Education in San Antonio

Graduate school programs are growing in numbers and specialties, and growing numbers of students are advancing their education. Some have suggested that students are moving immediately into graduate school programs, because unemployment rates are high. Many graduate schools also are hosting international students and are offering programs for business executives, nurses and other professionals so they can advance their degrees, perhaps even advance their careers or enter new fields.

Many freshmen students have been reporting that they want to become financially well off and that they intend to move on to a masters degree after obtaining their bachelors degrees. Bureau of Labor Statistics show that, in general, income levels increase as college and university degree levels increase. Professionals returning to school, on the other hand, might have different goals in mind. One executive, a doctoral degree candidate for example, cited a desire to make a difference in the world.

To demonstrate the growth of masters degree programs particularly, the New York Times recently mentioned that Arizona State University since 2005 has established 25 new masters degree offerings. Many institutions offer graduate degrees in areas that can lead to in-demand careers, such as technology, engineering and health care. Graduate degree programs also come in a variety of formats that might make continued education more convenient for students.

Registered nurses interested in advancing their education and entering in-demand careers as nurse educators or advanced practice specialists might consider an expanded Northeastern University program for nurse anesthetists in Boston or a new Mountain State University program for nurse educators in Florida. Environmental protection safety management, computer science and health administration are among the graduate degree programs offered. Students interested in a graduate program from this particular institution might participate in traditional or online degree programs, the latter of which allows them to carry out course work remotely and between responsibilities such as work and family. Checking out your educational options by exploring masters degree on the internet will be a great first step towards your graduate degree.

MBA programs themselves come with a variety of specialties, with many these days focusing on areas such as international relations, leadership and sustainability. Courses for a new Franklin Pierce University MBA in Energy & Sustainability Studies are expected to begin at the institution’s Rindge, NH, campus on Nov. 30. Senior-level managers might otherwise choose from a growing number of doctoral programs, some of which might lead to careers in education or allow them to incorporate research into the workplace, an article in Bloomberg Businessweek noted in August.

Many institutions are offering graduate degree programs in combined, or accelerated formats, which might better enable students to obtain their degrees. Registered nurses with associate degrees or hospital diplomas, for instance, might consider RN to MSN programs. Tennessee’s Vanderbilt University provides an offering such as this, where students participate in online course components and spend blocks of time on campus. To help fill a need for nurse educators, Colorado’s Regis University and Nebraska’s Creighton University offer students with bachelors degrees in other fields opportunities to participate in accelerated masters degree programs that can lead to careers in this area. MBA students interested in full-time international studies might consider a 13-month Azusa Pacific University program that began in June. Through Azusa Pacific’s Millennium Master’s in Business Administration program, business school students participate in studies at the institution’s California campus and travel also to places such as Australia, South Africa, China and Brazil.

In September, Bowling Green State University in Ohio initiated another type of program that students with undergraduate degrees might consider. The institution’s professional development certificate, priced at $199, covers areas ranging from communication to coaching. Students enrolled in professional certificate programs such as this might gain valuable management skills while also enhancing professional credentials. But before jumping into just any program, students should research all of their options, i.e., online master, to make sure they are choosing the programs that best fit their needs.

Some businesses might even cover the cost of online degrees or offer tuition benefits for graduate degree programs. Scholarships are often available from non-profit foundations and professional associations as well as from colleges themselves. Graduate students might also want to determine whether the college degrees themselves are accredited by a professional organization.