As more students across the U.S. seek to earn master’s degrees, the time it takes to finish these programs has become a factor in when and where applicants seek to continue their studies.
Having career goals, understanding a program’s requirements and reviewing course schedules in advance can shorten the length of time it takes to get a master’s degree, experts say, and colleges are usually flexible with master’s degree programs and working to help make sure students graduate.
The amount of time you dedicate to a program influences when you complete it. A part-time program that lets you take one to two courses at a time will take twice as long to complete as a full-time degree, where you take three to four courses at once.
Here’s some advice from experts for students who are looking to earn a master’s degree in a timely fashion.
Know Degree Requirements Before Enrolling
Before looking at graduate courses and programs, you should know the basic requirements to obtain a master’s degree, like having an undergraduate degree, taking the Graduate Record Examinations or some other standardized test, and possibly needing letters of recommendation. Some schools require an interview to assess your ability to do well in a program, particularly if you’ll be working while in school.
It’s vital to understand the required number of credits before you start a program, says Alison Vincent, vice president of operations at CollegeAdvisor.com. “Understanding what the completion time is for both part-time and full-time and whether or not you, as a student, can take the time from a professional career in order to pursue a full-time opportunity are really the questions that students need to be asking.”
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Full-time students usually finish in 18 months to two years, versus part-time students who are averaging three to five years, Vincent says. It takes even longer for part-time students who take only one course per semester.
The type of master’s degree a student pursues also affects how long it could take to complete a program, Vincent notes, as some specialized master’s degrees can take two or three years full-time.
It’s common for people to take off one year or more between an undergraduate degree and a master’s degree to get some life or work experience. But Vincent does not advise students to take breaks during their master’s program, since doing so would likely extend the time to completion.
Vincent also notes the pros and cons of “4+1” programs that allow a student to earn bachelor’s and master’s degrees in just five years. Recent high school graduates may prefer this path if they’re determined to get their master’s degree, but making that type of commitment at age 17 or 18 can be a challenge, she says.
Consider the Impact of Working While in School
Work-study might help students who are struggling to afford college. Vincent says plenty goes on at universities that allows students to find their niche within a work-study program. In addition to pay, students get relevant experience.
“As we’re moving forward with the changes in Pell grants and federal funding, it is going to become even more important,” Vincent says. “Work-study can give you a great opportunity to essentially pay for your education by working and contributing to the university community in a different way than you do as a student.”
Prospective MBA students already in the workforce shouldn’t have to drop their careers to obtain a master’s degree, she says. “There are plenty of part-time programs out there. There’s no excuse if you want to obtain a master’s degree and you don’t want to necessarily interrupt your life; there are a lot of options out there and a lot of really amazing opportunities to get that done.”
Some full-time MBA programs are designed for working people, with classes on evenings or weekends, notes Joy Williamson-Lott, dean of the University of Washington‘s graduate school.
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Know Whether Going Online Will Make a Difference
Online courses don’t necessarily affect the length of time in a master’s program compared to in-person courses, Vincent says.
“I think that post-pandemic, we have learned a lot about online education and making it much more effective,” she says. “Instead of having to be a full-time student on campus, I could be a full-time online student at pretty much any university in the country now.”
Many programs are structured so that students can have flexibility and choose their course load to align with their schedules, says Kerr C. Ramsay III, senior vice president for enrollment at High Point University in North Carolina.
“For example, the MBA program at High Point full-time is taking two courses at a time, because the program is structured in a way that allows working professionals to make time for their jobs, their families, as well as their continuing education,” he says.
Ramsay says that what he sees most of the time with online programs is students taking fewer courses at a time.
“Instead of taking four courses for a traditional fall semester all at the same time, online programs may have students in that same period take four courses sequentially or two classes at a time across two shorter terms. So the courses in an online program are typically taught at a little higher intensity, but taking fewer courses at one time.”
If a program is designed as an online program and is designed well, it should not lengthen your time to degree, says Dana A. Williams, dean of the graduate school at Howard University in Washington, D.C.
“It depends on the student and the student’s discipline, the workload, and the amount of discretionary time a student has to pursue a degree,” she says.
If there’s an in-person residency requirement and you work and would be unable to attend, an online program that doesn’t require a residency may be a shorter route.
“You don’t have to stop working so that you can do a residency in a program,” Williams says.
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Consider Time Limits to Complete a Master’s Degree
Some programs limit how long you can take to complete a master’s degree.
“The policy at the University of Washington is six years from the start,” Williamson-Lott says.
At Howard, the expectation is five years, but coursework is good for up to seven years, Williams says.
“The idea for that is not to penalize you for saying you have to get out fast, and we’re worried about that for our statistics,” Williams says. “The rationale is every discipline is evolving, and the shelf life of courses that you might have taken previously, really it’s about five years before you really need to do some work to brush up on what the new advances are in that field of study.”
She adds that staying in a field of study where you already have expertise is one of the most logical ways to earn a master’s degree in a timely fashion.
Ramsay notes that nearly every master’s program will have time limits. He advises taking more classes when possible to speed up program completion, though that may be difficult for working professionals.
“Summer classes can also help speed up time-to-degree completion,” he says.
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