Do Community Colleges Have Master’s Programs?

In this article, we’ll explain how to eventually work your way up to a master’s degree from a community college.

You’ve heard that your local community college can save you thousands on college bills due to lower tuition costs. Could your child’s future career prospects be harmed by a community college, though? What if your daughter wants to eventually obtain a master’s degree?

Here is all the information you require regarding the availability of master’s programs at community colleges.

Do Community Colleges Have Master’s Programs?

In general, a master’s degree is not something that can be obtained at a community college. A two-year associate’s degree is typically the highest degree you can obtain from a community college. Nevertheless, a lot of US students are savvy enough to use community college as a springboard for their bachelor’s and master’s degrees.

Community colleges have grown in popularity for students who eventually want to earn a higher education degree for a variety of reasons, but the main one is the significant tuition savings.

Can You Get a Master’s Degree at a Community College?

No, a master’s degree cannot be obtained in a community college. An Associate’s degree, which is only available in community colleges, takes two years to complete. Once you have earned this degree, you can choose to stop or enroll in further study at a university to convert it to a 4-year, or Bachelor’s, degree.

You can only start thinking about getting a master’s degree once you have earned your bachelor’s. You can earn a master’s degree in many different fields of study and it usually takes 1-2 years to complete.

To obtain your master’s, however, there are a few considerations that you must make. You must first complete your bachelor’s degree and achieve the minimum GPA requirement for your master’s program, which is typically 3.0 or higher.

In addition, you will require a minimum of two to three letters of recommendation. You can apply and get your master’s after you’ve made sure you’ve met all of your school’s requirements.

How to Get a Master’s Degree from a Community College?

Here are three ways you could use a community college to earn a master’s degree to get started.

Enroll in a Community College That Offers a Master’s Program

Sadly, it doesn’t happen very often. Red Rocks Community College is the first and, as of now, the only community college to offer a master’s degree, despite the fact that many community colleges have begun a discussion about the benefits of providing programs beyond a 2-year associate’s degree.

Red Rocks’ sole post-graduate program is the MPAS (Master of Physician Assistant Studies).

Enroll in a Community College Offering On-campus Accredited Degrees from Other Universities

Additionally uncommon is the availability of this kind of master’s degree. Several community colleges, such as Normandale Community College, offer accredited bachelor’s degrees from other universities, but on the Normandale campus.

With this, you could eventually earn a master’s degree from a different college. Saving money is clearly the main motivation for doing a bachelor’s degree in this manner.

Enroll in a Community College Then Transfer Credits to a University

The most common path to a master’s degree through a community college is this one. Students enroll in community college and earn a discounted associate’s degree after two years of study.

In order to enter the third year of the bachelor’s program immediately, they transfer all of their credits to a university that has a contract with the college. They eventually progress along this path to a master’s.

Although it might seem a little complicated, many US students are employing this strategy.

Conclusion: Do Community Colleges Have Masters Programs?

For those who want to study at a US university, community colleges are the best way to cut costs. They increase access to higher education in the US by lowering the price of four-year programs while maintaining a high caliber of instruction.

Many students use community college as a stepping stone towards a master’s degree, despite the fact that master’s programs at community colleges are extremely uncommon. Get an associate’s degree from a community college before beginning your journey through higher education.