7 Easiest Masters Programs to Get Into (2023 Updated)
Education is important, especially in the current job market. The competition is at an all-time high, and most people pursue higher education to get a college degree.
Master degrees are a great way to differentiate yourself from other people looking for a job. These degrees also will most likely get you a higher salary.
Another reason to get a master degree is changing your career. You can take your current undergraduate degree and sign up for a program that shares the fundamentals while teaching something entirely different. Perhaps you aren’t happy with your current work environment, or you just want to change job for whatever reason.
In this article, you are going to learn what are the easiest master programs to get into, and what makes them easier than others.
Editor’s note: just because the programs have reasonable requirements, it doesn’t mean they are easy to complete. You’ll still have to work hard to earn your master’s degree.
Benefits of a Master’s Degree
Getting a master’s degree provides many benefits. Let’s analyze them.
- You’ll be more competitive in the job market
This is by far the biggest reason to get a master’s degree. Employers will see you are willing to go the extra mile to improve your education, and will find you much more appealing.
You’ll be better prepared for the job than people without a master. Making your employer’s job easier is a great way to get a job.
- Change your career
Since you don’t have to proceed with your undergraduate study path to get a master’s degree, you can get your masters to switch jobs.
- Expand your knowledge on a field
If you feel like you are stuck at your current job and would like to get promoted, a masters degree is a great way of signaling you are interested in the field. Employers value employees that work hard for their company.
- Many programs can be completed online at a reasonable cost
Most of the programs on this list only take between 12 and 18 months. Some require 20 months, while a few will take around 2 years.
Also, most programs are online, which means you can get your master’s degree while working, learning at your own pace. That’s a great bonus for busy people.
Master Programs Prerequisites
Before jumping into a master program, you need to make sure you satisfy the school’s prerequisites. Each school has its requirements, but most are shared between schools.
If you work on the prerequisites on this list, you’ll drastically improve your chances of getting accepted into master programs. Additionally, having strong prerequisites means you’ll have built a strong foundation to ace the master program.
Getting your master degree will be much easier if you are well prepared for it. Let’s see the requisites.
Official Transcripts
The starting point is having your academic transcripts. To join a master degree, you first need to complete an undergraduate program. Transcripts will prove you actually completed an undergrad program, and let the school know about your academic path.
Some universities will get your transcripts by themselves, but most will require you to supply them, so have them ready. Usually, it’s enough to provide copies of them on application, and then provide the real ones once you’re accepted.
A GPA of at least 3.0
Your undergraduate GPA will be the number 1 factor considered in your application. Virtually every school has a minimum GPA requirement of 3.0, so make sure to work hard on getting good grades in your undergraduate courses.
Consider retaking courses you’ve passed with a low grade, especially if they provide the foundation for studies in your masters.
You might read on the Internet stories of people getting admitted with a GPA around 2.5, which is possible, but rare. These cases are exceptions.
There are programs on this list that don’t have minimum GPA requirements, and others are fine with a GPA of 2.5 or 2.75. Still, we recommend getting your GPA up to at least 3.0, since it’s going to make getting your master easier.
Letters of Recommendation
Schools only want to accept people who are committed to their academic path, and the best way to figure out whether someone is committed is through letters of recommendation. Schools will favor letters of recommendation from your undergraduate professors, who can attest your dedication and work ethics.
Speaking of work ethics, employers are also a great source of letters of recommendation. If you worked during your undergraduate program, make sure to ask your employer to write you one. This of course assumes you’ve been a good employee.
There is no hard rule about how many letters you should have, but try to get at least one from either an employer or an undergraduate professor. The more the merrier, but no schools will ever ask for more than 3 letters.
Editor’s note: many schools on this list don’t need letters of recommendation.
Strong Communication Skills
While not every school will require you to take a GRE exam, having strong communication skills is essential in getting accepted into master programs.
When you craft your application, you have to provide things like your past essays, a statement of purpose, and a CV (Curriculum Vitae) or resume. You must craft these in a way that makes you look like a great candidate for the program.
The 7 Easiest Masters Programs to get Into
How did we pick the programs that went into this list? We analyzed various factors. How high were their prerequisites? How high is their acceptance rate? How much time do the programs take?
We exclusively picked accredited schools. Schools without accreditation are often not taken seriously by employers, so there’s no point in attending one. Accredited schools guarantee you’ll receive quality education.
Academy of Art University
You can’t go wrong with a master degree from Academy of Art University. This is a for profit school located in San Franscisco with 100% acceptance rate.
The school is accredited and offers quality education program. Having a 100% acceptance rate means that it doesn’t really have any requirements beyond your official academic transcripts.
That’s right. No GPA, no letters of recommendation, nothing. You just need your undergraduate degree and a willingness to learn.
So, what’s the catch?
At a surface level, there is none: the school offers internships and stages during the master programs. For example, the master’s degree in advertising will have you work in an ad agency before graduation.
The school has a low graduation rate of 44.68%. Low graduation rates are huge red flags when it comes to picking a university, because it means the school doesn’t do a great job at making sure its students have academic success.
Also, this is probably the most expensive school on the list, which is always something to consider if you’re on a tight budget. Education pays for itself in the long run, but not everyone has access to the necessary funds to get this master. There are cheaper alternatives on this list though, so don’t get discouraged.
However, it’s hard to keep graduation rates high when you have a 100% acceptance rate. Many people will apply without a clue of what’s waiting for them. That’s just the unfortunate reality of open admission schools.
Take a college like Stanford with its 5% acceptance rate. Do you think the people who get accepted in aren’t 100% committed to making it? You can bet they are. That’s why Stanford has a near 100% graduation rate.
Nonetheless, the master in Advertising is a great choice for anyone with an interest in the field. Getting accepted is super easy, and the program offers high-quality education. What’s there not to love?
California State University – Bakersfield
California State University is a public university that offers over 1400 master’s degrees in 258 subjects.
If you’re looking for your next master’s degree, California State University is an excellent choice. Here are the requirements to apply to master programs:
- A baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution
- A GPA of at least 2.5
- Be in good academic standing at the last college attended
The first requirement isn’t set in stone. The university says that having completed appropriate campus equivalent academic preparation is enough. However, it’s a bit of an outlier, and the college will examine these situations on a case-by-case basis.
This school’s acceptance rate is 81%, and the graduation rate is 42.98%. I understand there are schools with 100% acceptance rate on this list, but I’d argue that having 81% acceptance rate is good enough.
New England College
New England College is a non-profit accredited school that offers both online and in-person master programs to its students. The most popular programs offered online are MBAs, but there are also MSs and MFAs.
Don’t get fooled by the school’s acceptance rate of 100%, you still need to satisfy a couple of requisites, namely:
- An undergraduate GPA of at least 2.75
- A bachelor’s degree from an accredited school
- Two letters of recommendation
- A CV or resume
Still, these requirements are reasonable, and most people should be able to satisfy them without any issue.
However, the numbers don’t tell the whole story. Is New England College a good school? Probably, since it’s accredited. My main issue with it is its low graduation rate, which doesn’t even reach 30%. Low graduation rates are always a big issue for colleges with high acceptance rates, but 30% is abysmal.
Weber State University
Weber State University is a public school that offers master’s programs in fields like:
- Accounting
- Computer science
- Electrical engineering
- English
- Nursing
- Radiologic sciences
- Social work
The university’s master programs have a 100% acceptance rate, but still have some requirements you need to satisfy if you want to join them.
The general requirements are a GPA of at least 3.0, and a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college.
As long as your undergraduate degree has courses related to the master program you’re applying for, you are good to go. Applying is extremely simple.
Southern New Hampshire University
SNHU is a non-profit private university with a high acceptance rate and many different degree programs under its belt.
It’s an excellent choice for people short on time. Applying is quick and painless, the university will even request your undergraduate transcripts for you. Additionally, most master programs require only 12 to 18 months to be completed.
As for requirements, they are almost non-existent. It’s easier to list what you don’t need:
- No GRE scores
- No letters of recommendation
- No essays
- No minimum GPA
Getting into a master’s program in SNHU is so easy. As long as you have a baccalaureate degree you can consider yourself accepted. Which is why this school has an acceptance rate of 100%. It’s basically an open admission school.
Arkansas State University
Arkansas State University is a public university in Jonesboro. It offers many online graduate programs you can complete quickly to further your education.
The requirements vary from program to program, but most degrees are actually very easy to join, all you need is:
- A baccalaureate degree from an accredited school
- A GPA of at least 2.75
There are exceptions though. For example, if you were to apply to the Master of Science in Education, you’d find additional requirements, such as a year of teaching experience, and a GPA of at least 3.0.
Make sure to check the web page dedicated to the program you are interested in before applying.
The school’s overall acceptance rate is 79.9%, with a 53.02% graduation rate. Those are pretty good numbers. Master’s programs tend to have higher acceptance rates, so getting in is highly likely, provided you satisfy the minimum requirements.
University of Texas at El Paso
UTEP is a public research university in El Paso, Texas. It is another strong choice if you’re looking to expand your knowledge. The university has an acceptance rate of 100% with a graduation rate of 37.15%.
Graduation rate is on the low side, even for an open admission school, but that’s just what happens when anyone can join without any real criteria. You will get people who should have never signed up bringing the statistics down.
As far as programs and admissions go, most programs have very low requirements. For example, a program such as Accountancy Graduate Certificate only requires an accounting degree from an accredited school to join.
There are some master programs with higher requirements. For example, a Mater of Science in Biology requires you to complete the GRE exam, a statement of purpose, and 3 letters of recommendation.
Overall, UTEP is a solid choice with master programs that are easy to get into, provided you satisfy the requirements, as proven by the 100% acceptance rate.
Conclusions
Getting a master’s degree is a great step in furthering your education. With higher education, you’ll enjoy better career opportunities.
What’s great about most master’s programs on this list is that they can be completed in a relatively short time, while also being affordable. Plus, they are mostly online. If you live a busy life, or you have other impediments that don’t let you go to physical class, you can still get access to higher education.
What are you waiting for? Apply to a master’s program today, and enjoy higher education and better employability!
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