) | $58,380 |
High school principal | Master of Education (MEd) | $103,460 |
Health care administrator | Master of Health Care Administration (MHA) | $110,996 |
Chemical engineer | Master of Chemical Engineering | $112,100 |
Business consultant | Master of Business Administration (MBA) | $83,131 |
*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 [5]. 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:
An in-person master’s degree costs between $30,000 and $120,000, depending on whether you attend a public or private institution [6]. However, many online master’s degrees tend to cost less. For example, the University of Colorado Boulder's Master of Science in Computer Science available on Coursera, costs a total of $15,750.
The length of your program will depend on what you choose to study and where you choose to study it, but a master’s degree takes between 18 months and two years to complete when you attend full-time.
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’s degree online.
Work while going to school: Online master’s 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’t pause your professional development as you focus on your education.
More school choice: You will have to apply to each online master’s program that you’re considering, but when you choose a fully online program, you won’t have to relocate in order to attend. That means you’ll have more access to some of the top-rated schools in the country—and around the world.
Network with your peers: Earning a master’s degree online no longer means having to forego the benefits of socializing and networking with your peers. A growing number of online master’s programs foster those kinds of connections using an array of virtual tools.
Refine important workplace skills: Earning your bachelor’s 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’s online can help you strengthen your abilities in each area.
In most cases, what you learn is more important than how you learn it, which is why it’s crucial that you find a program that aligns with your larger educational goals. Two helpful questions to pose as you research potential programs include:
Will the coursework help me gain a broad understanding of the subject?
Will I be able to deepen that knowledge through special electives or concentrations?
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’s programs online—many of which are designed and equipped to help you succeed virtually—you 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.
Determining which online master’s program will be best for you means first figuring out why you want to earn your master’s 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—both online and in-person—to figure out which makes the most sense for you and your resources.
Let’s go over a few factors you can incorporate into your research.
Attending an accredited college or university that offers online degrees can provide you with some assurance that you’re 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).
Many master’s 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’re interested in learning about a niche area, look for programs that allow you to focus or concentrate in it.
An online master’s 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’ll be able to work at your own pace in order to determine the best approach for your schedule.
Some online master’s 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’s programs that will suit your needs.
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.
Who ultimately teaches your courses is important. Spend time looking into each program’s online faculty—many 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.
Not all online master’s programs foster networking among peers, but if that’s something you’re interested in, then it’s best to find programs that provide that kind of opportunity.
Applying to an online master’s program is relatively similar to applying to an in-person master’s 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’ll complete for each program, you can expect to supply the following materials:
Standardized test scores (GRE or GMAT)
Undergraduate transcripts
Writing sample (depending on program)
Learn more about online master’s degrees available to earn through Coursera'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 Coursera offer performance-based admission, so you can work your way into your degree program by taking and passing a certain number of courses.
National Center for Education Statistics. "Postsecondary Certificates and Degrees Conferred, https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator/cts." July 10, 2024.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Occupations that Need More Education for Entry are Projected to Grow Faster Than Average, https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables/education-summary.htm." Accessed July 10, 2024.
Urban Institute. “The Rise of Master's Degrees, https://www.urban.org/research/publication/rise-masters-degrees." July 10, 2024.
National Center for Education Statistics. "Graduate Degree Fields, https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator/ctb." Accessed July 10, 204.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Education Pays, https://www.bls.gov/emp/chart-unemployment-earnings-education.htm." Accessed July 10, 2024.
Education Data Initiative. “Average Cost of a Master's Degree: 2022 Analysis, https://educationdata.org/average-cost-of-a-masters-degree." July 10, 2024.
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This content has been made available for informational purposes only. Learners are advised to conduct additional research to ensure that courses and other credentials pursued meet their personal, professional, and financial goals.