How Many Credits for a Master’s Degree?

Imagine running a race and not knowing whether it’s a 5K, a 26.2-mile marathon or a 50-kilometer ultramarathon. That would be like going back to college to get your master’s degree without the vaguest notion of how long it’s going to take.

Either way, you want to know where the finish line is so you can cross it and celebrate.

As it turns out, with just a little bit of information you can figure out exactly how many credits you need to finish your master’s degree.

What Is a Credit Hour?

According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a credit hour is:

A unit of measure representing the equivalent of an hour (50 minutes) of instruction per week over the entire term. It is applied toward the total number of credit hours needed for completing the requirements of a degree, diploma, certificate, or other formal award.

In other words, a credit hour is a unit of measurement based on the anticipated time it will take to complete a course.

Who decides how many credit hours a course is? It’s up to the college or university to decide exactly how many credit hours you need for each of their courses. As a general rule of thumb, though, the more advanced the course, the more credit hours it will be.

Accelerate your completion time and lower your total tuition cost at every academic level. Download this free guide for tips on maximizing your transfer credit.

How Many Classes and Credits Does It Take To Graduate with a Master’s Degree?

Although the number of credits required to earn a master’s varies by institution and by program, you can pretty much figure that you’ll need between 30 and 44 credit hours to graduate.

Of course, a lot of things contribute to the total number of credits required for a degree, including: course topics, the sequence of courses needed, the number of electives (if any), and whether a capstone is required.

Here’s a side-by-side comparison of three master’s degree programs at the same school, each requiring its own number of credit hours. 
 

How Many Classes Will I Need to Take to Earn a Master’s?

So, now you might be wondering how to translate credit hours to the number of classes you need to finish your master’s. Good question. Once again, this number varies by program and school–but it also depends on other factors, such as whether or not you have eligible transfer credits.

Keep in mind that if you’ve taken classes at another college or have other eligible transfer credit, you won’t need as many classes as someone who doesn’t have transfer credit. If you have transfer credit, you can expect that your credits will transfer to some of the program’s fundamental courses.

Say, however, you need to earn the full number of required credit hours, which can range from 30 to 40. At an average of 4 hours per class, you can expect to take 8 to 10 classes. The reason this number may vary is because each school makes its own curriculum choices. For example, Franklin University is one of the few institutions with accelerated master's programs that require as few as 8 courses, which can be completed in one year.

How Fast Can You Get a Master’s Online?

The average student can earn an online master’s degree in about two or three years. Accelerated programs like the MBA or M.A. in Criminal Justice Administration at Franklin University can be completed in as few as 12 to 14 months, respectively.

Of course, the faster you finish, the more time–and money–you’ll save while earning your master’s degree. There’s nothing wrong with finishing faster as long as you remember that the thing that matters most isn’t speed, but the quality of your education.

Why Do Some Master’s Degrees Take Longer to Earn?

Do an online search of master’s degree programs and you’ll quickly notice a big difference among programs, especially when it comes to how long it takes to finish.

Here are 5 reasons it can take up to two years to earn a master’s at one school and three or more years at another.

5 Obstacles to Finishing Your Master’s Degree Faster

1. Prerequisite Courses
If a school requires more general or prep courses, you’re likely to be in the program a little longer. But that’s okay. By their very nature, prerequisite classes provide foundational knowledge essential to your higher-level courses.

2. Orientation
In-person graduation orientation classes are more common than you think. While it’s important to know what student resources you have available to you, there are far faster (and more affordable) ways to find. Bottom line? Don’t waste time in a classroom learning about available resources.

3. Rigid Scheduling
When you’re a busy, working adult going back to college, autonomy is extremely important. Depending on the college or university you choose, your master’s degree program may be planned out for you. With a rigid course schedule like this, you’ll be forced to go through the program at a slower pace than you would if you were in a program that offers more flexibility and freedom in taking your classes.

4. Lack of Online Options
There’s nothing wrong with in-person schools. But, if you want the freedom to take classes around your life and your schedule, then you’ll want a program that offers 100% online classes or a mix of in-person and online coursework.

5. Unfriendly Transfer Credit Policies
To make the most of what you’ve already learned, look for a school that honors your previous learning and experience in the form of transfer credit, including master’s-level credits earned at other schools and professional certifications. 

How to Get a Master’s Degree–Fast

In addition to transfer credits to help you earn your degree faster, there are other factors that can influence the speed at which you earn your master’s.

Here are 3 of the most common things that can accelerate your completion time:

1. Flexible Scheduling
Look for a program that lets you enroll in courses of varying lengths and has alternative start dates. Unlike a pre-set schedule that may require you to take classes in a prescribed order, a flexible schedule lets you complete coursework on your terms and around the demands of your busy life.

2. Pace of Classes
How many classes you take is up to you. There may be some seasons when you can take a lot of classes and others where one class is all you can manage. And that’s okay. Choose a master’s degree program that lets you set your own learning pace.

For example, you could take as many courses as possible in each block of time. You could take a smaller amount of courses to reduce your workload. Or you could take one class at a time to accommodate a more intentional learning pace. With the right program, the choice is yours.

3. Semesters vs. Trimesters
Compared to quarters and semesters, trimesters let you finish more courses within an academic school year. So, find a master’s program that gives you options for taking classes. That way, you get to choose how you take your classes: full time, part time, or one course at a time.

How Long Will It Take to Get Your Master’s?

By now you know that how long it takes to get your masters degree varies, depending on the school, the program, and you.

Of course a master’s degree requires a fair amount of time, energy and commitment to finish.

But once you know how many credits you need, and you’ve decided how and when you’ll take your classes, there’s nothing to hold you back except finding the right program for you.

Free Guide:

Download Now

Maximizing Your College Transfer Credit

Learn the five things you need to know, at every academic level, to make the most of your transfer credit – including credits from technical/community college and military training.