Your guide to online master’s programs
Table of Contents
Choosing a program | Popular degrees | Get prepared | Applying and getting accepted | Financing your degree | Online learning experience | Online resources | Final projects | Transitioning to work | Final say
By: Kendall Upton
Updated: February 16, 2026
Find your college program now
Why earn an online master’s degree?
In 2021, master’s degrees became the predominant graduate degree, with over 800,000 awarded, as reported by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). These programs, typically one to three years long, expand upon undergraduate knowledge and are available in a wide range of fields. A master’s degree not only enhances expertise in a specific area but also offers a competitive edge in the job market and, in some professions, a potential salary increase.
Transitioning directly from undergraduate studies to a master’s program is common, but many also pursue a master’s after gaining work experience. Balancing professional and academic commitments has led to a rise in online master’s programs. This guide provides essential information on selecting, expecting, and optimizing the benefits of an online master’s degree.
Choosing the right online master’s program
Whether you’re fresh out of an undergraduate education or you want to go back to school after working for some time, selecting a master’s degree program can be daunting. If you need help getting started, check out these important factors to consider when selecting a remote master’s program:
If you want some additional guidance, don’t shy away from contacting advisers for individual programs. These people can help you determine if their program is a good fit for you and what you need to do to apply. Other professionals in the field can also be an excellent resource. If you ask them what kind of education they received, it may help steer you toward the right kinds of programs.
Popular online master’s degrees
According to the NCES, more than two-thirds of master’s degrees conferred in the 2020-2021 school year were concentrated in five fields of study: business, education, health professions and related programs, computer and information sciences, and public administration and social services. If you’re thinking about earning a master’s degree, chances are you may already have a pretty good idea of what you want to study based on any prior education and work experience you have.
Check out some of these popular programs for online master’s degrees below:
- Master of Business Administration (MBA): Essential for business leadership roles, the MBA, comprising 23% of master’s degrees awarded in 2021, is key for careers in finance, marketing, HR, and more.
- Master of Science (MS) in Computer Science: Enhances IT careers with advanced subjects like AI, robotics, and cybersecurity. Though not mandatory, it boosts competitiveness and leadership potential.
- Master of Education (M.Ed.): Tailored to educators’ roles, specializations include curriculum development and administration. Often essential for specialized positions, it can lead to salary increases in many districts.
- Master of Public Health (MPH): Prepares for careers in public health, working in various settings from hospitals to nonprofits. Essential for certain leadership roles.
- Master of Social Work (MSW): Required for social work licensure in most states, with specializations like clinical social work and public policy.
- Master of Arts (MA) in Communication: Develops skills in conflict resolution, public speaking, and leadership, applicable in PR, HR, sales, and more.
- Master of Science (MA) in Marketing: Prepares students for advanced roles in marketing by teaching marketing analytics and principles of marketing strategy and decision-making.
- Master of Science in Nursing (MSN): For RNs aiming for advanced clinical or administrative roles, leading to higher salaries and responsibilities.
- Master of Fine Arts (MFA): Focuses on improving skills in visual/performing arts, design, or writing, often for personal skill enhancement and portfolio development.
- Master of Public Administration (MPA): Trains for leadership in the public sector, with career paths in nonprofits, government, and policy institutions, often leading to career advancement and higher salaries.
Preparing for online master’s degree programs
Online learning can make earning a master’s degree much more manageable, but it’s important to assess your own needs, learning styles and preferences to make sure online learning can work for you before committing to a program. Before diving in, check if it fits your learning style and situation.
- Tech Essentials: Reliable internet, dedicated computer, and a quiet study space (home, library, cafe) are your non-negotiables.
- Self-Paced Success: Online learning demands strong time management and motivation. Craft a realistic study schedule to juggle work and studies effectively.
- Synchronous vs. Asynchronous: Master’s programs often blend live classes with self-paced materials like videos and quizzes. Explore each program’s curriculum to see if their format suits you.
Remember, success in online grad school hinges on self-awareness and choosing the right program that aligns with your learning preferences and lifestyle.
Applying and getting accepted
The application procedures and admissions requirements for master’s degree programs, whether online or otherwise, are not universal. Every institution and program, therefore, can have a slightly different process. For example, some programs require that you apply to the institution’s graduate school first, while others simply have students apply to the program directly.
All Online Schools is an advertising-supported site. Featured or trusted partner programs and all school search finder, or match results are for schools that compensate us. This compensation does not influence our resource guides, or other editorially-independent information published on this site.
Be sure to check with each institution individually to find out what you need to do to apply to their program(s).
Typical admissions requirements for online master’s programs
Although admissions requirements can vary, here are some commonalities you will probably encounter for most programs you explore:
- Minimum education level and GPA: Many master’s programs require applicants to already have a bachelor’s degree in a field similar or the same as whatever program is being applied for. This can vary, however—some programs may simply require that you’ve completed a given number of undergraduate classes in certain subject areas to qualify. It’s common for master’s programs to also require that you have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 for any previous undergraduate coursework. You’ll submit all of this information by including transcripts with your application.
- Writing sample: Almost all programs require applicants to submit a writing sample in the form of a personal essay or statement of purpose. Some programs may provide more specific prompts than others. In general, your writing sample should convey who you are, what motivates you to get a master’s degree, your previous achievements (within or outside of your undergraduate degree), what you hope to gain from the program and why you’d be a good fit.
- Entrance exams: Some schools require students to submit scores from the Graduate Records Examination (GRE) as part of their application.
- Letters of recommendation: Most graduate programs ask for two to three letters of recommendation from former professors, supervisors or other professional colleagues.
- Other materials: Many graduate programs also ask applicants to submit an up-to-date resume/curriculum vitae (CV) with their application. If English is not your native language, you may also need to submit passing scores from an approved English language proficiency exam.
Preparing for entrance exams
The GRE is the most widely used admissions test for graduate school, which means you may have to take the GRE before you can apply to a graduate program. This really depends on the school and their program, however, as there are plenty of programs that don’t require GRE scores.
If your program does require that you take the GRE, determine whether you have to take the General Test or a Subject Test. The General Test is the most common—it tests students on core skills that graduate students need to succeed: verbal reasoning, qualitative reasoning, critical thinking and analytical writing skills.
A Subject Test evaluates your knowledge of one of three specific subjects: mathematics, physics or psychology. As you can probably guess, Subject Tests are only used for graduate programs in these areas.
If you have to take one of the GRE exams, take your time to prepare and study extensively for the exam. Since the GRE is such a popular test, there are lots of tutors available who have experience prepping people for the GRE. The GRE itself also has a ton of resources at your disposal, including practice tests, study books, instructional videos and more. Some of these resources must be paid for.
Submitting your applications
Nowadays, most college applications can be completed entirely online. This usually entails making an account where you can log in and access everything you need to submit your application. Applications typically consist of entering your information (personal info, residency, prior education, etc.) followed by uploading any necessary supporting documents (transcripts, test scores, letters of recommendation, etc.).
When you submit your application, the college should send you a confirmation with an estimated timeline of when you can expect to hear back from them. In the meantime, you can usually check the status of your application in the online portal that was used to submit it. You should be notified if there are any deficiencies in your application that need to be addressed.
Strategies for admissions interviews
Some master’s degree programs may ask applicants to participate in an admissions interview before being accepted into the program. Schools do this because they want to learn more about you than what an application alone can tell them, and they want to be sure you are a good fit for their program.
To prepare for an admissions interview, think about it as an opportunity to really showcase your strengths. Conveying your enthusiasm for their program can be much easier in person than on paper. Plus, it’s a chance for you to understand the program better and make sure it’s what you are looking for, too.
Here are some other helpful strategies to have a successful admission interview:
- Practice professionalism: This goes for any interview, including job interviews. Dress nicely, be polite, be conscious of your non-verbal body language and turn off your phone.
- Do your research: Read up on the school, its program, faculty, specializations and more. If you don’t know anything, the person interviewing you may not be convinced you’re very serious about their program.
- Prepare responses: Look up common admissions interview questions and conceptualize some potential responses if these questions get asked. For example, it’s likely that you will be asked about why you want to be admitted to their program specifically and how you intend to contribute to the program.
- Ask questions: Come prepared with any questions you may have about the program so that you can get all the information you need. Asking questions also conveys your genuine interest in the program.
Financing your master’s degree online
According to the Education Data Initiative, the average cost of a master’s degree in the United States in 2024 is $62,820, with most falling in the range of $44,000 to $71,000. The total cost of your degree can be affected by several factors including the type and length of program and the type of academic institution, such as a public versus private university.
Getting your master’s degree online is one way to make a master’s education more financially feasible. Online credits usually cost less, plus you may be able to avoid some of the other expenses associated with in-person education, such as transportation costs to and from campus, on-campus housing and even textbooks in some cases.
Financial aid options
There are several ways to bring down the cost of a master’s degree that everyone should look into before embarking on a program. Using as many resources as you can could even pay for your education in its entirety:
- Federal aid: The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) should be your first stop when looking for funding. This application can determine if you qualify for any need-based tuition assistance that doesn’t have to be repaid. Filling out the FAFSA is also your way to get any federal grants or loans.
- Scholarships and grants: Scholarships and grants are merit-based awards that can be obtained through multiple different avenues. You can apply for federal scholarships and grants through the FAFSA, but don’t forget to research any local scholarships from companies, nonprofits and other organizations, too. Schools themselves also often have scholarships for their students. You may even be able to apply for any of their scholarships when you submit your application to a master’s degree program.
- Employer assistance: Lots of companies and organizations have some kind of tuition reimbursement program for their employees in their benefits package. Depending on their policies and procedures, your employer may require that you continue to work for them for a certain period if you choose to take advantage of this service.
- Working for the school: Many schools and programs provide the option for graduate students to be research or teaching assistants to help offset the cost of their tuition. In some cases, this may even be working as the primary instructor for introductory undergraduate courses. Students who choose to do this often also receive a stipend in exchange for their work.
- Student loans: Loans can be incredibly helpful, but they should be used cautiously after other options have been exhausted. When you apply for the FAFSA, federal loans are typically included in your financial aid package. Loans from private companies are also available, but federal loans should be your first stop.
Creating a budget and managing expenses
Once you’ve been admitted to a program and have determined exactly how much it will cost you, you may wish to create a budgeting plan to make sure your degree doesn’t break the bank.
Budgets help people curb unnecessary spending and keep track of exactly where their money is going. If you’re spending money on an online master’s degree, a budget can keep all of life’s other expenses in check. Zero-based and envelope budgeting are two popular strategies that grad students might find especially helpful. Applications like Mint, YNAB and Goodbudget can help facilitate these and other strategies.
Navigating the online learning experience
As an online student, you’ll access your classes, course materials, assignments and more through a learning management system (LMS). These are software programs used by academic institutions to manage the online learning experience. If you’ve taken any college course within the last decade or so, you’ve probably already used an LMS like Canvas, Moodle or edX. To access your LMS, you’ll need to log in using whatever credentials are issued by your school.
Participating in virtual discussions and collaborations
You should have access to a classroom discussion forum through your school’s LMS. Each forum is classroom-specific and allows you to pose questions and have conversations with your classmates that are public to the rest of the class. Many college courses at the undergraduate and graduate level require students to participate in a class discussion on a certain basis, such as weekly or several times throughout the term.
The LMS can also facilitate private messages between individual classmates, a group of students or your instructor. This can be helpful for group projects and collaborations or for contacting your instructor. Some people may prefer to collaborate outside of the LMS and rely on texting or communication apps like WhatsApp and Telegram to do group work. Google Docs is also a popular (and free) application that can make group work a breeze by allowing multiple people to have access to the same document(s) in real time.
Managing online assignments and coursework
An LMS makes it easy to access all of your assignments and see exactly what is due and when. When you view your class, it’s common to see a chronological timeline of all your assignments’ due dates, including quizzes, exams, essays and the like.
It’s obviously important that you address assignments and other action items that are due soon, but it’s perhaps equally important that you look ahead to the assignments due in the next few weeks so that you can budget your study time accordingly. Longer assignments such as an essay are going to require more preparation and time to complete, so you don’t want to leave it to the last minute before it’s already too late to get started. Being proactive about your coursework can make managing your online assignments much easier.
Interacting with professors and seeking academic support
You’ll be able to see and interact with your instructors during live synchronous classes, but there are other ways to contact your instructors that don’t involve the entire class. If you need to reach your professors for any reason, including for academic support, you can usually contact them through the direct messaging feature in the LMS. Some professors may prefer that you simply email them. Either way, your instructors should tell you their preferred method of communication on the first day of class.
If you require some more dedicated academic support, your school likely has some sort of tutoring services available for students that can easily be accessed online.
Making the most of online resources
Just because you are an online student doesn’t mean your access to resources is limited. In fact, most of the resources you might associate with a traditional, in-person campus experience can seamlessly be conducted online.
Accessing digital libraries, research databases and journals
Master’s degree programs almost always include research projects that require citing numerous reputable sources like academic papers and research studies that are not easily accessed online. At some point in your program, it’s likely that you will be granted access to various digital libraries, research databases and journals that are not freely available to the public, such as JSTOR. This is usually done using your school email or some other credentials issued to you by your school.
However, there are also lots of free online digital libraries that you might find useful during a master’s degree program, including:
- Digital Public Library of America (DPLA)
- New York Public Library’s Digital Collections
- Getty Publications Virtual Library
- National Library of Medicine’s Digital Collections
Utilizing online tutoring and writing centers
If you find yourself struggling academically during your master’s degree program, don’t fret—your school likely has multiple academic support services available to you. Practically all schools have tutoring services, for example, which don’t require going to a physical location to use. You can sign up for virtual meetings with a tutor via video call for one-off support on a specific assignment or you can set up regular meetings for consistent help.
Most schools also have a writing center to help students specifically with written assignments and improve their writing skills overall. You can get one-on-one support just like the general tutoring services or participate in group workshops which are a common offering from college writing centers.
Engaging with virtual career services and job placement assistance
Just about every college and university has some form of career support for students. Many—if not all—of these services can be accessed online. For example, you can take advantage of one-on-one career advising sessions with someone who can help you figure out how to apply your degree to the workforce, offer suggestions on career-related opportunities that align with your goals, help you craft a resume or cover letter or help you practice interviewing for jobs. They are your go-to resource to get all your career-related questions answered.
Career centers also usually offer virtual career fairs via platforms like Zoom which allow students to explore different career paths and network with potential employers, just like in-person career fairs.
Joining professional organizations and communities for networking
Joining professional organizations, such as the American Association of School Administrators for aspiring principals or the American Nurses Association for MSN students, can significantly enhance your career. These associations, available at national, state, and local levels, offer discounted memberships for students and provide benefits like industry resources, exclusive events, and networking opportunities. Additionally, many schools host career interest communities in various fields, offering additional networking and alumni interaction opportunities.
Capstone projects and culminating experiences
A capstone or thesis awaits at the finish line, testing your program’s wisdom in a final project. Both showcase your learned skills, but with distinct flavors. Capstones, the versatile adventurers, apply knowledge to solve real-world problems in various formats. Think presentations, prototypes, or reports. Theses, the academic scholars, delve deep into research to generate new knowledge in their field, often taking the form of a research paper. So, will you be a problem-solving pragmatist or a knowledge-generating academic? Your program holds the key!
Planning and executing a successful capstone project
There’s no magic ingredient that can guarantee a successful capstone project, but there are a few strategies you can use to increase your chances of success:
- Pick a topic that genuinely interests you so that you are more motivated to do the research and prevent burning out.
- Take advantage of the experience and knowledge of your instructors and collaborate with faculty advisers and mentors. They could help you develop your research topic, make suggestions or connect you with other professionals in the field who could assist you.
- Find diverse, high-quality resources to enhance your project’s credibility, such as interviews with experts in the field, peer-reviewed academic papers and as many primary sources as you can.
- Since a capstone requires a lot of time to put together, create a schedule as early as possible for when you plan to work on your project. You want to give yourself plenty of time and pace yourself so that you aren’t rushing to finish at the end of the term.
Presenting and defending your capstone project or thesis
The final part of a capstone or thesis is presenting your project in front of a panel of people. The nature of your presentation can vary depending on which kind of project you completed and what topic you chose to study. In general, you are usually asked to present your findings, explain your research process and defend whatever position you took (if any, depending on the project). For an online master’s degree program, it’s quite likely that your presentation would take place on a video platform such as Zoom. It’s also likely that you’ll be required to provide visual aids with a PowerPoint or similar slide deck.
Prepare for this presentation early and often. If public speaking is not a strength, consider some of the academic support resources available through your school to practice.
Transitioning to the workforce or further education
A master’s degree can elevate your credibility throughout the workforce for a variety of jobs. Since master’s programs tend to be more focused than a bachelor’s degree, it’s quite likely that you already know what you want to do with your degree. This is especially true for working professionals who returned to school to enhance the career they’ve already begun.
If you aren’t quite sure, however, there are several ways you can explore career opportunities with your master’s degree. For starters, utilize your school’s career support services such as career coaching or career fairs. These can help you explore ways in which to apply your degree to the workforce and narrow in on the jobs you could qualify for.
Pursuing further education or research opportunities
There are some master’s degree programs that are considered terminal degrees, meaning they are the highest level of education you can achieve in that field. In most cases, however, there are doctoral degree programs out there that you may wish to pursue after getting your master’s degree. A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree is the most common type of doctoral degree, but there are some variations in certain academic fields.
Most doctoral degree programs are heavily research-focused, meaning the overall goal of the program is for you to generate new knowledge within the field. They can take anywhere from four to eight years to finish—no small feat. Doctoral degrees can prepare you for high-level leadership positions in your field or teaching in academia.
Professional development and continuing education options
There are other ways you can continue to learn and add to your resume without returning to school once again for a doctoral degree.
Final say
Earning a master’s degree can be a huge undertaking, but it can also open many doors in your career. Even if your job doesn’t require you to have a master’s degree, a graduate degree shows your dedication to the field and can give your credentials that extra boost that sets you apart from your peers. With so many master’s programs available online today, getting a graduate-level education is now easier than ever.
Now that you know a bit more about how to look for and apply to a program, as well as what to expect out of the online learning experience, you’re prepared to start searching for master’s degrees that could take your career to new heights. Enter your information using our ‘Find Schools’ feature to start exploring online master’s degree programs today.
Are you ready for a new adventure?
Find your new school today!
All Online Schools is an advertising-supported site. Featured or trusted partner programs and all school search finder, or match results are for schools that compensate us. This compensation does not influence our resource guides, or other editorially-independent information published on this site.
All Online Schools is an advertising supported site. Featured or trusted partner programs and all school search finder, or match results are for schools that compensate us. This compensation does not influence our resource guides or other editorial-independent information published on this site.