How Long Will it Take me to Earn My Master's Degree?

The answer depends upon the program that you enter.  Many programs allow you to earn a degree in one year.  In some of these programs you may have to work on completing an exit paper or master's thesis over the summer.  Other programs are designed to take a year and a half. 

As long as you go to a program where the highest degree offered is the master's, you should be able to finish in a year and a half or less.  Some PhD programs allow you to enroll in the PhD program and earn your master's at some point before you finish your PhD.  The advantage of this is that if you decide you want to earn your PhD, you can just continue in the program.  There are two disadvantages.  First, you will be taking the same courses as PhD students so the competition is keener and the courses are likely to be more rigorous.  Second, it is likely to take at least two years to complete the requirements for a master's degree within a PhD program. 

While the advice above provides useful general information.  Rigor, course offerings, specializations, and requirements and time to complete the degree vary widely across departments, so it is a good idea to examine individual programs that interest you more carefully.