Occupational therapists (OTs) treat injured, ill, and disabled patients from infancy through older age. OTs help patients develop, recover, improve, and maintain skills needed for daily living and working. This is accomplished through the therapeutic use of everyday activities, adaptive skills, and supportive devices. A long-term career as an OT may require a graduate-level education. Students may choose occupational therapy as a major from the start of their education, enter it during their graduate-level study, or take a bridge program from their current career as certified occupational therapy assistants.
| Nursing care facilities | $91,000 |
| Home healthcare services | $89,000 |
| Medical offices | $87,000 |
| Hospitals; state, local, and private | $86,000 |
| Elementary and secondary schools; state, local, and private | $75,000 |
Medical assistant jobs span a variety of opportunities including private sector jobs, government employment, and even opportunities with nonprofits and outreach programs. A medical assistant degree can be found as an associate or bachelor’s program. There are also medical assistant postsecondary certificates that can get students and job seekers working in the medical field almost immediately. As with most jobs, pay will be commensurate with experience and education.
Physical therapy jobs span a variety of opportunities, from public service to private sector jobs. There are also non-traditional opportunities, such as non-profits and self-employment.
An associate's degree and an education as an occupational therapy assistant can open doors to a new career. Occupational therapy assistant jobs span a variety of opportunities including private sector jobs, government employment, and even opportunities with non-profits and outreach programs. To become an occupational therapy assistant, students start off in an approved associate or bachelor’s degree program. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) estimates employment opportunities for occupational therapy assistant will grow 31 percent over the next decade! This is much faster than the average for all occupations. This career growth is due in part to the aging of the Baby Boomer generation and occupational therapy becoming an integral part of treatment for various illnesses and disabilities. A career as an occupational therapy assistant is especially great career path for military spouses, as they are certain to secure excellent job opportunities across their many moves. Don’t forget about the MyCAA Program for military spouses; for more info click here.
Looking for an altruistic job helping people? A degree and career in psychology may be right for you. Psychologists study cognitive, emotional, and social processes and behavior. Most clinical, counseling, and research psychologists need a doctoral degree. Psychologists in clinical practice need a license. A master’s degree may be sufficient for school and industrial organizational positions.
It may surprise you to learn that a career in Nonprofit Management can be both rewarding and profitable. A career in nonprofit management offers excellent pay and a variety of options of employers. From animal welfare to education to veteran services, the opportunities to embark on a meaningful career with excellent pay can be started in just a short period of time. Earning a certificate in nonprofit management is a great starting point for those interested in this career. Entry level positions can be found readily for those just embarking on this career with an undergraduate certificate. For those already possessing a bachelor’s degree, a graduate certificate will further empower a student with more detailed knowledge and opportunities for advancement and higher wages. Certificate programs can be completed in less than two years and, in many cases, undergraduate certificates can be earned in less than one year.
If you are a creative person with strong attention to detail, going into the field of architecture could be a good area to pursue. Getting a degree in architecture will allow you to find a job planning, designing, and constructing buildings and other types of structures, in a variety of different types of jobs. Within the field of architecture, you will at least need a bachelor’s degree.
Landscape Architects, who work on environmental restoration, and other details having to do with outdoor infrastructure, have an average salary of $60,479, according to Payscale.
Research Architects, who try to understand building methods as well as the materials used and learn about the architectural history of certain locations, have an average salary of $137,992, according to Glassdoor.
Restoration Architects, who work on conservation and restoration, have an average salary of $98,531, according to Glassdoor.
Journalism’s definition—and the scope of a Journalism Degree—has evolved from just learning how to write and report news to writing the news for broadcast or publishing to creating content online. Students learn research skills, conducting interviews, effectively writing stories to communicate information, critical thinking skills, and media literacy. “Journalism degrees are in high demand" according to the official site of the University of Iowa School of Journalism and Mass Communication, "not only in traditional journalism industries but also in other fields...” Furthermore, skills that you develop as a journalism major may "take you down a variety of career paths, in part because people are always looking for students who can write, who can clearly communicate, and who have good critical thinking skills and the ability to think on their feet. These are all hard skills and soft skills that translate to several fields.” This degree prepares graduates for careers as reporters, writers, and editors in traditional and digital media and related industries. Some schools have programs that are divided between broadcast and print journalism, but many others have combined them under one umbrella to adapt to the changing industry and the Internet.
A student attaining a Nutrition Degree learns about the impact of food on health. Depending upon their career, there are many focuses and concentrations under this study umbrella. According to the University of North Dakota, "Nutrition extends far beyond counting calories and reading food labels; it is a science grounded in anatomy, physiology, biology, chemistry, and biochemistry." A degree in Nutrition will involve exploring "the intricate interactions of electrons, atoms, molecules, genes, cells, organs, and entire organisms in biological processes while also examining how life sciences connect with health, behavior, education, population dynamics, culture, and economics." Public and community health, medicine, and general nutrition are just some paths students can take. However, those who choose to become licensed dieticians must seek at least a Master’s in this field—it is the minimum requirement for licensure in almost every state. In comparison, nutritionist requirements vary widely by state.
According to the University of Michigan School of Information,"Information science is the study of how information is created, organized, managed, stored, retrieved, and used. It is an interdisciplinary field that combines aspects of computer science, library science, and information management." Information scientists study topics such as data management, information retrieval, information architecture, data mining, and knowledge management. They design and develop systems and technologies to support the efficient and effective creation, storage, and use of information. Students studying Information Science will learn how information is managed and how it is stored, organized, retrieved and represented. The coursework focuses on all properties and behaviors of information and its flow. This field evolves rapidly, so students learn to stay on top of the many swift changes in information architecture, security, and database management. While there is some overlap between an Information Science Degree and a Computer Science Degree, the two have distinct differences. An Information Science Degree prepares students for careers in information systems organization and management, Computer Science prepares them to design and develop computer systems and software.
Physics is a natural science that studies matter, its motion, and its behavior through space and time. Physics also focuses on energy and force. Its main goal is to understand how the universe behaves and is also one of the oldest academic disciplines.
