| Most professional positions require at least an | | | | between attending class or sacrificing their continued |
| undergraduate degree. You may be able to obtain a | | | | education for their personal life. |
| well-paying job with solely an undergraduate degree | | | | Most online programs do not adhere to such |
| but a graduate degree is necessary in many fields to | | | | pressured curriculum. The idea in and of itself means |
| increase pay and climb the corporate ladder. While | | | | no brick and mortar institutes. Online masters degree |
| undergraduate degrees mean you have a good level | | | | programs understand that a good number, if not the |
| of knowledge, masters degrees demonstrate not | | | | great majority, or their students are full-time |
| only a commitment to expanding your knowledge | | | | professionals, with their own families, busy with life |
| about your field but also a dedication to improving | | | | and if they decide to pursue a graduate degree need |
| yourself. Furthermore, your level of education has a | | | | to do so on their own time. Online programs offer |
| direct correlation to salary. | | | | that type of flexibility. Schedules accommodate busy |
| The traditional method for earning a masters degree | | | | personal lives. Students can earn credits according to |
| has and most likely always will be attending a brick | | | | their own availability. |
| and mortar school. However, with increasing | | | | Online programs have traditionally been likened to |
| popularity, online degree programs have become | | | | diploma mills that hand higher degrees to anyone |
| major competitors to brick and mortar universities | | | | willing to fork over the money. These types of |
| and colleges. Programs run by the University of | | | | institutions do nothing more than degrade their own |
| Phoenix or Strayer University are growing in | | | | reputation and the reputation of other legitimate |
| attendance. Unless you continued with a graduate | | | | online programs. However, modern programs like |
| degree directly after earning an undergraduate | | | | University of Phoenix, Drexel University, and even |
| degree, returning to earn a masters degree means | | | | Harvard have bettered the reputation of online |
| taking time away from work and your personal life. It | | | | programs. Masters degree students can be assured |
| means taking night classes and/or weekend classes | | | | that the online programs they enroll in are legitimate |
| that increase the load on an already busy personal | | | | programs aimed at teaching professional skills and |
| life. And many institutions follow rigid schedules for | | | | increasing the potential for higher salaries and job |
| their graduate students, forcing students to choose | | | | marketability. |