Why Earn a Master's Degree?

Higher education can seem unattainable to people with families and full-time jobs. The best part about online school is you work when you can. Even with the flexibility of online, the idea of going back to school can be daunting. We have a few tips on how to balance work, family, and school.  

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Prepare Yourself

Before you start working towards your degree, make sure you're in the right mindset. Earning a degree will take time, commitment, and hard work. If you start with this in mind, you'll be better prepared to conquer future challenges. 

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Learn More About Your Passion

Time management is one of the most useful skills you'll gain from online learning. Keeping your home, work, and school lives balanced depends on you buckling down when you need to and planning ahead. Time management is a skill, and like any other skill, it takes practice. 

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Adapt to Mobile

People with degrees historically fare better during recessions. During the height of unemployment in 2010, those with some college and no degree had an unemployment rate of 9.2%, and those with an associate’s degree had a rate of 7%. In contrast those with a bachelor’s degree or higher had an unemployment rate of 4.7%. The difference in unemployment between a master’s degree holder and a bachelor’s degree holder is usually within 1% of each other. Although this difference is small, master’s degree holders still have higher earnings in comparison to bachelor’s degree holders. That extra income can make all the difference.

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Email Your Professor

You're not in this alone. If you know work or personal life will keep you from getting an assignment done, email your professor and explain the situation. Southeast Online is taught by real people who understand life happens.

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Ask for Help

All this sounds great, but how do you pay for it? Look into programs your employer offers to further your education. Some companies offer to pay for part or all tuition costs when you earn a master’s degree related to your field. If you don’t have a program currently in place, try asking what other opportunities the company may have. Even if there’s not an established program, if you can show how earning a master’s degree brings value to the company you may be able to get assistance. Southeast also offers more than 1,500 endowed scholarships that could help cover your tuition and other costs

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SEMO Online

Phone: (573) 651-2766
Fax: (573) 651-2859
Undergraduate Inquiries: online@semo.edu
Graduate Inquiries: graduateonline@semo.edu



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