What do you know about online master's degree?

Answer 1

Online masters degrees, as long as they're from schools that are accredited by an agency approved by the US Department of Education (USDE), and/or the USDE-sanctioned Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), are exactly the same, in terms of the work that must be done, and the academic rigor of it all, as in-classroom masters degree programs.

There is literally no difference, except that the student doesn't have to get in the car and drive to class. S/he can attend lectures, do homework, write papers, participate in class discussions, etc...

...all while sitting at his/her computer, in the comfort of his/her home, in his/her underwear if s/he so desires. In fact, naked, even, if that's what blows your hair back. Simple as that.

As with bachelors-level online degree programs, there are "synchronous" and "asynchronous" courses. The former meets on a schedule, online, and the student must be sitting at the computer at the appointed/scheduled time. With the latter, though, the lectures and most other aspects are do-able whenever the student wishes, on his/her own schdule. The only limitation is that there's usually a deadline by which assignments, and the course, itself, must be completed. Even then, though, asynchronous courses are usually the best and most flexible.

Masters-level coursework is considerably harder than bachelors-level coursework, and so one will work just about as hard taking six semester credit hours of masters-level coursework as one worked on 9 to 12 semester credit hours of bachelors level coursework. In fact, at first, a brand new masters degree student should take just one -- two at the most -- courses/classes in a given semester so that s/he may see what it's like, how hard it is, how much work will be required, so that s/he may then be a better judge, in future semesters, how many courses s/he can handle.

Most masters degree programs consist of from 32 to 36 graduate semester credit hours of coursework which, at least theoretically, should take a full-time masters degree student two years to complete. But, again, masters-level courswork is harder and takes longer, so if the student is also working and/or raising a family, it could take much longer than two years to complete.

One tends to do a whole lot more reading and writing in a masters program; and it's all much harder, and requires much more advanced thinking and analysis than bachelors-level work. One should not underestimate it, or take it lightly.

If there's a thesis required, then that's a whole other experience. Lots of meetings, lots of propsal writing, lots of academic advice meetings. Then research, research, research; and then writing, writing, writing... and then even more writing... 'til you just want to scream!

A masters degree is not brain surgery... er... you know... unless it's about brain surgery; and you don't have to be a genius or anything to get one. But you do need to be willing to do the work; and it's serious work! Don't presume it'll be anything like your undergraduate degree. And don't undertake a masters program unless you're really and truly ready.