What Masters Degree Should I Get

One press picks a master's degree to look into, with what you would study.

What Masters Degree Should I Get

  1. Master of Engineering (MEng)A professional master's degree in one branch of engineering.
All 47

Next step Draw a job it could lead to

How it works

Thinking about grad school? This picker deals one of 47 master's degrees, from the MBA and the MSW to the Master of Library and Information Science, each with a line on what you would study.

Read the full guide

Narrow it by the work you want

After your first press, the list beside the button narrows the draw: Business and money; Health and care; Teaching and people; Tech and science; Arts and design; or Law, policy and public service. Pick the group closest to the job you picture.

Check it against real programs

Set the count to 3 and look up each degree at two schools you could attend. Compare the required classes, whether there is a thesis or a placement, and what graduates of that program went on to do.

Tips
  • Some degrees lead toward a license, such as the Master of Architecture; check your state's rules before you apply.

Questions and answers

What masters degree should I do if my bachelor's is in something else?

Look at degrees built for newcomers. The MS in Business Analytics takes students from many backgrounds, and the Master of Arts in Teaching is a pre-service degree for people about to start teaching. Check each program's prerequisites.

What is the difference between an MBA and a Master of Science in Organizational Leadership?

An MBA covers business broadly, with finance, accounting and marketing. The organizational leadership degree focuses more on people and organizations and less on those business topics.

Does the page say which degree pays most?

No. Pay, job outlook and rankings change every year and differ by school and place, so the list holds none. Each line says only what you would study, checked against the degree's Wikipedia article.

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All 47 master's degrees

Business and money 16

  • Master of Accountancy (MAcc) Prepares you for public accounting and, in the US, the 150 credit hours most states ask before the CPA exam.
  • Master of Business Administration (MBA) A broad business degree: core classes across the field, then electives in one area.
  • Master of Engineering Management (MEM) Bridges engineering and business management for complex technical projects.
  • Master of Finance (MFin) A professional degree aimed at careers in finance, also called an MS in Finance.
  • Master of International Business (MIB) Managing companies that trade and work across borders.
  • Master of Science in Business Analytics (MSBA) Data science, statistics and computing aimed at business questions.
  • Master of Science in Human Resource Development Human resource management and solving problems inside organizations.
  • Master of Science in Information Systems (MSIS) Managing the design and building of information systems, often in a business school.
  • Master of Science in Marketing Brand management, digital marketing, research and strategy.
  • Master of Science in Organizational Leadership Leading people and organizations, with less finance and accounting than an MBA.
  • Master of Science in Project Management Planning and running projects, also useful in consulting and operations.
  • Master of Science in Supply Chain Management How goods are sourced, moved and stored: supply chains and logistics.
  • Master of Taxation (MTax) Accounting with a focus on tax, usually taught in a business or accounting school.
  • Master's in nonprofit management How charities and other nonprofits are run and how well they work.
  • Master's in quantitative finance Math applied to money problems, training the analysts known as quants.
  • Master's in real estate Real estate development and finance at graduate level.
Show all 47 master's degrees (31 more)

Health and care 6

  • Master of Counseling Training to work as a counselor in clinics, schools, colleges and private practice.
  • Master of Health Science (MHS) Advanced study or research in a health field; an alternative to the MPH.
  • Master of Psychology A master's degree in psychology, often shortened to PsyM or MPsych.
  • Master of Public Health (MPH) Public health practice rather than research, often with a focus such as epidemiology.
  • Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) An advanced degree for registered nurses, toward teaching, leading or advanced practice.
  • Master of Social Work (MSW) Professional social work, from helping one person to changing whole systems.

Teaching and people 7

  • Master of Arts in Special Education Teaching children who need special education, such as autistic students.
  • Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) Prepares you to teach one subject in primary or secondary school.
  • Master of Divinity (MDiv) The first professional degree for pastors in North America, taught in seminaries.
  • Master of Education (MEd) For educators: curriculum and instruction, counseling or school administration.
  • Master of Liberal Arts (MLA or ALM) A graduate degree in the liberal arts; Harvard calls its version the ALM.
  • Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) Managing information; the usual degree for a librarian in the United States.
  • Master's in higher education Student life on a college campus: residence life, advising and student activities.

Tech and science 5

  • Master of Data Science Methods for pulling knowledge out of data, close to data mining.
  • Master of Engineering (MEng) A professional master's degree in one branch of engineering.
  • Master of Environmental Management (MEM) Natural and social science for careers in environmental policy and resource management.
  • Master of Science in Cybersecurity Keeping computer systems and information safe from attack.
  • Master of Science in Information Technology (MSIT) Running information technology and how systems get built.

Arts and design 7

  • Master of Architecture (MArch) The professional degree on the road to becoming a licensed architect.
  • Master of Design (MDes) Advanced study in design; it often follows a Bachelor of Design.
  • Master of Fine Arts (MFA) Visual art, creative writing, photography, film, dance or theatre, usually two to three years.
  • Master of Journalism Writing, reporting and media law, often with a placement in a working newsroom.
  • Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA) Designing parks, landmarks and other outdoor places.
  • Master of Music (MM) Performance, composition or conducting, with music history and theory.
  • Master of Urban Planning Planning towns and cities: urban theory and the work of professional planners.

Law, policy and public service 6

  • Master of Criminal Justice (MCJ) Courts, probation, corrections, forensic science and justice administration.
  • Master of Homeland Security Graduate study of protecting a country at home, open with a bachelor's degree.
  • Master of International Affairs (MIA) A professional degree in international affairs: how countries deal with each other.
  • Master of Laws (LLM) Advanced law study for people who already hold a law degree.
  • Master of Public Administration (MPA) Like an MBA, but for leading public services and government.
  • Master of Public Policy (MPP) Policy analysis and program evaluation: how governments decide and whether it works.

How this list was compiled: 47 master's degrees, each checked against its English Wikipedia article (or the article its title redirects to) on 2026-09-24; the address is in x.src. The one-line descriptions are ours, written from the article's opening. No salary, job-outlook, ranking, cost or admission claims: those change every year and differ by school. Licence: own work