Many people focus on earning one advanced degree at a time, but did you know there are benefits to pursuing a Master's and Doctorate degrees at the same time? If your final career goal is to earn a doctorate, you know that you traditionally need to earn your Bachelor's then your Master's and then you can enroll into a Doctorate program. While having a doctorate degree can pay off in the long run, it can be much too time consuming. There are more and more concurrent programs that cater to people who want to cut the amount of time it takes to complete advances programs. Read on, and find out how taking Master's and Doctorate programs simultaneously can benefit you.
What Are Concurrent Degrees and How Do These Programs Work?
Completing Master's degree coursework may already be challenging enough when you are employed, but completing this coursework and also studying for your doctorate may seem like much too much at a single time. Concurrent degree programs do not mean that you will be doing double the work at a single time. Colleges understand that graduate work is already challenging enough so they have developed a special structure that caters to even busy schedules.
Concurrent degrees come in many forms. Students may want to pursue a Master's in two different areas, a Master's with a professional degree, an MBA with a Master's degree or doctoral degree with a Master's in a specialty area. If you would like to do the latter, you will need to enroll at a school that will allow you to opt to take a doctoral program and complete Master's coursework at the same time. In this scenario, your Master's is awarded first and the doctoral later once the applicable credits are applied and the remaining coursework is finished.
What Are the Advantages of Concurrent Degrees?
The most obvious benefit of earning degrees simultaneously is that you can reduce the time it takes to earn your doctoral degree and still possess a master's so that you can earn other credentials in the field. You also take courses in both programs at a single time so that one course can be applied to the requirements for both degrees. You will never take more than a full-time course load to earn both degrees and then land a high-paying position in the field you are majoring in.
Pursuing degrees simultaneously also allows you to diversify your education and specialize in an area of the field without being tempted to take a break. You will be able to easily apply what you have learned in one program to what you are learning in another. Interdisciplinary learning is said to be a much more effective way to master disciplines while you are completing graduate study.
When you are searching for a dual master's and doctorate degree program, do not overlook the importance of choosing a program that is regionally or nationally accredited. You can search for these dual degree programs and then verify that there is an active accreditation by searching for the institution on the Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs. After you have done your homework and you have found an institution that you are proud to attend, you can start earning your Master's and Doctorate degrees at once.