Chapter 3

A Field of Study (Chapter 3)

If you’re interested in getting a master’s degree, you’ll need to know what field of study will best suit you and your career goals. Some professions require advanced degrees, while in others they may not be required but are the norm. Once you know what you want to study, you can determine if pursuing a master’s degree online is an option, and whether or not it will be worth the investment of time, energy, and money.

Choosing What to Study:

Post-graduate study is expensive and time-consuming. Unless you have both money and time to burn, it’s not advisable to pursue a master’s degree without first being sure of what you want to study and what you will do with your degree.

If you like where you are career-wise, and want to advance within that area, choosing a field of study will be slightly easier. Master’s degrees in certain areas, such as business administration and education, can help you learn new skills, take on new responsibilities, and earn promotions and raises within the field you already work. These degrees can also help you switch careers, as well. Most people who earn master’s degrees in business or education did not major in the same subjects as undergraduates. But the skills they learned as undergraduates and at work (if they have worked) are usually sufficient for pursuit of such master’s degrees. Some programs may suggest you take certain classes before enrolling; these will help you get your bearings and give you a broad basic understanding of the field you’re entering.

Switching Fields of Study:

In general, it’s possible to have a bachelor’s degree in one discipline and a master’s degree in a different one. Perhaps you majored in history, but now are interested in pursuing a master’s degree in literature. In this case, both subjects fall under the humanities umbrella and both require you to analyze, write, and conduct research. The trick to making this kind of switch is to tell admissions committees what literature courses you took as an undergraduate and how the knowledge and skills you learned in your history classes will help you succeed in pursuing a master’s degree in literature.

You’ll have to do the same thing if you’re jumping from a bachelor’s degree in a humanities topic to a master’s degree in a hard science, like biology or physics. You may need to take additional courses to demonstrate your knowledge of and competency in this new subject area, but if you’re serious about the switch, it can be well worth the time and energy. Taking these prerequisite courses might also give you a better idea of what a master’s degree in this subject will be like.

Types of Master’s Degrees:

There are almost as many types of master’s degrees as there are subjects to study. This list is by no means exhaustive, but it will give you a good baseline from which to research master’s degree programs. Many master’s degrees within the same discipline have different names and acronyms, some of which are listed in the parentheses.

• Master of Arts (MA) / Master of Science (MS, MSc)

  A master of arts is usually granted for the fields of study that fall under the humanities or the social sciences. A master of science is generally granted for hard sciences, but can sometimes include the social sciences; it depends on the institution giving the degree. MA and MS degrees can be earned “en passant” or on the way to earning a PhD, or can be earned on their own. If you are in education and earn an MA/MS in the subject you teach, it may increase your hiring potential or even earn you an increase in pay. Outside of that, an MA can help strengthen your skill set, but current and potential employers will not necessarily boost your pay just for having an MA. MS degrees have a better chance of helping you with promotions and salary increases.

• Master of Business Administration (MBA)

  An MBA is a professional degree, rather than a purely academic one (like an MA or an MS), designed to provide you with the practical skills to work in a business setting. Although an MBA is not required for a career in business, it has become the norm in order to advance in the field. There are other master’s degrees within business that can help you advance and earn more money. Some of these include a Master in Professional Accounting (MPAcc) and a Master of Science in Information Systems (MSIS). These two degrees are within business, but are more specialized than an MBA.

• Master of Education (MEd, MAT, MSEd)

  Education is a field in which you can earn a Master’s of Education, a Master in the Art of Teaching, and a Master of Science of Education, just to name a few. Within these degrees, there are a number of sub-topics you can focus on, including curriculum and instruction, special education, administration, and counseling. An MEd is partly an academic degree and partly a professional degree. If you work in education, or are interested in entering the field, this degree can help increase your salary, earn you a promotion, and help you stand out from other candidates. There are no online counseling programs that are accredited, and therefore you should not pursue one online; it would be a waste of time and money. Non-counseling master’s degrees in education can be pursued online, but make sure that the program is accredited and helps place you at a practicum site if that is part of your program and you are not currently working at a school.

• Master of Fine Arts (MFA)

  An MFA is a postgraduate degree usually awarded in the visual arts, performing arts, filmmaking, or writing. Because the assignments and final projects associated with an MFA are usually works of art (such as paintings and sculptures) or performances (such as dances, plays, and films), it simply isn’t practical to pursue an MFA online.

• Master of Library and Information Science (MLS, MILS)

  A Master of Library and Information Science is a professional degree that provides students with the skills and knowledge to work in a number of library settings, including law, university, and public libraries. Because most employers require their librarians or library specialists to have a degree from a program that is accredited by the American Libraries Association, you should visit their website for approved programs (some of which are online) and then cross-check these with the schools’ accreditation.

• Master of Social Work (MSW)

  An MSW is similar to the MILS in that the master’s degree programs must be accredited by an outside agency; in this case it’s the Council on Social Work Education. In order to legally practice social work, most states require you to have a degree from a CSWE-accredited program, and passage of a licensing exam. There are CSWE-accredited online programs, but some of the schools have particular stipulations, so you should check the website and choose accordingly.

Master’s Degrees that Should Not Be Done Online:

There are some master’s degree programs that simply should not be done online. As mentioned above, an MFA program online is not suitable given the disciplines and their corresponding projects. For areas in which you would like to practice or work with patients/clients, the school from which you earn your master’s degree usually must be accredited by an agency approved of by the U.S. Department of Education; on top of that, the program itself may need to be accredited by the agency that governs the profession. For social work, there are some online programs that are approved of by the governing body. For counseling and psychology, there are no online programs that are accredited by those professions’ governing agencies. Unfortunately, some disreputable institutions offer these master’s degrees online, suckering people into paying for a worthless degree.