15 Best Accelerated Online Master’s Programs [2024 Guide]
By Joy Miller
Edited by Tania Staley
Updated on September 5, 2024
An accelerated master’s program online can help you finish your degree faster. With 8-week courses, you can potentially finish in half the time!
More colleges are making accelerated master’s degrees available with a diverse variety of online courses and an array of disciplines to allow people to improve their job prospects in more accessible ways than ever.
Now, you can even pursue a one-year master’s program or get into an accredited online master’s program with no GRE required!
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When you’re trying to decide which way to go, think about how your degree could apply to your current job or if you want to take a completely different career path into something that gives you more satisfaction.
Here’s a list of majors that can often be studied in accelerated master’s programs:
Online master’s degree programs can be found in many other fields of study. With the plethora of options available, including one-year and 6-month masters degree online programs, there is likely one that fits your unique interests and goals.
The field of accounting is one of the backbones of the business world. All business and government entities need accountants.
Accountants are primarily tasked to prepare and examine financial records, ensuring that everything is accurate. They also make sure that taxes are paid on time. Accountants inspect financial procedures, organize and maintain financial records, and recommend ways to reduce costs and increase revenue and profit.
If you like solving problems and are good with numbers, you may find accounting enjoyable.
You’ll study business laws, accounting theories, business administration practices, statistics, and ethics. You’ll also be taught how to prepare key accounting documents, such as tax returns, business proposals, and financial statements.
Business administration is one of the most popular degrees, incorporating numerous types of management positions. From small businesses to large corporations, every enterprise needs business administration graduates.
Holders of business administration degrees often have numerous career paths to choose from. You may become a business or management consultant who helps a firm improve its operational efficiencies or a sales manager responsible for revenue production within an enterprise.
You could also become a financial analyst, market research analyst, or HR specialist. Other career paths include real estate appraiser, insurance underwriter, purchasing agent, logistician, or labor relations specialist.
You’ll have many management opportunities too, from general operations manager to chief financial officer to chief operating officer.
If you are self-motivated, organized, and good at managing personalities and teams, you could be an ideal candidate for a business administration degree.
Computer science is one of the more popular fields of study thanks to the importance of computers in modern society. Computer science graduates can expect employment opportunities in diverse settings, from financial organizations to communication firms to multinational companies to government agencies.
With a computer science master’s degree, you could become an IT consultant advising clients on the design, planning, and installation of IT systems or a cybersecurity consultant managing risks to information security. You could also be an information systems manager responsible for computer systems within a company.
Other career paths include database administrator, multimedia programmer, or game developer.
In your classes, you can gain technical skills in programming languages, network design and engineering, hardware architecture, software engineering, software tools and packages, and multimedia design. You’ll also build communication, teamwork, leadership, and problem-solving skills.
A degree in criminal justice can open numerous job opportunities in law enforcement and other fields, such as social work and crisis management.
Most criminal justice graduates become police officers. Others become corrections managers, who supervise prisons or correctional facilities. A few join the Federal Bureau of Investigation as federal agents, whose responsibilities include, among others, investigating organized crime and combatting terrorism.
There are career options outside of direct law enforcement that you may choose to pursue instead.
You could become a private detective doing background checks or undercover investigations related to compensation claims and divorce cases. You could also work as a fraud investigator determining whether or not a claim of property damage or personal injury is true.
People often think that all education graduates end up becoming teachers. On the contrary, a degree in education does not always translate to being in front of a classroom. Many people with degrees in education even work outside schools.
Like graduates of other liberal arts degrees, graduates of education are highly flexible and capable of analyzing new information. With this degree, you could work in marketing, civil service, advertising, or consultancy.
Still, most education majors work in the academe in various capacities.
Aside from becoming a teacher, you could become a school administrator overseeing the day-to-day operations. You could work as a student counselor guiding young people in dealing with challenges inside and outside the classroom. You could also work in childcare facilities or become a curriculum writer.
An engineering management program can prepare you for jobs leading teams of engineers. You can also pursue different specialties in this field, such as crisis and risk management, environmental management, energy management, or cost accounting.
The combined engineering knowledge and management expertise learned in this major can open doors to many technical jobs. You could work in architecture, engineering, electronic component manufacturing, or scientific research.
You could also pursue a career in information security management, operations research, software engineering management, or information systems management.
Most engineering management graduates become senior lead analysts, engineering project managers, or construction management engineers.
You could do well in engineering management if you have a knack for solving challenging problems and are gifted with the ability to visualize solutions using design tools.
Earning a degree in entrepreneurship can allow you to study diverse topics that can help you run a successful business, including accounting, finance, management, and marketing.
With an entrepreneurship degree, you could start your own business venture or pursue diverse careers in business.
You could pursue a career in sales, manage business accounts, or work as a business consultant identifying operational inefficiencies and recommending potential solutions. You could also pursue a career in mid-level management, corporate recruiting, or management analysis.
A degree in finance may be of interest if you like to think about numbers and are intrigued by stocks, bonds, and financial markets, and a wide range of careers will await you to pursue after graduation.
You can develop the analytical skills required to dissect financial statements, assess the qualitative and quantitative dimensions of enterprise problems, and evaluate the implications of corporate actions.
You could work in the public sector, financial institutions, insurance firms, or management consultancies.
Finance majors usually work as financial planners. You could also work as a financial analyst helping banks, insurance companies, or pension funds make sound investment decisions. Other career paths include accountant, credit analyst, commercial real estate agent, or stockbroker.
The demand for healthcare administration graduates will continue expanding alongside the rising need for responsive healthcare.
Your classes will train you to oversee the business aspects of healthcare-focused organizations and businesses. As a healthcare administrator, you’ll be tasked to carry out diverse roles, such as budget management, staffing, facility management, admin work, supervision of employees, and operations oversight.
With your degree, you could climb the corporate ladder to become a hospital department manager, chief finance officer, or chief executive officer. You could work as a clinical, dental, or chiropractic office administrator.
Other job possibilities are government lobbyist, hospital marketing staff, healthcare staffing agency manager, or insurance contract negotiator.
Information technology classes can equip you with specialized skills in hardware and software development or programming, data mining, database systems and design, networking, computer security, mobile applications, emerging technologies, and system analysis.
You can also develop problem-solving, project management, planning, and organization skills.
Information technology (IT) majors are in demand across industries. Since businesses and institutions rely on information technology for their day-to-day operations, the variety of employers for IT degree holders is vast.
You could work for the government, media, charity organizations, telecom companies, financial institutions, software houses, IT service providers, or IT consultancy firms. You could become a software engineer, network architect, information security manager, database administrator, information security officer, or web developer.
Earning a management degree can allow you to develop marketing, finance, business, and economic knowledge and skills that are highly coveted by employers. You’ll also develop practical skills that are beneficial for many careers.
Most management graduates start with entry-level jobs, such as sales representatives selling products or services directly to consumers, businesses, or other organizations. You could also work as a management analyst looking for ways to improve the operational efficiency of an organization.
Eventually, you could climb the corporate ladder to become a marketing manager, a sales manager, or an operations manager. Other career paths include retail management or human resource management. You could also become an entrepreneur and start a business venture.
Marketing programs cover business, technology, communication, and social sciences. Because of this, marketing majors have a wide range of career options upon graduation.
Your classes will allow you to develop valuable skills for the workforce, including strong research, communication, teamwork, and leadership skills.
You can use your degree to become a market researcher or executive, advertising or sales account executive, advertising art director, digital marketer, media buyer, public relations officer, or social media manager.
You could pursue a job in events management, education, or publishing. Although less common, you could also work in a firm’s promotions department in healthcare, pharmaceutical, energy, utilities, or other industries.
Nursing remains one of the backbones of the healthcare industry. Nursing majors are always in demand because of the constant need for healthcare services.
Nurses perform numerous tasks, such as taking vital signs, drawing blood, and assisting physicians. They administer medications, perform wound care, and take care of newborns. They also bring relief to patients suffering from acute illnesses, give comfort to the elderly, and help save lives in emergency rooms.
With a degree in nursing, you could work in a hospital, clinic, healthcare provider, voluntary organization, school, nursing home, or the armed forces.
In some cases, you could find yourself working as a teacher or guidance counselor in a school. You could also become a health service manager, play therapist, or social worker.
A degree in public administration may appeal to you if you wish to contribute to the welfare of your community.
Public administration majors are trained to pursue a career in public service. Most graduates pursue government work, but you could pursue a career outside of government.
You could become a tax examiner ensuring the government receives tax money from citizens, organizations, and businesses. You could also work as a budget analyst finding the most efficient way to manage funds and resources or as a public administration consultant assisting in project research and implementation.
You might even become an elected official, such as a city mayor.
Psychology is the study of the human mind and behavior. An understanding of this can be beneficial in a wide range of careers.
Psychology majors are in demand in healthcare, therapy, education, and research.
With further study and training, you could become a licensed psychologist, This highly specialized work could focus on areas ranging from sports health to mental health to occupational psychology. Or, you could become a psychotherapist helping individuals, couples, or families overcome psychological issues.
You could also become a social worker or counselor or pursue a career in education, working in either primary or secondary education. Additional teaching qualifications are typically required to work in education.
The prerequisites for different master’s programs will vary, but these are some common requirements:
These are just some of the most common requirements for all master’s programs. For certain specialties and programs, you may need professional experience or licensure. You might also need to complete an admission interview.
When looking for fast-track degree programs, you need to think about accreditation. This safeguard can be completed simply by checking your prospective school’s website or searching for it on the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) database.
Some institutions are misleadingly named or only appear to be legitimate schools, but if they aren’t regionally accredited, it is risky to enroll.
A school with regional accreditation has submitted itself for review from a third-party organization to ensure it meets quality standards. The following organizations provide this accreditation:
A degree from a regionally accredited school will have more weight with employers. Your credits are also more likely to transfer to other schools or be recognized by advanced programs.
Did you know that at certain schools, you don’t need to have your bachelor’s degree program completed to start your master’s program? Some programs will allow junior and senior year students to jump-start their postgraduate education before having their baccalaureate degree formally conferred.
Even better, the coursework in the accelerated master’s degree program might count toward the course requirement for your bachelor’s degree.
School requirements vary, but such programs are often called “4+1” or “5-year programs.” In these programs, the 4 years for the average undergraduate degree are followed by a single year of graduate school instead of the traditional 2 or even 3 years that might be required otherwise.
The last thing you want to do is end up saddled with a large amount of debt that could negate the financial advantages of a graduate degree.
Start by completing your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and contacting the financial aid office at your school. Grants and scholarships are often institutionally or donor-funded and don’t have to be repaid. Your school may also offer work-study programs.
Private student loans should be closely scrutinized, and the terms should be discussed with someone outside the institution offering the loan to ensure you understand everything.
The federal loans for graduate students are called Stafford Loans and can be subsidized or unsubsidized.
Time is money, and nowadays, it seems many of us don’t have enough of either. Luckily, many accredited universities and colleges offer online access to accelerated master’s degree programs.
Some students even take online courses when they are on campus. Why? Because it saves time, and when they’re in one course in the morning, they can go back to their dorm in the afternoon and take another course that, due to scheduling, they might not have been able to attend.
Even after graduating, establishing a career path, starting a family, or changing career tracks after a job loss, an accelerated master’s degree program may help keep you climbing the ladder.
There are many advantages for returning students who have been out in the working world and can’t find the time or money to return to traditional, campus-based education to go to school online.
Even with your busy schedule and responsibilities, you can find a quiet moment to attend a lecture and complete your assignments online, from the comfort of home or another convenient location.
Other common benefits of online education include:
Classes can be taken back-to-back or over a more extended schedule, allowing you to learn at your own pace, whether you’re going start-to-finish in 16 months or moving at a slower pace dictated by the needs of yourself and your family. Some universities even offer 5-week online college courses.
There’s also the confidence that comes from taking more advanced courses and going further in your field instead of just taking it as it comes.
Is a master’s degree worth it?
A master’s degree is earned through hard work and determination, which makes it something to be proud of. Advancing in your studies can help you increase your confidence as you develop valuable workforce skills that can allow you to advance in your career.
Take control of your life and find better satisfaction in your career by pursuing an online degree right for you. To get started, click the “find my program” link at the bottom of this article.
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