Top Twenty Masters Degree Courses Online
The big swing into online education that is currently taking place with traditional universities is at an interesting point in the arc. More and more schools are offering online degrees, but many of the more conservative schools, concerned about their “brand” as quality traditional higher education institutions, are only making courses available. With many of these schools you also have to meet some entrance requirements, although they vary considerably from school to school.
That works well for someone who needs certain master’s degree courses to finish out a degree, or who needs a segment of a master’s degree program in order to move into a specialized job opportunity. Many university extensions offer masters level courses online and increasingly, so do departments within the university proper. Below are listings for some top-flight graduate level courses available online, from schools that have made an impressive commitment to distance learning at the master’s course level.
1. Computer Systems Hardware is available through the Stanford University Center for Professional Development. Stanford has a top-five graduate program in computer science as well an excellent selection of online graduate courses. Standard courses are one semester long; there are also professional courses that are twenty hours in length delivered online.
2. Bioinformatics courses are available online at the University of Maryland University College. This field requires a fair amount of mathematical and computer science background; there is no master’s level course that can provide all of the academic underpinnings needed to pursue a career in this field. For an idea of the academics needed take a look at the list of bioinformatics courses offered at UMUC Online.
3. Software Systems Architecture is one of the courses offered by the University of Phoenix in the Software Engineering program. It’s not a good standalone course unless you have the other tools necessary to build with the architectural renderings. Relevant courses also included in the degree include Programming with Algorithms & Logic, SQL for Business, Java Programming, and Database Concepts.
4. Logistical Security Management is covered in several of the courses found today in the MBA in Supply Chain Management & Logistics offered by Kaplan University. The program is carefully designed to address every operational issue for procurement managers and professionals who oversee shipping logistics. Relevant courses include Strategic Global Logistics Management, and Inventory & Distribution Management.
5. Business Accounting is one of many graduate level finance courses offered through the School of Business at Walden University. The Master of Accounting and Finance degree includes courses in Managerial Accounting, Regulatory Compliance, and Accounting Theory & Application. The MBA in Finance has courses in Accounting for Business Management, and Applications in Corporate Finance.
6. Human Resource Systems and Technology is one of a number of a number of courses in Human Resource Management offered by the University of California at Berkeley. Cal doesn’t offer online degrees yet, but it is steadily expanding the professional and continuing education options through graduate level course offerings and certificate programs.
7. Construction Accounting & Finance is a course requirement for the Master of Civil Engineering (Construction Engineering) program at the University of Southern California, which has the finest online engineering school in the nation. There are several related courses that cover relevant topics including Project Cost Estimating, Control, Planning, & Scheduling, Heavy Construction Estimating, and Building Information Modeling.
8. Strategic Management is available as part of the curriculum for several of the business degrees offered at Liberty University. There are several graduate level programs that have classes focused on business strategy and management, several of which include studies of specific managerial challenges. Courses available include Managerial Finance, Executive Leadership & Management, International Business, and Strategic Marketing Management.
9. Counseling Psychology courses are available through the most comprehensive School of Psychology available online, operated by Capella University. There is an entire master’s degree curriculum in this field, which includes courses in Counseling Theory, Group Counseling, Counseling Skills & Procedures, Child & Adolescent Psychology, Family Systems Theories, and Psychological Testing.
10. Information Security and Risk Management is available through Harvard University Extension School. The course is a graduate level review of both the tactical and strategic issues facing information assurance managers. The school has 150 distance learning courses that are offered for credit on an open enrollment basis.
11. Financial Management is incorporated into several courses in the MBA program at Columbia Southern University. Aside from business consulting the most popular destination for MBA graduates is the financial services sector. Degrees in this field cover several aspects of financial planning; in this instance some of those classes are in Corporate Finance, International Finance, Research Methods, and International Economics.
12. Network Planning & Design is available in several courses offered by Regis University. The Computer Networking program covers all of the design and development components necessary for employment-level skills. Courses include Networking Technologies & Fundamentals, Systems Architecture, Network Infrastructure, Advanced Routing & Switching, and many other options you can choose if you’re brushing up on current networking methodology.
13. Forensic Science is a distance learning option at Ashworth College. The course offered online consists of thirteen lessons, each of which begins with a brief overview from the instructor and a review of the technical terms to be introduced. Some of the lessons include Physical Evidence, Glass & Soil; Connecting Evidence to Events; Drugs & Forensic Toxicology; Fire & Firearms; and Document Examination.
14. Software Engineering courses are part of a degree program at the University of Liverpool that has a comprehensive curriculum covering basics and advanced IT issues. You’ll need some knowledge of computer languages and platform structure, but these classes bring many of the fundamentals into focus. Classes are in eight week modules and include Management of QA & Software Testing, Object Oriented Programming, and Databases.
15. Real Estate Investment and Analysis is a popular course of graduate study on Manhattan: this course is available through the New York University School of Continuing and Professional Studies. It does not qualify as advancement towards a broker’s license; the course is designed for graduate level business academics.
16. Instructional Design courses are available at Western Governors University where you can obtain a Master of Education in the field if you are so inclined. There are several class options from which to select if you are seeking course enrollment: those include Technology Integration, Instructional Design Analysis, Instructional Design Production, and courses in instructional evaluation.
17. Systems Design courses are part of the extensive Information Sciences program at DeVry University. As part of the graduate program there are specializations in several IT fields which include courses in Systems Integration, Organizational Process Analysis, and Business Continuity. All of these courses address various components of the Systems Design discipline.
18. Nursing Informatics is offered as an online degree by the University of Phoenix. There are several course options in the curriculum that can be cherry-picked for introductory or more advanced coverage of the technology. The class in Concepts in Healthcare Informatics covers the basics, while Data Management & Design addresses the technical complexities inherent in digital health records.
19. Criminal Justice Systems is an area covered by several courses available at South University, which offers criminal justice degrees through the master’s level. The graduate level curriculum includes courses in Criminal Justice Administration, Juvenile Justice Administration, and Criminal Justice Organizational Management.
20. Health Policy & Management courses can be found at Jones International University. The MBA program in Healthcare Administration includes three applicable options in the specialization curriculum: Telemedicine & Emerging Technologies, Managing the Healthcare Professional, and Strategic Management. We mention all three because each leads in a different direction in healthcare management.
