Are you thinking of earning a master’s in marketing or Master of Business Administration (MBA) in marketing degree? You might wonder how much work – and time – you will have to invest over a given academic term. Online college isn’t easy. It requires you to put in enough study time to:
- learn course material
- complete papers and assignments
- pass exams
Choosing an online degree program that allows you to take fewer courses at a time can help you make your course load more manageable.
The Workload of an Online College Student
Here’s one benefit of earning your master’s in marketing degree online. No matter how many courses you take, earning your degree will be more convenient than it would be if you studied at a brick-and-mortar campus. You won’t have to worry about rushing to make it to campus at a certain time. You can work from any place where you have an Internet connection:
- home
- office
- a public library
On average, you should spend about six hours a week studying for every credit you’re, according to U.S. News & World Report. If you’re a full-time student in a two-year master’s degree program, you could be taking three classes at a time, each worth three to four credits. That can translate to 50 hours or more per week of studying.
Online college degree programs may be more flexible than traditional on-campus programs, but those offered at accredited institutions are no less rigorous. You still have papers to write and exams to take. Often, online courses require virtual class discussions. These are in the form of forums and chats hosted on the online learning platform. Of course, you’ll still have to make time for actually reading the course material and preparing for tests.
Streamlining Your Workload Without Halting Your Progress
At some of the best online master’s in marketing degree programs, you might be able to spread your courses out over more terms. This way you can focus on fewer classes at a time without falling behind. For example, online master’s in marketing students at New England College typically take just two courses at a time over a term of seven weeks. These accelerated courses may be more intensive than the average semester-long class, but they can also streamline your studies. You won’t have to juggle so many courses and projects at a time. Schools that offer numerous term start dates per year can allow students to take just two courses at once can still stay on track to graduate on time.
If you’re concerned that you don’t have the time to succeed in an online course, consider studying part-time. You can make progress toward your degree even if you can’t devote dozens of hours to studying each week.
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