Online Graduate Degrees: Earn a graduate degree from one of our accredited online schools. Online graduate schools award advanced academic degrees, such as master's and doctoral degrees, with the general requirement of having previously earned an accredited bachelor's degree. An online graduate degree is a gateway to a new job, higher pay or a promotion; and online schools provide a convenient way to flexibly earn that advanced degree without sacrificing work hours, time with family or travel opportunities.

As advanced technologies continue to shape and influence almost every industry, and as the business world continues to evolve into an international community, the earning of graduate degrees by those in positions of management and authority has become increasingly critical to the efficiency and profitability of corporations, health care institutions and educational entities. But a graduate degree is especially beneficial to diligent students who complete the necessary coursework to earn one.

A graduate degree generally refers to a master's degree or doctoral degree (i.e. Ph.D.), rather than to specialized schools of medicine or law. Application to graduate school usually follows completion of a bachelor's degree in a related field from an accredited college or university. Since the application process is often competitive, requirements for admission to graduate schools may include having at least a 'B' grade point average from colleges attended, earning satisfactory scores on any qualifying exams, and providing several professional or academic recommendations. A sample of English composition skills may be requested, as well as additional requirements that may be specific to individual graduate schools. Applicants from countries where English is not the primary language may be required to submit acceptable scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).

At the master's and doctoral level, degree candidates routinely produce original research in order to meet the requirement of completing a written and/or oral dissertation. This major component of graduate studies is accomplished with the guidance of a graduate advisor, along with many hours of scholarly research, statistical analysis of that research, and the written report of results chronicling the methods accomplished to prove a stated thesis. Once this major work is completed, the student is then allowed to receive the graduate degree, provided all other classes and requirements have been completed. Some graduate programs do not require a thesis/dissertation, but instead may opt for a written exam in its place.

In graduate music schools and in lieu of a standard dissertation, students are generally required to organize a graduate recital. The graduate recital includes the student's performance of major works of music on the major instrument, researching and composing all program notes, and scheduling rehearsals with accompanying musicians. The recital is performed for g raduate music faculty members for adjudication , and then performed again for the invited public. Art graduate students may, in lieu of the dissertation, complete a portfolio of original work to be judged by faculty and then displayed for the public.

The coursework for graduate students is specific to the individual major and rarely includes courses outside of the major. At this level, students are being trained as experts in their fields; so there is a need for focus and specificity. The bachelor's degree has already offered broad coursework to provide a well-balanced education, honing in on the academic major in the last two years before graduation. Also, at the graduate level, grades below a 'B' in individual courses are usually unacceptable.

Students who graduate with a master's degree can expect to earn approximately $10,000 more than those with a bachelor's degree. So depending upon the industry, returning to school to earn an online graduate degree is an excellent choice in upward mobility. An MBA, master's in business administration, is among the most popular choices in online graduate degrees; but the fields of computer science, criminal justice, health administration, nursing, information technology and psychology are just a few other areas that are great choices for those who are seeking to advance in their career fields by earning an online graduate degree.