At the master’s degree level, approximately one-half of all students were working on either a master’s degree in business administration (M.B.A.) (20 percent) or a master’s degree in education (28 percent). The latter could include a Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.), Master of Education (M.Ed.), or Master of Arts (M.A.) or Science (M.S.) with a major in education. The rest were working on an M.A. or M.S. degree in a field other than education (31 percent) or on a different master’s degree such as a Master of Social Work (M.S.W.), Master of Public Administration (M.P.A.), or Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.) (21 percent).

M.B.A. students were predominantly male (60 percent), and about two-thirds waited 3 or more years after earning their bachelor’s degree before enrolling in the M.B.A. program. Most worked while enrolled (87 percent), and 75 percent of those who worked did so full time.

Master’s students in education were primarily female. Some (17 percent) enrolled immediately after earning their bachelor’s degree, but 83 percent waited at least a year, and 33 percent waited 7 years or more. Like M.B.A. students, most education master’s students (91 percent) were combining school and work.

Noneducation M.A. and M.S. students were more traditional in their enrollment patterns. For example, they were more likely than M.B.A. or education students to enroll immediately after earning a bachelor’s degree (about 26 percent vs. 12 and 17 percent, respectively), and they were more likely than education students to enroll full time, full year (about 31 percent vs. 16 percent).