Those with education and experience in database management often find careers as database administrators. Database administrators are responsible for creating, securing, and maintaining the databases within an organization. Growth in this career field is expected to have much faster than average development with professionals making a median annual salary of $93,750.
Top 5 Database Management Masters Degree Programs
| Rank | School | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nova Southeastern University | Fort Lauderdale, FL |
| 2 | George Mason University | Fairfax, VA |
| 3 | Towson University | Towson, MD |
| 4 | Touro College | New York, NY |
| 5 | New Jersey Institute of Technology | Newark, NJ |
What Can You Do With A Master’s In Database Management?
A master’s degree can give prospective employees a competitive edge when it comes to seeking job placement, as most organizations seek highly qualified individuals for administration positions. Those already working in the field can use a graduate education to position themselves for advancement. For example, database administrators may go on to work as information systems managers. Higher education demonstrates a candidate possesses a strong understanding of the systems they will be working with.
What Coursework Is Involved With This Degree?
Students can expect to take courses in database languages and server platforms such as SQL and Oracle. Database design is also an important course group in order to understand existing systems as well as building new ones. A typical program will also cover data mining and data warehousing, and how to make such data sets secure yet available to analysts and others within an organization.
How Long Does It Take To Earn This Degree?
A master’s degree program typically takes 2 years to complete. This timeframe may be shorter or longer depending on several factors, such as credit hour requirements, prior learning and experiential credits, and enrollment status.
Credit hours for programs on our list range between 30 and 56. Students with prior graduate credits (such as those obtained from a post-grad certificate program) or several years of work experience may receive credit that will reduce their course load. Full-time students complete their degree faster than part-timers.
If you’re interested in fully online degree programs, please use our other degree-finding tools and resources.
We ranked 9 schools offering masters in database management degrees on a 100-point scale. Our ranking data included factors like estimated whole program cost and credit hour length.View the results below!
The Best 9 Database Management Masters Degree Programs
Nova Southeastern University
Nova Southeastern University is a private research university. Founded in 1964, Nova is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. The university has campuses across Florida in Fort Lauderdale, Dania Beach, North Miami, and Tampa Bay. The total graduate student enrollment at Nova is 14,910.
The Master of Science in Data Analytics focuses on subjects such as database management, data warehousing, and data mining. Students may take classes on-campus in Fort Lauderdale or completely online. On-campus classes meet once per week in the evenings. Students will attend classes in Fall, Winter, and Summer.
school overview
George Mason University
Founded in 1957, George Mason University is a public research university accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. The main campus is located in Fairfax with other Virginian campuses in Arlington, Front Royal, and Prince William. GMU has a total graduate student enrollment of 11,201.
The Master of Science in Information Systems offered by the Volgenau School of Engineering features an elective emphasis area in database management. Interested applicants must have a 3.00 GPA or better in the last 60 credits of their baccalaureate degree. GRE scores are not required for students who hold a bachelor’s degree from a U.S. institution.
school overview
Towson University
A member of the University System of Maryland, Towson University is a public university that was first established in 1866. It has a large campus located in Towson. Total graduate student enrollment at Towson is 3,090.
They offer a Master of Science in Applied Information Technology with a certificate in database management systems. Every student in the MSAIT program must complete at least one of these certificate programs, though they may choose to earn more. Courses are offered in fall, spring, and summer on-campus or online.
school overview
Touro College
Touro College is a private university headquartered in New York City and accredited by the Middle States Commission On Higher Education. It is part of the Touro College University System, which has campuses across the state of New York, as well as in California, Illinois, Nevada, and abroad. Touro’s total graduate student enrollment is around 5,942.
The Information Systems academic program features a Master of Science in Data Analytics and Database Systems. The program is designed for students of every experience level, from new comp-sci graduates, industry pros, and newcomers with a different major degree. Students can choose to study on-campus or online.
school overview
New Jersey Institute of Technology
Founded in 1881, New Jersey Institute of Technology is a public research university accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. The Ying Wu College of Computing Sciences is the largest department at the school. They are headquartered in Newark, but also operate a financial technology satellite campus in Jersey City. The total graduate student enrollment at NJIT is 2,724.
The Master of Science in Computer Science program offers a specialization area in Databases and Data Mining. Courses in this specialization include Advanced Database System Design, Data Mining, and Applications of Database Systems. This program is offered face-to-face or completely online.
school overview
Boston University
Boston University is a private research university with historical affiliations with the United Methodist Church, though in modern times it is nonsectarian. The main campus is located in Boston, with other campuses in the US at Los Angeles and Washington D.C. and study abroad campuses in Paris, London, and Sydney. BU has an estimated 15,737 enrolled graduate students.
The Metropolitan College at BU offers a Master of Science in Computer Information Systems with a Database Management & Business Intelligence concentration. Students may study at full or part-time and the program takes 18-24 months to complete. Courses are available online, on campus, and in hybrid formats. There is no GRE/GMAT requirement for admission.
- Part-time tuition (10 courses) does not exceed 40K for the whole degree
school overview
University of Denver
The University of Denver is the oldest private university in the Rocky Mountain Region, established in 1864. The university operates many colleges, including the University College for professional development, which serves graduate students in Colorado and across the country. 55% of students enrolled in the University College are out-of-state. DU’s graduate student population is 7,157.
The University College features as Master’s degree concentration in Database Design and Administration. Full-time students can earn their degree in as little as 18 months. Classes are available in person during the evening or online in 10 week terms. Prospective applicants do not need GRE or GMAT scores.
school overview
DePaul University
A private, Catholic university, DePaul University emphasizes enrollment of disadvantaged and first-generation students. They operate two campuses in the Chicago area, one in Lincoln Park and another in the Loop. The College of Computing and Digital Media is headquartered at the Loop campus. The graduate student population at DePaul is 7,850.
The CDM offers a Master of Science in Information Systems with Data Management as a major elective domain. In this program, students learn how to design and implement databases as well as the fundamentals of data warehousing, data center operations, and business intelligence. This elective domain is described to be suitable for database management careers.
school overview
Northeastern University
Northeastern University is a private research university headquartered in Boston, with regional campuses in North Carolina, Washington, California, Maine, and Vancouver. NU is notable for its co-op education programs that combine classroom studies with internship opportunities at home and abroad. NU’s graduate student enrollment is 8,005.
The Khoury College of Computer Sciences awards a Master of Science in Computer Science with a specialization in Data Science. Courses in this program include Database Management Systems and Information Retrieval. Students can commit at full or part-time and the program takes about 2-2.5 years to complete. Information provided here is for the Boston campus, however students may find similar programs at other campuses.
school overview
Our Ranking Methodology
We ranked 9 schools offering database management masters degree programs across three topics: program cost, credit hour length, and total graduate student enrollment. Program cost accounted for 40% of the ranking with data gathered directly from each school’s website. Cost did not include costs outside tuition, such as housing or transportation. Credit hour length accounted for 20% of the rank with information from each program’s website. Enrollment made up the final 40%, with data obtained from the National Center for Education Statistics.
Reporting Errors
Employees of the schools mentioned above are welcome to contact us to make corrections to the data presented in this article.
