Critical care nurses generally work in places such as intensive care units or burn centers. They provide assistance to patients with life-threatening illnesses or conditions such as surgery or serious infections. Students interested in critical care might take courses such as physiology, chemistry, and microbiology.

Master-level studies involve specialized study in a field of research or an area of professional practice. Earning a master’s degree demonstrates a higher mastery of the subject. Earning a master’s degree can take anywhere from a year to three or four years. Before you can graduate, you usually must write and defend a thesis, a long paper that is the culmination of your specialized research.