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The Masters Degree

A Masters Degree comes after the Bachelors Degree. This degree is usually for those who seek to be considered a "master" at their profession. Most people who obtains their Masters Degree do so after obtaining some years of experience in the job market working in their field of study. Most students pursue their Masters part-time while working at a full-time job. Although not popular, there are many that continue to obtain their Masters right after obtaining their Bachelors. Most don't because of the heavy financial burden placed upon obtaining a Bachelors and a Masters Degree.

Students in a Masters Degree program will complete courses that are highly focused in their field of study (their major). Typically, it takes two years beyond the Bachelors degree, but those additional two years open the door to many career opportunities that are personally, professionally, and financially fulfilling. The most common Masters degrees are the master of arts (MA) and master of science (MS). Masters degrees are offered in a variety of fields (e.g., psychology, mathematics, biology, etc.), just as Bachelors degrees are offered in many fields.

Most Masters Degree programs require students to complete a Master's thesis, or an extended research paper. Depending on the field, your Master's thesis may entail conducting a thorough analysis of the literature or a scientific experiment. Some Master's programs offer alternatives to the Master's thesis, such as written comprehensive exams or other written projects that are less rigorous than theses.

The federal government also has proven statistical data that Masters Degree holders make more than bachelor's degree holders. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, during a 40-year working period, people who have master's degrees tend to earn $2.5 million, while those who have bachelor's degrees make only $2.1 million during that time. In addition, people who have master's degrees earned about $1,102 each week, about $200 more a week than those with bachelor's degrees, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Another advantage of pursuing a Masters Degree is having the opportunity to become fully immersed in the subject matter that you are passionate about. This can be an invaluable experience and provide you with a body of work you can use to market yourself when you complete your graduate program.

Did You Know?
  • As nursing and health care delivery expand, opportunities abound outside the hospital. Between 1996-2000, the number of registered nurses in community health settings, including home health care, rose by 155 percent, more than triple the growth in the previous four years, bringing the percentage of the RN population working in these settings to 18.2 percent.
  • The Level 1 population included: 25% immigrants learning to speak English; 62% had terminated their education before completing high school; 25% percent age 65 or older; 26% with physical, mental, or health conditions that kept them from participating fully in work, school, housework, or other activities; 19% with visual difficulties affecting the ability to read print.
  • In 1999, the following percentages of the adult population age 25 and over had graduated from high school: 85% of non-Hispanic adults 87.7% of non-Hispanic White adults, 84.7% of non-Hispanic Asian & Pacific Islander adults, 77.4% of non-Hispanic Black adults; and 56.1% of Hispanic adults. (Educational Attainment in the United States: March 1999
  • Approximately one in six students enrolled in higher education - about 3.2 million people - took at least one course online in the fall of 2006, according to The Sloan Consortium.