Reasons to Earn a Graduate Degree

Only about 9% of Americans have a master's degree. It takes a lot of dedicated study and perseverance to earn a master's, but the hard work is well worth the effort. Those students who take the time to earn a master's degree earned an average of $1,257 per week in 2009. That's over $200 more per week than someone with just a bachelor's degree. The reason for this is that people who enter graduate programs gain a more focused knowledge of their field than people who just earn a bachelor's. That specialized, advanced knowledge makes people with master's degrees more employable and leads to higher incomes. This is reflected in the low unemployment rate of people with master's degrees-just 3.9% in 2009 compared to 9.7% for people with only a high school education.

Types of Graduate Programs

The traditional method of earning a master's degree is to select a graduate program offered by a graduate college or university. Such programs can be very selective in choosing their master's candidates and usually only take a small number of students every year. A more flexible option for earning a master's degree is enrolling in an accredited online graduate program. A number of graduate institutions offer graduate degrees on-campus. By enrolling in one of these programs you have more options as to class times and the speed at which you progress. This makes online graduate programs the ideal choice for anyone who intends to work while earning their master's degree.

Most Popular Online Graduate Degrees

For many years running the most popular master's degree in the country has been the MBA, the Master of Business Administration. MBAs are the most popular graduate degrees to earn online and in schools because they are extremely flexible degrees that can be applied to virtually any type of business. Many people who pursue higher education have ambitions of one day owning their own business or being their own boss. An MBA is a great way to work toward that goal.

Other popular online graduate programs include computer science programs and health care programs. You can earn a master's in information technology or computer engineering online in just three to four years. You can also get a graduate degree in nursing, physical therapy, and other medical specialties. These types of degrees tend to be very useful for finding work and often result in high-paying careers.

Highest Paying Graduate Degrees

College degrees in these ten fields lead to the highest-paying careers. Not all of these fields require graduate degrees in order to find a job, but you can earn much more in these fields and be promoted much higher if you earn a master's degree.

1. Aerospace Engineering
2. Biomedical Engineering
3. Business Administration
4. Chemical Engineering
5. Computer Science
6. Electronics Engineering
7. Finance
8. Information Systems
9. Medical Doctor
10. Nurse Anesthetist

It should be noted that the graduate degree required to become a medical doctor is not a master's degree but a professional degree. Medical doctors must attend medical school and earn a specialized degree to practice medicine, just like a lawyer must go to law school. However, there are a number of other medical professions which only require a master's degree in order to start helping people.

Fastest Growing Careers that Require a Master's

Some of the fastest growing careers in the country require graduate degrees. These ten professions are all on the rise and each requires at least a master's degree. In any of these fields you will have excellent opportunities for employment, promotion, and high pay.

1. Medical Scientists
2. Physician Assistants
3. Biochemists and Biophysicists
4. Veterinarians
5. Physical Therapists
6. Anthropologists and Archaeologists
7. Environmental Scientists and Specialists
8. Prosthodontists
9. Industrial-Organizational Psychologists
10. Geographers