What is the difference between an executive education and a master's degree?

By: James M. Tobin, Edited by: Gabriela Pérez Jordán

Published: March 18, 2025

Executive education and master's degree programs both aim to build skills with career-advancing potential. However, the two paths work differently, and each one offers its own unique advantages and drawbacks. Compare executive education programs vs. master's programs as you chart your course to a knowledge upgrade.

Executive education vs. master's degree

Executive education and master's programs both build on existing education, knowledge, and skills. However, their durations, learning objectives, and outcomes differ — and so do the academic credentials they deliver.

Compare executive education vs. master's programs in deeper detail:

Executive education

Executive education programs are compact, cohort-based, expert-led learning modules sharply focused on targeted skills or specialized topics. They generally appeal to:

• Experienced business professionals looking to enhance specific proficiencies
• Advancement-minded managers looking to fill knowledge or skills gaps to qualify for leadership positions
• Specialists seeking expertise in an adjunct area that falls outside the direct purview of their current role
• Entrepreneurs and self-starters

Some learners also pursue executive education to secure a credential from a high-profile institution without committing time and money to earning a degree.

Providers offer executive education in face-to-face and online formats. Online programs usually offer asynchronous delivery modes with excellent scheduling flexibility while retaining the peer and instructor networking elements that attract students.

Master's degree

A master's degree is a graduate-level academic program typically built around a combination of theoretical coursework, advanced research, and practical skills development. Master's programs guide students to deep, field-specific insights, helping them enter or advance in targeted career paths.

By earning a master's degree, learners can increase their earning potential and qualify for specialized roles offering higher pay and/or advancement potential. In many cases, master's programs build on undergraduate degrees in the same subject, allowing students to explore a field in greater depth or specialize in a concentrated area.

Accredited institutions generally offer campus-based, online, and hybrid models to deliver their master's programs. Students can often choose between full-time and part-time enrollment.

Some schools also offer specialized master's programs. Examples include accelerated formats with intensive schedules and shorter completion timelines, along with dual-degree programs leading to advanced academic credentials in two interrelated fields.

What's the difference?

Executive education and master's programs both study specialized topics at advanced levels, but multiple factors differentiate them from each other. Key examples include:

• Duration: Executive education programs are short, with many covering about 6-8 weeks. Master's programs typically require commitments of 12-36 months.
• Cost: Executive education is much cheaper. Among edX partner providers, costs typically fall in the range of $2,500-$3,500. By comparison, the master's programs available through edX partners start at about $10,000 and rise as high as $200,000.
• Admission requirements: While participants are generally expected to have relevant professional experience or baseline knowledge, executive education programs often lack formal academic prerequisites. Meanwhile, master's programs usually require foundational coursework, a bachelor's degree, and competitive grades. Some also prefer candidates with relatable practical or professional experiences.
• Academic requirements: Executive education programs often consist solely of lectures and/or seminars. Participants do not normally complete assignments or accrue transferable academic credits. To earn a master's degree, students usually need about 30-60 credits, and graduate requirements typically include some of the following: capstone project, master's thesis, supervised experience, and comprehensive examination.

Completion credentials also differ. Master's programs lead to advanced degrees, while executive education programs usually bestow a certificate of completion or other non-degree award.

Is an executive education the same as an executive master's?

The terms "executive education" and "executive master's" can cause confusion because they sound similar while referring to different things.

Here's a quick breakdown of their similarities and differences:

• Both program types are aimed at established, advancement-minded professionals, hence the term "executive."
• Executive education programs have a narrow, skills-focused scope and do not award an academic degree.
• Executive master's programs lead to an advanced academic degree. They're comprehensive in scope and follow a fast pace that engages professional experience.

How to choose the best program for you

Executive education and master's programs both have niche appeals to students who match specific profiles. To choose the right option, consider your situation and your learning objectives.

If you exclusively want to explore targeted concepts or acquire specific skills, executive education programs may be the better choice. They also tend to be shorter, less expensive, and noncompetitive.

If you're looking for a more intensive educational experience involving a more comprehensive exploration of an academic subject or professional discipline, a master's program may better fit your needs. Employers also tend to give more weight to a master's degree when considering candidate qualifications.

Both paths can help established professionals advance their careers. However, master's programs can also support your initial entry to a particular career path, while executive education is generally more suitable for people already working within a field.