But let’s start with the basics, namely:

Why should you choose online graduate education?

Graduate degrees, in general, are quite valuable on your resume as they can show you have achieved specialization in a particular area or that you’re management material, help you change career tracks and allow you to start above entry-level positions, and also enable you to ask for a higher salary at your current job. According to information from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, for the first quarter of 2009, full-time workers with graduate degrees earned an average of $300 per week more than those with bachelor’s degrees, so the financial benefits of graduate degrees are real.

Moreover, you can get great personal satisfaction from continuing your education and joining a rather small number of Americans who hold graduate degrees–the number is under 5%!

With course options continually on the rise, online graduate education affords people, no matter where they live, the opportunity to earn graduate degrees from the comfort of their own homes, on their own schedules, and at their own pace, all while continuing to work full-time if they wish.

Read on to find out more about what kinds of online graduate education are available and how you can get started earning your graduate degree today.

What kinds of degrees are available through online graduate education?

Many different kinds of degrees are available through online graduate education at both the master’s and doctorate level.

Available online master’s degrees include:

• Master of Arts (MA): various social sciences and humanities.
• Master of Business Administration (MBA): including concentrations in e-business, entrepreneurship, finances, human resources, health care management, investment banking, management, marketing, real estate, and more.
• Master in Education (MEd): including specializations in adult education, early childhood education, educational administration, ESL (English as a Second Language), higher education, K-12, secondary education, and more.
• Master of Engineering (MEN)
• Master of Fine Arts (MFA)
• Master of Justice Administration (MJA)
• Master of Library Science (MLS)
• Master of Music (MM)
  
• Master of Science (MS): various hard sciences and some social sciences.
• Master of Science in Computer Information Systems (MSCIS)
  
• Master of Science in Nursing (MSN): including specializations in advanced practical nursing (APN) such as clinical nurse specialist, nurse practitioner, nurse anesthetist, and nurse midwife.
• Master of Public Administration (MPA)
• Master of Public Health (MPH)
• Master of Social Work (MSW)
  

The most common type of doctoral degrees online is the PhD or Doctor of Philosophy, available in various disciplines, and there are also other research doctorate degrees (e.g., Doctor of Business Administration (DBA), Doctor of Computer Science (DCS), Doctor of Criminal Justice (DCJ), and Doctor of Education (EdD)) and professional doctorate degrees (e.g., Juris Doctor (JD), Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD), Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT), and Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)) available.

Overall, though, you can find online doctorate programs in the following areas of study:

• Administration
• Business
• Communications
• Computer Sciences & Technology
• Criminal Justice
• Education
• Engineering
• Fitness & Recreation
• Health Sciences
• Humanities
• Law
• Liberal Arts & Humanities
• Philosophy
• Psychology
  

What is online graduate education like?

Specific course programs differ, but generally an online master’s degree program will require approximately 30 credit hours of study, which includes both coursework and private, independent research; depending on the subject, a heavily researched thesis may also be required. A bachelor’s degree in the same or related field is usually required of applicants to master’s degree programs.

Earning a master’s degree usually takes about two years of full-time study, but if you’re taking courses online, remember you can probably either accelerate or slow down your program to fit your needs.

Doctorate degree candidates, on the other hand, take an average of five years from the time they begin coursework as a doctoral student, which often includes seminars and independent study, to the time they hand in their dissertation and defend it in front of a panel; professional doctorate degrees often take less time than research doctorate degrees, but note that with professional doctorates, degree holders must usually then become licensed by a separate organization in order to practice in that field.

Doctoral programs usually require that applicants already hold bachelor’s and master’s degrees, although some do provide the opportunity to earn a master’s and doctorate degree within the same program.

How do I choose the right program to pursue online graduation education?

There are many factors to consider when choosing a program, including the most personal issues of how much time and money you have to invest in online graduate education.

Regarding the evaluation of individual programs, you should pay special attention to the school’s accreditation, faculty, costs and fees, past students’ opinions about the school, and also whether the institution will properly prepare you for your intended career, particularly if there are special licensing procedures through outside organizations required.