Going back to college for a Master's Degree is a very personal decision. Family, work, and other obligations can make it almost impossible to find the time and finances to make it happen. The growth and potential of colleges that now offer distance learning masters degrees in music and other fields is opening new doors and opportunities.
{mosimage}Going back to college for a Master's Degree is a very personal decision. Family, work, and other obligations can make it almost impossible to find the time and finances to make it happen. The growth and potential of colleges that now offer distance learning masters degrees in music and other fields is opening new doors and opportunities.
There comes a time in every good musicians life when he or she considers returning to college for an advanced degree in music. By this point in a person's life however, family and other considerations often limit the person's options for study. Researching options in distance learning based master's degrees open new doors to completing a degree without the added expense and loss of personal income that often accompanies becoming a full time master's degree student. This article examines some of the more well known distance learning options as well as the pros and cons of each.
Distance Learning Masters Degrees- College Options
One of the most well known and popular distance learning colleges with masters degrees available is Viterbo University . While the college does not specifically offer a music oriented master's degree it does offer a highly regarded mater's degree program in education. Current music educators with a bachelor's degree can advance to an MA in education via a three year online program with at least one summer of on-campus coursework.
Another popular college that offers a distance learning based master's degree is Boston University . Boston also offers a doctorate program in music education as well, all of which can be done in an online setting.
Pros and Cons of Distance Learning Masters Degree Programs
The biggest positive of taking coursework toward a master's degree online is also its biggest weakness. While taking classes in an online, distance learning setting is great for students with families or business obligations, the ability to take a class from a teacher hundreds of miles away means that the personal interaction and hands on learning experiences that take place in a physical classroom are often not available. For some people this is not a significant issue, but some graduates consider online degrees to be more difficult and stressful to complete than those given in traditional classroom settings. These and many other issues must be considered by anyone that is thinking about pursuing a master's degree online or in another distance learning format.