Master's Degrees in Texas

At DBU, graduate students experience a curriculum where faith is integrated into every aspect of study. Here, graduate students discover how faith completes their knowledge by giving it truth and purpose.

Considering Graduate School?

Usually, many questions come to mind when one is considering if pursuing a graduate degree is the best course of action.

  1. How do I choose a graduate school in Texas?
  2. How many years does it take to complete a graduate degree?
  3. How do I choose a graduate/master’s degree?
  4. How do I choose a graduate concentration?
  5. How do I know if a master’s degree is the right fit?
  6. When is a good time to begin a master’s degree?
  7. Why should I choose a graduate program at DBU?

Explore our master's degrees below.

For information on master's degree plans for FALL 2020, please consult the FALL 2020-SUMMER 2021 GRADUATE CATALOG.

Business

Communication

Counseling

Education

Leadership

Liberal Arts

Ministry

Professional Development

*Some concentrations may be available online

Accelerated Degrees Dual Degrees

 

Pursuing a Master's Degree Program

Picking a Graduate School

1. How do I choose a graduate school in Texas?

Texas. Texas is an expansive state and home to several booming metropolitan areas that offer prime locations for educational and professional development. The DFW Metroplex, for example, is one of the most sought-after locations in the United States for new businesses, civic and corporate organizations, and schools. The diverse international population here also makes it a window to the world in terms of cross-cultural engagement and global networking opportunities.

Urban. Although choosing a more rural-based university might have its perks (less traffic!), our advice is to choose a University that is centrally located to urban centers that will provide more plentiful access for finding internships, jobs, networking, and multicultural enrichment.

Quality Programs. Choose a school that offers a quality program in the area that you are interested in (see question #3 below).

  • Is the University recognized nationally for any of its academic or professional fields?
  • Is the University accredited by highly selective national and/or regional organizations?
  • Read up about the programs, their directors, and how they are involved in the latest scholarship and serving as a resource to the community.

Financial. Let’s face it, this is probably at the very top list of your concerns. It’s wise to

  • Shop around and compare tuition costs between several universities that interest you
  • Discover what kind of scholarship or financial assistance they can provide

Private universities like DBU are more affordable than you might think, and DBU is among the least costly in the state of Texas. Yet, as important as financial considerations are, don’t let them be your deciding factor. Take into account the value of what you are paying for.

  • Is the University recognized for academic quality and excellence?
  • Is it known for genuinely caring about the success and wellbeing of their students from the letter of acceptance to graduation and even beyond?

Christian. Choose a school that demonstrates genuine care for its students. Christian universities like DBU will take a personal interest in you from start to finish. We have an investment in you, because we want our graduates to be excellent in all they do and to represent the Lord of this University well in their life and callings. Learn More >>

Program Lengths

2. How many years does it take to complete a graduate degree?

It depends on many factors:

  • Your financial situation
  • The time you can realistically devote to it.
    • Plan on a minimum of two to three years for most master’s degrees on a full-time, nine-credit hour a semester basis. However, some programs at DBU can be completed in as little as 15 months. 
    • If your schedule allows you only to take one class at a time, know what you can commit to and pace yourself.

A graduate degree is more like a half-marathon than a sprint. Learn to soak in all you can on the journey as much as you are focusing on the destined finish line.

Selecting a Master's Degree

3. How do I choose a graduate/master’s degree?

Choosing a graduate program requires some self-reflection. Ask yourself these questions:

  • What are you most interested in?
  • What do you get excited and motivated to learn about?
  • What disciplines did you enjoy most in your undergraduate programs?
  • Where do you envision yourself professionally?
  • Do you have a passion for learning a subject and to share knowledge with others, especially the next generation? You might investigate the field of education.
  • Do you have an interest in finance, entrepreneurial endeavors, and organizations that contribute to the local, the national, and the global economy? You might want to pursue a master’s degree in business.
  • Are you intrigued by the latest technologies and how they are creating new jobs, changing the workplace and commercial infrastructures, or affecting modes of communication and education? Then you might be wired for a career in technology.
  • Are you a gifted listener, caring about people on a personal basis, and want to understand and help them navigate through life’s challenges? You might be suited for a career in counseling.
  • Are you passionate about the local church and want to see it thrive and become all it can be to the glory of God in the community and for the world? The Lord may be calling you to full-time church ministry.

Selecting a Graduate Concentration

4. How do I choose a graduate concentration?

After you choose a graduate degree, look at the courses in each concentration. Remember that you will have the opportunity to take electives, but within those concentrations available, which courses seem to fit your professional goals the most? Or go with your gut. In other words, what courses in what concentration seem the most interesting and attention-grabbing to you? That might be the sign of a good and natural fit.  

Of course, at DBU we always encourage people to pray and seek the Lord when making decisions. Be sure to ask Him daily what His best is for you and what He wants to do with and through your life to serve others.

The Correct Fit for Your Career Goals

5. How do I know if a master’s degree is the right fit?

Some jobs require the minimum of a master’s degree, but even if they don’t, having one or working toward one will help you stand out in accomplishment and give you priority when applying for internships or jobs or help you advance further within an organization.

Some companies will even encourage their employees to advance their education by providing tuition reimbursement programs to help soften the financial burden while developing the skills of their employees in a way that benefits their organizational goals as well.

The Time to Start

6. When is a good time to begin a master’s degree?

There’s no time like the present! Seriously, just know there is no “perfect” time, and don’t assume that down the road things will get easier for you or that you will have more time than you do now. You may be in a very busy season of life right now, but we are never guaranteed that things will smoothen out later, and we never know what life may bring around the corner.

With that said, most graduate programs today offer flexible options for working students with evening classes and online/hybrid classes to make learning more accessible to your schedule. But be assured, it will probably demand 15-20 hours a week so you may have to miss out on that late-night movie with friends once in a while or start getting up even earlier in the morning. But know a master’s program is just for a season and you can persevere if you really want it badly enough.

Nevertheless, if you are beginning a new season of starting a family, caring for young children, or if you are helping aging parents, be mindful that it may be more challenging to schedule time for classes and studies. In these seasons of significant family obligations, waiting might be wisest, or at least start with one class at a time if you can.

If financial concerns are influencing you to put a master’s degree off, just know we can never foresee what major financial hurdles might exist in the future. Even if you must take out loans, consider this a worthwhile financial investment that will pay off in life-expanding dividends, and do your homework and ask plenty of questions of the University and your workplace about all the scholarships, grants, and employee tuition assistance for which you are eligible.

Graduate School at DBU

7. Why should I choose a graduate program at DBU?

DBU Cares. DBU genuinely cares about its students. We want to help you succeed. From your first steps through the admissions process to the day of your graduation as alumni of the University, we are here to help you become all that God has called you to be to serve a world that needs you and what you have been given. Your professors will take a personal interest in you, even beyond the classroom, mentoring and shepherding you toward success.

Christ-Centered Classroom. You will also benefit from an education that puts Christ at the center in every classroom and thus is going to invest in you to make a higher, more eternal Kingdom impact through you even beyond your own lifetime, job portfolio, or 401k.

Going back to question #1, DBU is strategically located between Dallas and Fort Worth to provide students access to bustling opportunities for ministry, job placement, internship experience, and cultural enrichment in a thriving economy in one of the fastest growing regions in the country.

The heartbeat and mission of a DBU education is the desire to produce Christ-centered servant leaders who will change the world through whatever calling God has for them.