CFRM’s online master’s degree option is an optimal solution for working professionals to pursue the MS-CFRM degree while maintaining their current job or other obligations. Part-time students will be able to finish the degree requirements in three years, on average, when taking one course each quarter. However, students are not restricted to one course per quarter and may complete the program full-time if desired.
Online students are not required to come to campus; the coursework can be completed entirely at a distance. Online students living in the local Puget Sound area can sometimes attend lectures on campus, as long as there is an empty chair in the classroom and it works with the student’s schedule. Local online students sometimes choose to take their course midterms and final exams on campus, as remote online students must arrange a proctor each quarter for exams.
Typically, online students will attend on a part-time basis (less than 10 credits per quarter; usually one 4-credit course).
Learn more about the online experience for CFRM students.
Differences Compared to the Classroom MS
Although the courses are scheduled at the same time, taught by the same instructors, and involve the same assignments with identical grading expectations, our online students tend to move through the program more slowly due to their outside personal and professional obligations. Certainly, the main attraction of the online MS is the ability to “time shift” studies around work schedules and time zones, provided that students keep up with weekly assignment due dates and can accommodate exams with fixed dates. The emphasis on flexibility and global reach of the MS-CFRM program can make interaction more challenging in the online cohort, so we recommend that students who learn best in group settings or are interested in building close relationships consider the campus program.
However, online students are an active part of the MS program. We encourage interaction between campus and online students via email, course discussion forums, and web conferencing. Students in both cohorts gain from sharing the diverse career experience, academic backgrounds, and cultures of a broadly nationwide and international student body.