- NC States master’s degree programs allow students to tailor their experience to match their own research interests and career goals. Students choose a terminal master’s track or a PhD-prep track, dependant on their personal objectives. Students also choose between a research project culminating in a thesis (the MS degree) or a coursework-only option (the MR degree). Attending full-time or part-time is an option, and almost all courses are available online or in a variety of on-campus sessions.