When you want to switch to or advance in a public health career, you may wonder how much time it will take to earn an online master’s in public health degree. An advanced degree could be your best option for making a career change or earning a promotion, but you want to know how long it will be before your investment in education pays off. The answer depends on what online school you attend and whether you choose to study full-time or part-time.
Taking Your Graduate Public Health Education Slow
If you want to earn your degree without leaving a full-time job, or if you have time-consuming family obligations that prevent you from studying full-time, a part-time option might be right for you. This will allow you to gradually make progress toward earning your degree without having to devote an unrealistic amount of time to your studies.
How much time it will take to earn your online master’s in public health degree studying part-time depends on your school as well as how many courses you want to take at a time. Fortunately, some of the top online master’s in public health degree programs in the nation offer part-time study options for working students. At the University of Massachusetts, for example, online students typically take three to three-and-a-half years to earn their Master of Public Health degree. Students can’t take more than three classes per semester.
Choosing an Accelerated Master in Public Health Degree Program
Some prospective students who wonder how much time it will take to earn their master’s in public health degree do so for the opposite reason. Rather than trying to decide if they can fit part-time studies into their schedule, they’re trying to figure out how to get their degree as quickly as possible.
Selecting an accelerated program can reduce the amount of time it takes to earn your online master’s in public health degree. Rather than the two years it traditionally takes to earn a graduate degree, students can often complete their educations in as little as one year. However, they will have to put in a lot of work, and a lot of time, to do so. Students in accelerated online master’s in public health degree programs need motivation, discipline and time management skills.
When you’re considering various online master’s in public health programs, choosing whether to study full-time or part-time will play a big role in your plan for earning your degree. Students need to look at a number of factors when they make this decision, according to U.S. News & World Report, including their non-academic obligations, the timeframe they have in mind for earning the degree and the financial implications of studying part-time vs. full-time. Ultimately, the time it takes to earn an online master’s in public health degree will depend on the choices you make.
Also see:
Top 10 Best Affordable Online Masters in Public Health Degree Programs