If getting an online master’s degree as quickly as possible is your goal, check out our list of the fastest online master’s degree programs here.
Key Takeaways
The online master’s program is an increasingly popular option among graduate students and working adults.
The fastest online master’s degrees are typically offered by graduate schools with excellent completion rates, which is why every online master’s program ranked here has a minimum 65% graduation rate.
Both traditionally paced and accelerated master degrees can prepare students for a wide range of entry level opportunities in the workforce.
Table of Contents
Online master’s degree programs are a great option for students looking to minimize their time to complete a graduate education. That’s because many graduate schools offer both self-paced online education and accelerated online programs.
Though the traditional master’s degree program can take between 1 and 2 years to complete, prospective students pursuing their online master’s degree have a number of options for completing their graduate program at a faster pace.
Interested in finding the most affordable online master degree programs? Whether you’re considering business schools, seeking a master of science, or simply interested in continuing your higher education, check out our ranking of the most affordable online programs at the master’s degree level.
What You Should Know About Online Programs for Getting a Master’s Degree
The online master’s degree is a fast and efficient way to earn a graduate degree so that you can advance your career without disrupting your current work and personal responsibilities. But before you jump into online learning, there are a few important things you should know first:
The minimum requirement for entry into graduate school is typically a bachelor’s degree from an accredited university. Qualified students will typically also be required to meet a minimum threshold of academic performance in their bachelor’s degree program.
Interested students should also be prepared to provide a resume, letters of referral, a personal statement, and an interview. Admission requirements will generally be the same for both online learners and students who complete the traditional program.
It is essential to choose from online programs with accreditation from the colleges and schools commission in your region. Accreditation is extremely important when it comes to choosing from credible graduate programs.
Not only that, but you will only be eligible for financial aid when you pursue a master’s degree through a school with accreditation from a Department of Education-recognized colleges and schools commission.
Online students typically have access to the same curriculum, content, and instructors as fellow students in on campus versions of corresponding degree programs.
Most online master’s degree programs require the completion of 30 to 60 college credits. A full time graduate student will usually complete these credit requirements in about one to two years.
However, many schools offer accelerated courses as well as fully accelerated online master degree programs. As a distance learner in an accelerated program, you could complete your master’s degree program is as little as 12 to 18 months.
Students who get their master degree through a public online program in their state will have access to in state tuition. Out of state distance learners can typically complete the same online degree program. But in most cases, these students will not have access to reduced in state tuition.
Some universities offer accelerated programs where you can bundle your bachelor’s degree and master’s degree into a single five year program.
If you are currently enrolled in a bachelor’s degree and plan to continue your higher education at the next level, speak to an academic advisor about this dual degree program. It could be a great way to speed up the completion of both degrees.
Students who plan to earn a doctoral degree may not be required to earn a master’s degree first. However, some doctoral degrees will award credits for completion of relevant graduate level courses.
What kinds of online programs are there for master’s degrees?
Prospective master’s students have several online degree program options including the master of arts, the master of science, and the master of applied science.
The master of arts will typically apply to subjects like history, political science, educational psychology, and philosophy. Working professionals in these fields can advance to leadership roles and opportunities for higher pay by earning their online master’s.
Students who take online master of science and applied science degrees will study research methods, data science, information technology, and more.
The master of science generally prepares students for highly specialized roles and leadership opportunities in important fields like data management, global health, forensic psychology, and more.
A number of online programs at the graduate level are also specialized for working professionals in specific areas. For instance, the best business schools offer online MBA programs for prospective graduate students advancing in areas like corporate finance, project management, corporate training, and more.
The same may be true if you are interested in a specific type of finance degree, technology degree, or any number of advanced nursing programs. Your graduate program may be centered on providing an in-depth understanding in your field.
The right online program for you will depend on your educational and career goals.
How We Ranked the Fastest Online Master’s Degree Programs
Our school rankings for fastest online master’s programs is based on a combination of academic excellence and time to completion.
We measured these outcomes by first identifying fully online master’s degree programs that rank for Influence—a metric which scores colleges and universities based on the real-world impact of students, alumni, and professors.
After distilling the best online master’s degrees based on influence and rate of fully-online graduate enrollment, we measured for graduation rate as reported by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES).
The online education programs ranked here include only master programs with a 65% graduation rate or better. The majority of online master programs ranked here demonstrate a better than 70% graduation rate. This denotes that online students excelled at reaching graduation in each of these programs.
You can find an online master with an accelerated format by reaching out directly to the online programs ranked below.
Each online school here excels in delivering students to graduation in their respective master’s degree programs. Find out if you can get an accelerated master’s degree online from one of these top programs.
While the National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES) does not provide comprehensive data on online accelerated master’s degree programs, it does rank graduation rate statistics at the master degree level.
Those that achieve the highest graduation rate also typically rank high for average time to complete. One reason for this, especially at the master degree level, is the accelerated master’s degree program.
While the typical master degree program will take roughly two years to complete, accelerated master degree programs can often be completed in as little as 12 to 18 months.
This makes the accelerated online program an especially good fit for working adults who are interested in career advancement. The accelerated online format makes it possible to quickly earn a master degree online and get right back to work!
The degree completion program is another accelerated online program designed for working professionals. In this case, your online master’s will award credits toward completion based on relevant workplace experience or graduate-level credits already earned. Graduate students with relevant work experience or graduate credits should explore this option as well. Degree completion programs are increasingly common in the online learning sector.
An online master’s degree program that can be completed in three years or less is within your reach. For a look at other top-ranked accelerated degree programs, don’t miss our comprehensive guide to fast online program rankings.
Each online master ranked below boasts a high graduation rate and a top Influence score.
The online master’s listed here below will prepare students for a wide range of leadership roles and specialized opportunities in areas like business administration, public health, educational psychology, data management, human resource management, health promotion, information technology, and much more. The online degree program is a great option for students and working professionals seeking career advancement and improved pay.
The master’s degrees listed here include both online classes and fully online master programs aimed at providing distance learners with an excellent higher education at a rapid pace.
