In most cases the pursuit of graduate education has to begin with the possession of a bachelor’s degree. Accredited universities are generally obligated to require the undergraduate basics before enrolling you in a master’s degree program, whether it is online or on campus. But for every rule there’s an exception; some specialty schools accept trained professionals who don’t hold a bachelor’s degree. There are also many master’s degree programs that accept a bachelor’s degree in any discipline, provided you’ve got the necessary training to manage master’s level academics.
Nursing Degrees
The principal advanced practice Master of Science in Nursing degrees require a Registered Nurse credential. The University of South Carolina requires a Bachelor of Nursing to go with RN status for their advanced practice nursing candidates, but many schools offer the MSN bridge program for working nurses that hold a bachelor’s degree in another field. The University of Phoenix offers this transitional program; other universities accept MSN candidates that are college graduates but not practicing nurses. The Connell School of Nursing at Boston College offers this option as well as accepting RNs that hold an associate’s degree but lack a completed bachelor’s program.
Health Sector Degrees
Non-medical degrees such as the Master of Public Health (MPH) offered at the University of Utah require a bachelor’s degree in a science related field and/or relevant business experience. More technical positions require stronger academic background; the Indiana University Master of Health Informatics requires that you demonstrate “all of the skills and knowledge” provided by the undergraduate informatics program. There is a strong community service role to public health, as demonstrated by the University of Michigan/Flint requirements for Master of Health Education applicants: a bachelor’s degree with a decent GPA and undergraduate courses in biology, communications and psychology.
Education Degrees
The requirements for a graduate level degree in education depend on the area of interest. The Master of Arts in Education program at the University of North Carolina accepts students with varying undergraduate degrees who are interested in non-teaching, research-oriented careers. At state universities such as the University of Minnesota where state licensure for teachers requires an advanced degree the Master of Education (M.Ed.) is the primary teaching degree.
Business Degrees
MBA programs will generally accept students with an undergraduate degree in any one of a number of fields. Business experience is often a critical component of application prerequisites; the University of California/Berkeley MBA program expects at least two years of business experience from its applicants, and the caliber of that experience is important. The Executive MBA programs expect a minimum of seven years’ business and management experience from applicants; usually the average business background is closer to twice that figure as at Arizona State University, where the average applicant is thirty eighty years of age.
Information Technology Degrees
The online Masters in Computer Science from Colorado State University does not require a bachelor’s degree in the field but expects applicants to be fluent in Java or C++ and have completed coursework in data structures, software engineering and operating systems. The Masters in Software Technology at Carnegie Mellon University is available with five different curricula, all designed for working professionals in the field. Many schools including the University of New Mexico offer the Master of Information Systems through the business school, accepting a bachelor’s degree in a range of academic disciplines but also expecting competence in data systems design.
