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By on July 8, 2016 in Programs
Image by highwaysengland, Flickr

Image by highwaysengland, Flickr

Leadership is a major responsibility. There is an art to delegating tasks, exerting authority, and maintaining sanity with a group of people following your lead. While many people may aspire to attain leadership roles, the best leaders are usually people who have been intentional about expanding their knowledge base and growing. One of the best ways to increase your knowledge is through education. Consider these four degrees that can help prepare you for leadership roles in the future.

1. Psychology
There are so many intricacies involved with human psychology. Understanding why people do what they do and learning human behaviors and patterns are vital for any leader. When leaders can relate to their followers and extract the best out of them, they are most effective. A psychology degree can help someone who is not a people person learn more about those around them and how to lead them better.

2. Business Management
Running a business has rarely ever been a solo effort. In order to see a business achieve exponential and scalable growth, you’re going to need other people. While business management may seem like it only teaches technical skills with growing a company, it’s important to remember that running a business also means you’re leading people. With classes like business communication and leadership programs, you’ll learn how to speak to others and get your point across as a leader as well.

3. History
It’s important to look at the past to have a better understanding of what could happen in the future. It’s often said that history repeats itself. Why not look at the effective leaders of the past? Even though the “battlefield” may be the boardroom, there’s no reason history can’t help you learn more about how to approach a problem, handle a crisis, and lead a team to victory. By showing how leaders dealt with conflict in various continents like Africa and Asia, a military history master’s degree program teaches those exact concepts and makes them relatable.

4. Education
Whether you choose to major in Elementary Education or explore higher grade levels as a college professor, the classroom is a breeding ground for leading. As the leader of an entire classroom, you’ll learn skills like classroom management and risk management. It’s no easy feat to have 20-30 students in a room stay focused on a particular topic. A strong teacher is a leader who engages his or her students, relays the information in an understandable fashion, and inspires them to become better. Those tasks are ones that should be on any leader’s to-do list.

If you’re destined for greatness, there’s really nothing that can get in your way of that. However, there are some ways to facilitate the growth process in the meantime. Choosing one of these four majors is a great way to begin.

This article was contributed by guest author Anica Oaks.

By on May 26, 2016 in Programs
Image by inbal marilli, unsplash.com

Image by inbal marilli, unsplash.com

Most college students’ greatest fear is that they’ll wind up trapped in a job that has no meaning and leaves them completely uninspired for the entirety of their careers. While that’s definitely plausible and has happened to many, it doesn’t have to be the case. Regardless of your interests or location, there are plenty of jobs that make a difference in people’s lives, and you can start your journey toward one by considering one of these four degrees.

Medicine

Healers have always been revered among their communities not solely for their ability to save lives but also for their continuous efforts to improve it. In our modern society, these healers are doctors, surgeons, nurses and anyone else who works in the medical field. You can earn your Bachelor of Science in Medicine and go on to med school if you dream of working at the top of the industry, but you can also break into the workforce faster by earning an associate’s degree in nursing.

Psychology

Just as important as our physical health, our mental wellbeing needs professionals like psychologists and counselors. By studying for a bachelor’s degree in psychology, you’ll gain an invaluable understanding of the human mind and all its inner-workings. Individuals with a social work master’s degrees or other related degrees are very common in the psychological field of medicine. This knowledge and expertise can prepare you for a career such as a psychologist, counselor or social worker – all of whom help people better comprehend their emotions in order to lead happier, healthier lives.

Education

Each young generation is the face of the future, and each generation needs passionate teachers who are willing to commit their time and energy into passing on valuable knowledge. One of the greatest things about earning an associate’s or bachelor’s degree in education is that you will be able to truly diversify your own higher education. Teachers come from all walks of life and teach all sorts of subjects, so whether it’s regaling the world’s greatest literary works to high schools in your hometown or teaching English to underprivileged kids in third-world countries, a degree in education is one way to guarantee that your life will leave a lasting impression on another.

Law

Police officers are the defenders of our communities and heroes who are prepared to lay down their lives if need be. But police officers aren’t the only ones who benefit from a degree in law. There are dozens of careers in law that range from environmental conservation to human rights, and you can be as directly or indirectly involved with the public as you like. The one thing that doesn’t change across the board is the impact a career in law leaves on the world.

Finding Your Dream Job

Thinking back on people who shaped your life growing up and the causes closest to your heart will help point you in the right direction when choosing a degree. What’s most important to remember is that regardless of how many years you study and what career you choose, the people who leave the greatest impact on others’ lives are the ones who work honestly, diligently and are 100 percent committed to their job’s mission. When you have a true passion for your work, it radiates from you, and it’s inevitable that your love for what you do will leave a positive mark on others over the course of your career.

This article was contributed by guest author Rachelle Wilber.

By on February 3, 2014 in Academic Life, General, Programs
Image by rapidtravelchai, Flickr

Image by rapidtravelchai, Flickr

Do you feel guilty about watching the Olympics this year? Like you really should be working on that assignment instead? Well, before you turn off the TV, we’ve got some news: it might actually be good for you, a student, to watch the infamous Games – and not just so you know what everyone’s talking about on Facebook.

The Olympics can be both inspirational and educational for students. No, we’re not just talking to those of you who happen to be athletes. We’re talking to students majoring in…well, everything.

Hear us out.

We’ve talked before about how you can’t get any better education than incorporating real-world experience into courses, and the Olympics gives you an opportunity to really see what goes on behind-the-scenes.

Still aren’t sold?

Here are some ways students in various majors can keep an eye on real-world happenings in their industry while completely enjoying the Olympic Games, guilt-free:

  • Marketing Students:


    • Over a billion dollars has already been spent on marketing at the Olympics. Can you see what it’s been spent on? Future marketers can watch for product placement and banners at the events themselves, and how companies all around the world take advantage of the buzz through commercials and social media. What’s the most effective marketing tactic for you?

  • PR and Journalism Students:


    • Sure to be one of the biggest news subjects of the year, watch the various events and figure out what you would write about. What do you think tomorrow’s big story will be? How would you handle a scandal for the media? What are the most tweeted events? Which news entity do you think is providing the best coverage?

  • Political Science Students:


    • Do you approve or disapprove of the way the Russian government is handling the event? What are your criticisms of it? What would you suggest for the use of the event venues after the Olympics to ensure the government doesn’t lose money?

  • Economics Students:


    • A lot of money has been spent on building new event venues and improving infrastructure for the Olympics. Would you have done anything differently? Do you think it was a worthwhile idea to spend money on infrastructure and buildings now, in hopes Russia can recoup the costs later?

  • Travel and Tourism Students:


    • Although many people will be attending the Olympics in Sochi this year, some may be wary about visiting Russia in the future. How would you promote tourism here? What would you do to help people feel safe in the country? Are hotels and restaurants doing anything special for the Olympics to welcome tourists? How much have prices increased during the event?

  • Biology Students:


    • Which country is taking home the most medals? Do you see a relationship between medals won in certain sports and the countries these winners are from? Do you think the genetic makeup of a person has anything to do with their skill in a sport?

  • Urban Planning Students:


    • Over 8 billion dollars was spent building new roads, railways, and even a glass-front train station in Sochi. Pay attention to what transportation is like – are people complaining about congestion? Did the company in charge of infrastructure do enough (or not enough) to host the event?

  • Physics and Engineering Students:


    • Look into how the engineers built the platforms for various events – how do they perfect the icy track for the luge? How do the skiers make sure they rotate the right amount in the air? Pay attention to the angles and surfaces used in different winter sports. Have any innovative materials been used this year?

  • Psychology Students:


    • Listen to the interviews of various athletes before and after the events. Are the expected winners taking home medals? Is anyone cracking under pressure? What might influence their mentality at the games?

As you can see, as a worldwide event, the Olympics is not just a sports competition. Every industry is involved in some respect, and if you are passionate about your major, you’ll find how the Games relate to you. You’ll learn about the way it applies in a real-world situation, and you may even be able to work what you’ve learned into your next assignment.