• Although medical doctors undergo years of strenuous study to prepare for their careers, not all professions in the health care industry require such academic commitment. Many careers in the medical field require nothing more than a master's degree. This still requires studiousness and dedication, but not going on to a full-fledged medical degree may be a tempting option for those who wish to work in health care without becoming medical doctors.
  
  

Nursing

• A career in nursing is achievable with a master's degree, although the type of master's you pursue is dependent on the type of nursing you wish to do. For example, you could earn a Master of Nursing (MN), a Master of Arts in Nursing (MAN), a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) and more. These different programs are each oriented toward a different type of nursing. For example, MN and MSN programs often lead to advanced careers in nursing leadership and clinical specialties.
  
  Other programs offer joint degrees, such as a Master of Science in Nursing with Master of Public Health (MPH) or a Master of Science in Nursing with Master of Public Administration (MPA). An MPA or MPH degree frequently leads to a career in the public sector.
  
  Moreover, within each different type of nursing master's program, students choose a different area of specialty. These can include child and teen health nursing, clinical research management, health policy, neonatal nursing, oncology nursing or mental health nursing. For a list of institutions that offer master's degrees in nursing, see Resources.
  
  

Psychology

• A master's degree in psychology can sometimes lead to a teaching career at a two-year school or research in sub-fields like clinical psychology, forensic psychology and sports psychology. With a master's degree, you can also work as a school counselor in a K-12 setting or as a social worker. Although you can find careers in these fields with a master's degree, many entering these fields eventually pursue a doctoral degree---among other reasons, you cannot teach psychology at a university level without a Ph.D.
  
  There are a number of master's degree options. The most frequently offered are the Master of Arts (MA), Master of Science (MS), Master of Education (M.Ed) and Master of Social Work (MSW). All usually require one to two years beyond a bachelor's degree, and each different type of degree entails a different curriculum. You should also note that to work in most psychology jobs, you must be licensed in that state. For a list of master's degree programs in psychology, see Resources.
  
  

Health Administration

• Most medical and health service managers---or health care administrators---obtain master's degrees in health services administration, health sciences, public health, business administration or more. Although some students come from a business background, graduate programs often look for liberal arts-educated students with some form of medical background.
  
  Certain administrative jobs are available to those with experience instead of advanced degrees, although advancement in these careers may be limited to candidates possessing master's degrees. Graduate programs typically last between two and three years, including up to a year of supervised administrative experience. Coursework may include accounting and budgeting, health economics, law and ethics, health information systems and more. Some careers, such as nursing care facility administration, require licensing and a commitment to pursue further education.