Best Online Master’s Programs

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A Master’s Degree is a certification, awarded by an accredited university, recognizing that a person has mastered a well-established and generally-agreed set of knowledge within a specific area. Earning a Master’s typically requires about 40 credit hours of coursework with a minimum grade of 3.0. However, some programs enable students to earn their degrees in fewer credits without compromising the quality and integrity of the coursework.

Master’s-level coursework is generally structured into 4 groups, typically divided as follows:

  • The General Courses: This would be around 10% of the entire coursework. These courses offer the foundational underpinnings of knowledge and information.; they may be merely supportive of your major or tangentially connected to your main focus of study. 
  • The Major Core:  This would be around 50% of the coursework. Your chosen major will have multiple subjects that work together to build a powerful and relevant education for success in the working world. These are the courses that will help you hit the ground running for jobs in your chosen field.
  • The Electives: This would be around 15% of the coursework. To meet your total number of hours required for your Master’s degree, you may have some hours left to spend on “elective” coursework. This is classwork that you can choose from a list of electives available in your program. It is part of personalizing your degree and also building yourself into a well-rounded individual.
  • The Capstone: This would be around 25% of the coursework. A capstone course is the culmination of all your Master’s work. It is typically a practical, real-world application of your knowledge. Before beginning your capstone work, you may have to create a proposal that is reviewed and approved by your professor.

In this article we rank the best online master’s program according to our course defining ranking criteria.

List of the Best Online
Master’s Programs

List of Universities that offer Best
Online Master’s Programs

Here is a list of the universities that offer the Best Online Masters Programs.*

Universities and programs are ranked by various factors, such as affordability, curriculum and coursework, reputation and availability, program length, statistics, the potential of employment, and return on investment for the students. For a more in-depth analysis, please read about our rankings methodology page

FAQs about the Best Online
Master’s Programs

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Additional Resources for Students looking
for Best Online Master’s Programs

This article tried giving an insight into the best online masters programs or top-rated online programs available in the country. We have done an exhaustive analysis to arrive at our rankings. If you are a student contemplating taking up an online masters program, then you might as well be interested in looking into the below resources which would help you make an informed decision.