eduJunction » Admissions

Going Back To College After Work

Marty — Mon, 14 May 2012 17:34:40 +0000

Going back to college especially when one is already an adult can be quite daunting, even flat out scary for some individuals. Nevertheless, it turns out as a worthwhile experience. There are many stories of talented and successful people who skipped going to college or were unable to complete their degrees. In the current competitive job market, attaining that degree certification can make a big impact in your professional and personal life. It is basically the accomplishment of a lifelong ambition. However, the thought of going back to school as an adult after a long time out can be quite a mountain to climb. More often than not, adults getting back to school after a long time out always worry that they might not fit in with the rest of the students who probably are a bit younger. Nevertheless, it does not matter how old you might be or how long you have stayed away. You are not the first adult to go back to school, in fact millions have take that same path before. All you need to do is take the initiative and you will not regret in future. Prior to making the choice of a career profession and selecting the right learning institution, you need a personal evaluation which will assist you to identify your interests and make clear your educational objectives. You should be able to give answers as to why you need to return to school. You can also shed light on your educational objectives by deciding whether your aim of getting back to school is meant to enable you to switch to another career, attain professional growth or complete a degree course started a couple of years back. By understanding your motivation, you can clearly set your educational objectives. One of the most preferred ways of attaining degress by older students is underataking full degree courses over the internet. Online degree courses are attractive and convenient as they assist older students balance their studies with their working life which is a great advantage. With the ever increasing number of interested adult students the number of institutions of higher learning continued to prop up so as to meet the high demand for online degree courses. An online degree carries the same weight as that earned in a traditional classroom set up. A number of considerations come into play when choosing an online degree course. You must know the program accreditation provided by the college or university. Ensure that the institution is accredited by a reputable accrediting organisation. Some of the enrollement and registration requirements may include age, academic credentials or requisites such as mandatry interviews, credit transfers as well as other academic guidelines. Choose a course study that has good success rate and satisfactory review from past students. You should also inquire about the total amount of tuition fees to be payed not forgetting the payment structure. Additiobally, you can ask the kind of financing, finacial aid, grants or scholarships afforded to students who decide to go back to college by the institution.

The post Going Back To College After Work appeared first on eduJunction.

Best Online School In The World – A Phoenix Testimonial

Marty — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 01:05:30 +0000

It has been almost a year now since I permanently left the halls of my Alma Mater, University of Phoenix. As you can see, I was a student of the aforementioned best school of nursing and Allied Health Department. I can fairly remember the good memories that I experienced when I was still a Student Nurse. I spent ample time sitting under the trees of one of their many campus locations, studying or shall I say, gossiping with good old friends, enjoying a hurried breakfast of tasty food from the college canteen or from the kiosks put up by students who major in business management and entrepreneurship, walking around the campus to a distant building, and attending admirable lectures by my favorite teachers. I had a lot of things going on for me back to the time when I was a student. “You got a nursing degree from University of Phoenix? Bravo, thumbs up for you! “ – a common compliment that I hear from friends, family, and even strangers. This is due to the fact that the Phoenix College of Nursing (UOPCN) is famed as being an institution that instills discipline, excellent knowledge and competent skills into its students. I had been questioned a lot in my lifetime why I took up my nursing degree at Phoenix, when in fact there are other great nursing schools that could provide me with the degree without me sacrificing much time and effort. Nonetheless, I have personal reasons why I took my bachelor’s degree in nursing . Up to date, Phoenix has garnered popularity as being an excellent school with competent teachers and education programs, one of which is Nursing. And also, Phoenix University has found its way to the top online school in the world, according to a survey done by an educational network in 2011. Furthermore, two good reasons why I chose Phoenix were first – the proficient faculty, staff and consultants; and lastly the challenging learning program it offers. All teachers are professionals and most are masters degree holders. Reminiscing on the intellectual classroom atmosphere that we had during our lectures wherein teachers stand infront and do superb lectures with the aid of visuals such as Powerpoint presentation and videos, made me miss school more. Not only were teachers able to provide the lectures but we, the students, were required to present case studies which were then critiqued by a panel of both students and teachers. Those days when I, along with the many other student nurses, thought that the “end of our world” is near, when we were too tired to do other miscellaneous activities because we were so engrossed with studying, going on duty at the hospital, and making and completing paper works were the days that made me who I am today – a knowledgeable, skilled, competent, and flexible member of the health team that is able to provide all patients with the care they need. I am indeed grateful looking back at the education UOP gave me. Hence, I can confidently say, “To all those who wanted to pursue the world of nursing degree courses, check out my college and include it in your list of school choices.”

The post Best Online School In The World – A Phoenix Testimonial appeared first on eduJunction.

College Degrees Online Are The Future

Marty — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 21:33:19 +0000

Traditional campus based colleges and universities are whispering to the rest of the world what they don’t want to admit; college degrees online are the future. Although they don’t want to admit it, they can not afford to ignore it either. In a recent story issued by Huffington Post, traditional college admission rates are dropping to the point where they must now seriously consider the power of getting a college degree online. While schools like Harvard, Columbia, Yale and Princeton all saw their applicant pools drastically increase last year, their acceptance rates were at all time lows, with Harvard being the lowest at 6.2% for the class of 2015. One might draw several conclusions as to why these numbers show these projections, but given the current economic climate, it is widely agreed upon that the higher education industry must consider a change in business model. People who have lost their jobs are looking for ways to advance themselves. A lot of folks who have jobs feel they are not making enough to make ends meet currently, let alone further their kids’ chances at higher education, a promising career, and enabling an overall better life than the ones they had. If getting a degree online expands the potential reach for higher education’s customer base, shouldn’t it be considered by all in that marketplace? If competition drives every market and adjustments are constantly being made to ensure the longevity of those services, won’t every single college in the world consider the need for an online college degree? People need flexibility, especially in this economy where both parents might be working multiple jobs. Nothing is more flexible, convenient, or as accommodating as allowing someone to get a college degree online. And if desperate times call for desperate measures, then no one in the changing landscape of higher education can be choosy, including the fastest best accredited online schools themselves.

The post College Degrees Online Are The Future appeared first on eduJunction.

Go Back To School As An Adult

Marty — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 22:26:56 +0000

It is never too late to go back to school. If you’re ready to go back to college after all these years, you’ve come to the right place. College isn’t only for young people. You can still go back to college as an adult. Whatever it is that you want to go back to school for, in this day and age it is more possible than ever. There are ways to get back into a brick and mortar school, but an idea that is getting more popular these days are online college degrees. You have to shop around for schools, and see if they offer online classes. There are so many different schools that specialize in different areas that you can learn any skill you need online. You can live anywhere and get a degree without ever having to go into any kind of building. The reason it’s good when thinking about going back to college is because new skills are a great thing to have. If you’re tired of your job, or just want a change, then going back to school can provide that. There is no time like the present to get back into school. Whatever your age is, you can still learn so much. If you don’t take the time now and keep putting it off, you’ll never get ahead in your quest for more knowledge. Sometimes we grow bored with our work. Other times we just want to know more about something. By going back to school, you will be able to gain new skills and will be able to work in that field. You may be scared because studying and homework were something of the past, but it’s a small price to pay to do something you’ve always wanted to do. Request more information from one of many online colleges and go back to school as an adult. Don’t put this decision to go back to college off just because you’re an adult. It is very possible and even an idea that’s popular these days. You are not alone in wanting to go back to college as an adult. Many people are taking steps towards this and lots of them succeed. If you feel like something is lacking in your life, going back to school is a fantastic way to put more excitement in your life. Not only will you accomplish something, but you will grow as a person and will have a lot of new experiences to look forward to. Incoming search terms: going back to college at 40 going back to school at 40

The post Go Back To School As An Adult appeared first on eduJunction.

Go Back To School Because You Should

Marty — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 23:42:24 +0000

It’s time to shave that scruffy face of yours (if your a dude), get an instant makeover and go back to school. We are most definitely in the year 2012, and regardless of what the Mayan calendar says, time will continue to tick tock forward. It’s equal parts scary and depressing to know that life moves with or without you, but it just does! And so it is true, do your best to enjoy it. Every year people are making big decisions about how they will handle the new year. Whether it’s starting their own business, getting a new job, or even going back to college so they can get a degree in a field they will love, people are making big plans. I recall a quote from Harry S. Truman that I stuck to my bathroom mirror in high school, “make no little plans, make 1 big plan and spend the rest of your life carrying it out.” I did this so I would be reminded of the one sport I pursued all throughout high school. Needless to say, I never made it to the NFL! Harry, where are you now when I need you? If you want to start that business you have dreamed about for years, there may not be a better time. If you have been thinking about going back to school at 30, 40, or even 60, it still might be the best time for you. Remember, life moves forward with or without you. This is only a breath and a whisper. Find a school that has your programs of interest, go back to college, and get your degree! Incoming search terms: going back to school at 30 going back to college at 30

The post Go Back To School Because You Should appeared first on eduJunction.

Women See Value and Benefits of College; Men Lag on Both Fronts, Survey Finds

Marty — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 16:22:40 +0000

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY At a time when women surpass men by record numbers in college enrollment and completion, they also have a more positive view than men about the value higher education provides, according to a nationwide Pew Research Center survey. Half of all women who have graduated from a four-year college give the U.S. higher education system excellent or good marks for the value it provides given the money spent by students and their families; only 37% of male graduates agree. In addition, women who have graduated from college are more likely than men to say their education helped them to grow both personally and intellectually. Also, while a majority of Americans believe that a college education is necessary in order to get ahead in life these days, the public is somewhat more inclined to see this credential as a necessity for a woman than for a man. Some 77% of respondents say this about women, while just 68% say it about men.1 This new survey of a nationally representative sample of 2,142 adults ages 18 and older was conducted at a time when women are outpacing men by significant numbers in college enrollment and completion. In 2010, a record 36% of women ages 25-29 had attained a bachelor’s degree. This compares with 28% of men in the same age group. Until roughly 1990, young men had outpaced young women in educational attainment. Women surpassed men in 1992, and since that time the gap has continued to widen. There are also racial and ethnic patterns underlying these gender trends. Among young adults, whites are more likely than blacks or Hispanics to complete college. In 2010, 39% of whites ages 25-29 had at least a bachelor’s degree. That compares with 19% of blacks and 13% of Hispanics. Asian-Americans are more likely than any of these racial or ethnic groups to graduate from college—53% of those ages 25-29 had at least a bachelor’s degree in 2010. Across all of these racial and ethnic groups, young women are more likely than young men to be college-educated. The gender difference in completion rates is reflected in the makeup of college graduates. Among all college graduates ages 25-29 in 2010, 55% were women and 45% were men. The gap was largest within the black community, where 63% of college-educated young adults were women and only 37% were men. Data for this report come mainly from a Pew Research Center survey and Pew Research calculations of the educational data from the Current Population Surveys (CPS). The Pew Research survey was conducted by landline and cellular telephone March 15-29, 2011, among a nationally representative sample of 2,142 adults living in the continental United States. Other Key Findings Women seem to see more benefit in their college education than do men. College-educated women are more likely than their male counterparts to say college was “very useful” in increasing their knowledge and helping them grow intellectually (81% vs. 67%), as well as helping them grow and mature as a person (73% vs. 64%). More women than men question the affordability of college. Only 14% of women who graduated from college agree that most people can afford to pay for college these days. This compares with 26% of male college graduates. Large majorities of both women and men say that college is no longer affordable for most people. Women who graduated from college are more likely than their male counterparts to report that their parents financed their education. Four-in-ten women say their parents paid for most of their college expenses, compared with 29% of men. Public reactions to the changing gender patterns in higher education are mixed. By a ratio of 52% to 7%, Americans say the fact that more women than men are graduating from college is a good thing, rather than a bad thing, for society. However, when presented with the flip side of the story, the public’s enthusiasm disappears. Some 46% of Americans say the fact that fewer men than women are graduating from college is a bad thing, while just 12% say it is a good thing. About the Survey This report is based on findings from a recent Pew Research Center survey as well as analyses of Current Population Survey (CPS) data on education trends. The general public survey (GP) is based on telephone interviews conducted with a nationally representative sample of 2,142 adults ages 18 and older living in the continental United States, including an oversample of 336 adults ages 18-34. A total of 1,052 interviews were completed with respondents contacted by landline telephone and 1,090 with those contacted on their cellular phone. The data are weighted to produce a final sample that is representative of the general population of adults in the continental United States. Survey interviews were conducted under the direction of Princeton Survey Research Associates International in English and Spanish. Interviews conducted March 15-29, 2011 2,142 interviews 757 respondents with a four-year college degree or higher education Margin of sampling error is plus or minus 2.7 percentage points for results based on the total sample and 4.6 percentage points for college graduates at the 95% confidence level Notes on Terminology Unless otherwise noted, “college graduates” refers to those who graduated from a four-year college and hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. Whites include only non-Hispanic whites. Blacks include only non-Hispanic blacks. Hispanics are of any race. Acknowledgement Paul Taylor, director of the Pew Research Center’s Social & Demographic Trends project, provided editorial guidance for this report. Richard Fry, senior researcher, provided the data on educational attainment based on the March Current Population Survey (CPS) Integrated Public Use Micro Sample. Eileen Patten did the number checking, and Marcia Kramer copy-edited the report.

The post Women See Value and Benefits of College; Men Lag on Both Fronts, Survey Finds appeared first on eduJunction.

8 ways to save on college visits

Marty — Fri, 13 May 2011 19:25:21 +0000

Prospective students and their parents often spend a bundle visiting the colleges they’re considering. Here are a few ways to cut those costs. Long before the first tuition bill comes due, prospective college students will have to figure out how to pay the costs associated with campus visits. For those considering a college outside of easy driving distance, the costs can quickly add up to four figures and beyond. Here are eight ways to slash expenses: 8 ways to save on college visits Get subsidized college visits and discounts Reduce your travel costs Cull your list Check out college town Web sites Use your visit to eliminate application fees Share costs with other students Join a tour group Visit efficiently 1. Get subsidized college visits and discounts.Some colleges offer fly-in reimbursement. For example, Bryant University in Smithfield, R.I., reimburses half the cost of airfare up to $150 for prospective students. Enroll, and the school will pay for the other half of the cost. Many schools also will offer free or discounted passes to the dining hall, a list of hotels that offer discounts for prospective students and a free shuttle to and from campus. Call the admissions office at schools you’re considering to see what’s available. While you’ve got them on the line, schedule everything for one trip so you won’t have to make a return visit, says Regina Schawaroch, associate director of admissions at Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. “We suggest that parents call ahead to make arrangements to get everything done at once — the tour and admissions interview, meeting with faculty and sitting in on a class, watching an athletics practice or trying out for a team,” she says. 2. Reduce your travel costs.If you’re traveling by train or plane, you may be able to snare a discount by booking through specific Web sites.Student UniverseandSTA Traveloffer discount airline tickets for students. Considering a train? Amtrak has partnered withCampus Visitto offer a deal for high school juniors and seniors traveling with a parent or guardian. Buy a full-fare ticket and the companion ticket is 50 percent off. Check the Campus Visit Web site for details and restrictions. 3. Cull your list.The glossy brochures and books that fill the mailbox of every high school junior and senior may make it difficult to narrow down the choices. But sophisticated Web sites can help trim choices, says Brittany Burton, campus rep coordinator for the Web siteCampusCompare. “Sites allow you to check out the campus virtually first, and student reviews give you a perspective you can’t find in an average guidebook,” Burton says. Sites including CampusCompare,CampusExplorerandYOUniversityTVoffer an array of tools to help. For example, CampusCompare allows students to do side-by-side comparisons of up to three schools in categories that include academics, financial aid and athletics. YOUniversityTV provides video tours of more than 200 campuses, and CampusExplorer offers tools to help student calculate their likelihood of admission at a given school. Also consider online college fairs such asCollegeWeekLiveto get information directly from the colleges themselves. The events allow prospective students to log in at a specific time to talk to any of dozens of college admissions officials via instant messaging and video chats. Trim the list and you’ll also trim your travel costs. 4. Check out college town Web sites.Some urban areas have more than a dozen colleges within driving distance, and an array of sites can help you make the most of your visit to these towns. Sites such asOnebigcampus.comfor Philadelphia colleges,Thecollegecity.comfor Pittsburgh schools andBostonvisit.comfor universities in Boston have discounts for travel and hotels. All of these sites offer a helpful “miles and minutes” feature that shows the distance between area colleges so you can build an appropriate amount of time into your schedule to travel from one school to another. 5. Use your visit to eliminate application fees.College application fees can be steep –often more than $50. But many colleges such as Albright College in Reading, Pa., waive fees if you visit. The Minnesota Private College Council, an umbrella organization for 17 schools, offers a Private College Week every year — June 22 to 26 in 2009 — when students and their parents can visit. The colleges coordinate tour schedules, and students pick up “passports” that are stamped after visiting and can be redeemed for up to four application fee waivers. Several other states, includingVirginia,WisconsinandKentucky, offer similar programs for their private colleges. Call the admissions office of any school you plan to visit to see what discounts and fee waivers are available. 6. Share costs with other students.Connect with other high school students planning to visit the same colleges and share transportation and hotel costs. Some high schools will help arrange visits for groups of students to area colleges as well. 7. Join a tour group.Students with some stamina might consider tours offered by Web sites such asCollege VisitsandCollegiate Explorations. Students visit up to three colleges a day over five to seven days to get an overview of many colleges within a limited geographic area. While costs can approach $2,000, they may ultimately be less expensive than individual tours. 8. Visit efficiently.As long as the colleges are in fairly close proximity, it usually isn’t difficult to manage two visits in a day. If you’re traveling long distances, consider visiting the schools you’re interested in during a single long weekend. Many colleges, including Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Ore.; the University of Idaho in Moscow, Idaho; and the University of Oregon in Eugene, offer half-day campus visits. They generally include a brief tour, information session, class visit and student-hosted meal or reception. Such tours can give prospective students a good sense of the school and can be helpful in ruling out schools that aren’t a good fit. “If you plan early, you can do it all in one trip. Or, if you’re on a family vacation, it might be something where you can stop by a college on the way,” CampusCompare’s Burton says.

The post 8 ways to save on college visits appeared first on eduJunction.

Everything You Need To Know About Financial Aid

Marty — Fri, 13 May 2011 19:03:09 +0000

An education loan is a form of financial aid that must be repaid, with interest. (Scholarships, on the other hand, do not have to be repaid.) Education loans come in three major categories: student loans(e.g., Stafford and Perkins loans), parent loans (e.g., PLUS loans) and private student loans (also called alternative student loans). A fourth type of education loan, theconsolidation loan, allows the borrower to lump all of their loans into one loan for simplified payment. A recent innovation is peer-to-peer education loans. More than $100 billion in federal education loans and $10 billion in private student loans are originated each year. Since July 1, 2010, all new federal education loans have been made through the Direct Loan program. The loans are made through the college’s financial aid office with funds provided by the US Department of Education. This includes the Federal Parent PLUS loan in addition to student loans. The terms of the Federal Stafford, PLUS and Consolidation loans are similar to the terms of the federal education loans previously available through the federally-guaranteed student loan programs. However, the interest rate on the Federal Direct PLUS loan is lower (7.9% vs. 8.5%) and the approval rate is higher. Making payments of at least the new interest that accrues during the in-school and grace periods avoids negative amortization. This can save borrowers money and help them pay off the debt sooner that borrowers who defer payments of principal and interest. Federal law sets the maximum interest rates and fees that lenders may charge for federally-guaranteed loans. Nothing prevents a lender from charging lower fees. Many lenders offer a variety of student loan discounts to attract borrowers. Few students can afford to pay for college without some form of education financing. Two-thirds (65.6%) of 4-year undergraduate students graduated with a Bachelor’s degree and some debt in 2007-08, and the average student loan debt among graduating seniors was $23,186 (excluding PLUS Loans but including Stafford, Perkins, state, college and private loans). Among graduating 4-year undergraduate students who applied for federal student aid, 86.3% borrowed to pay for their education and the average cumulative debt was $24,651. (For just federal student loan debt, excluding PLUS Loans, the figures are 61.6% and $17,878.) Average cumulative debt increased by 5.6% or $1,139 a year since 2003-04. When one includes PLUS loans in the total, 66.0% of 4-year undergraduate students graduated with some debt in 2007-08, and the average cumulative debt incurred was $27,803. (About two in fifteen (13.5%) of parents borrow PLUS loans for their children’s college education, with a cumulative PLUS loan debt of $23,298.) These figures were calculated using the data analysis system for the 2007-2008 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS)conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics at the US Department of Education. (For comparison, cumulative education debt statistics from the 2003-2004 NPSAS are also available.) The 2007-2008 NPSAS surveyed 114,000 undergraduate students and 14,000 graduate and professional students. These statistics are not necessarily available from published NPSAS reports. The median cumulative debt among graduating Bachelor’s degree recipients at 4-year undergraduate schools was $19,999 in 2007-08. One quarter borrowed $30,526 or more, and one tenth borrowed $44,668 or more. 9.5% of undergraduate students and 14.6% of undergraduate student borrowers graduating with a Bachelor’s degree graduated with $40,000 or more in cumulative debt in 2007-08. This compares with 6.4% and 10.0%, respectively, for Bachelor’s degree recipients graduating with $40,000 or more (2008 dollars) in cumulative debt in 2003-04. The following table shows the percentage of students borrowing and average cumulative debt per borrower (excluding Parent PLUS Loans) at graduation according to type of educational institution but not restricted by degree program. Undergraduate Education Debt (Excluding Parent PLUS Loans) Institution Level & Control Percent Borrowing Cumulative Debt Overall Total (4, 2 and < 2 year) 58.8% $18,625 Public 49.4% $16,369 Private Non-Profit 69.7% $26,683 Private For-Profit 93.1% $17,162 4-year Total 66.5% $22,656 4-year Public 61.1% $19,839 4-year Private Non-Profit 70.6% $27,349 4-year Private For-Profit 97.0% $24,635 2-year Total 44.8% $12,307 2-year Public 37.2% $10,444 2-year Private Non-Profit 64.0% $14,790 2-year Private For-Profit 97.6% $17,310 < 2-year Total 74.7% $10,172 < 2-year Public 36.1% $10,321 < 2-year Private Non-Profit 45.0% $10,990 < 2-year Private For-Profit 86.0% $10,123 As noted in Default Rates by Institution Level vs. Degree Program, however, institution level (4-year, 2-year and less-than-2-year) does not correlate well with degree program, especially at for-profit colleges. The following table shows cumulative debt at graduation by institution control and undergraduate degree program. Notice how the average debt for Bachelor’s degree recipients is much higher at for-profit colleges than the average debt at graduation at 4-year for-profit colleges. More than two-fifths of degrees at 4-year for-profit colleges are Associate’s degrees, compared with less than 5% at non-profit and public 4-year colleges, yielding a lower average debt at graduation when measured by institution level as opposed to degree program. Undergraduate Education Debt Institution Control and Degree Program Percent Borrowing Average Cumulative Debt Median Cumulative Debt (Just Borrowers) Median Cumulative Debt (All Students) Bachelor’s Degree 65.2% $23,118 $19,999 $10,500 Public 61.2% $20,040 $17,500 $6,998 Private Non-Profit 70.5% $27,535 $22,374 $16,115 Private For-Profit 96.0% $32,909 $32,625 $31,186 Associate’s Degree 47.1% $13,289 $10,000 $0 Public 38.9% $10,574 $7,668 $0 Private Non-Profit 71.1% $19,294 $16,130 $10,000 Private For-Profit 97.8% $19,681 $18,783 $18,415 Certificate 63.2% $11,302 $9,000 $4,804 Public 32.0% $9,754 $6,625 $0 Private Non-Profit 49.5% $15,071 $10,000 $0 Private For-Profit 89.9% $11,573 $9,858 $8,797 The following table shows the percentage of students borrowing and average cumulative debt per borrower (including Parent PLUS Loans) at graduation according to type of educational institution but not restricted by degree program. (The NPSAS includes separate variables for cumulative student education debt and cumulative parent education debt, but not a combined overall education debt variable. Calculating a combined value requires disaggregating the student and parent education debt data by the cross product of students graduating with and without student and parent education debt, then recombining the results. This process adds a slight amount of error to the figures.) Undergraduate Education Debt (Including Parent PLUS Loans) Institution [...]

The post Everything You Need To Know About Financial Aid appeared first on eduJunction.

Master Degree in Homeland Security | Program Overviews

Ryan — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 00:46:41 +0000

Master of Science in Homeland Security While pursuing an M.S. in homeland security, students learn the skills required to respond to man-made or natural disasters. Homeland security master’s degree candidates learn how to recognize, prevent, and control biological, chemical, and other security threats. Students pursuing this degree online utilize the latest in teaching technology to communicate in real-time with their peers and professors. Educational Prerequisites For admission to a master’s degree program in homeland security, students are required to have completed a bachelor’s degree program from an accredited institution. Letters of recommendation and standardized test scores are usually required. For students pursuing this degree online, a computer and stable Internet connection are required. Program Coursework Students pursuing a master’s degree in homeland security complete a core curriculum along with a small number of electives. Degree candidates also complete a graduate thesis or research project. Students enrolled in an online master’s degree program take the same curriculum as those enrolled in a traditional classroom degree program. Sample core curriculum course titles are included below. * Technology of law enforcement * Contemporary issues in terrorism * Disaster psychology * Protection of critical infrastructure * Agricultural biosecurity * Urban terrorism * Public preparedness training Popular Career Options A master’s degree program in homeland security prepares individuals for executive or management leadership positions within the security field. Federal agencies such as the Department of Homeland Security offer many employment opportunities, as do other local or state security agencies. * Disaster recovery officer * Law enforcement official * Federal emergency coordinating officer * Intelligence operations specialist * Transportation security manager * Emergency preparedness officer via Master Degree in Homeland Security | Program Overviews.

The post Master Degree in Homeland Security | Program Overviews appeared first on eduJunction.

10 Tips on How to Write Less Badly – Do Your Job Better – The Chronicle of Higher Education

Marty — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 19:58:29 +0000

Tips on How to Write Less Badly Most academics, including administrators, spend much of our time writing. But we aren’t as good at it as we should be. I have never understood why our trade values, but rarely teaches, nonfiction writing. In my nearly 30 years at universities, I have seen a lot of very talented people fail because they couldn’t, or didn’t, write. And some much less talented people (I see one in the mirror every morning) have done OK because they learned how to write. It starts in graduate school. There is a real transformation, approaching an inversion, as people switch from taking courses to writing. Many of the graduate students who were stars in the classroom during the first two years—the people everyone admired and looked up to—suddenly aren’t so stellar anymore. And a few of the marginal students—the ones who didn’t care that much about pleasing the professors by reading every page of every assignment—are suddenly sending their own papers off to journals, getting published, and transforming themselves into professional scholars. The difference is not complicated. It’s writing. Rachel Toor and other writers on these pages have talked about how hard it is to write well, and of course that’s true. Fortunately, the standards of writing in most disciplines are so low that you don’t need to write well. What I have tried to produce below are 10 tips on scholarly nonfiction writing that might help people write less badly. 1. Writing is an exercise. You get better and faster with practice. If you were going to run a marathon a year from now, would you wait for months and then run 26 miles cold? No, you would build up slowly, running most days. You might start on the flats and work up to more demanding and difficult terrain. To become a writer, write. Don’t wait for that book manuscript or that monster external-review report to work on your writing. 2. Set goals based on output, not input. “I will work for three hours” is a delusion; “I will type three double-spaced pages” is a goal. After you write three pages, do something else. Prepare for class, teach, go to meetings, whatever. If later in the day you feel like writing some more, great. But if you don’t, then at least you wrote something. 3. Find a voice; don’t just “get published.” James Buchanan won a Nobel in economics in 1986. One of the questions he asks job candidates is: “What are you writing that will be read 10 years from now? What about 100 years from now?” Someone once asked me that question, and it is pretty intimidating. And embarrassing, because most of us don’t think that way. We focus on “getting published” as if it had nothing to do with writing about ideas or arguments. Paradoxically, if all you are trying to do is “get published,” you may not publish very much. It’s easier to write when you’re interested in what you’re writing about. 4. Give yourself time. Many smart people tell themselves pathetic lies like, “I do my best work at the last minute.” Look: It’s not true. No one works better under pressure. Sure, you are a smart person. But if you are writing about a profound problem, why would you think that you can make an important contribution off the top of your head in the middle of the night just before the conference? Writers sit at their desks for hours, wrestling with ideas. They ask questions, talk with other smart people over drinks or dinner, go on long walks. And then write a whole bunch more. Don’t worry that what you write is not very good and isn’t immediately usable. You get ideas when you write; you don’t just write down ideas. The articles and books that will be read decades from now were written by men and women sitting at a desk and forcing themselves to translate profound ideas into words and then to let those words lead them to even more ideas. Writing can be magic, if you give yourself time, because you can produce in the mind of some other person, distant from you in space or even time, an image of the ideas that exist in only your mind at this one instant. 5. Everyone’s unwritten work is brilliant. And the more unwritten it is, the more brilliant it is. We have all met those glib, intimidating graduate students or faculty members. They are at their most dangerous holding a beer in one hand and a cigarette in the other, in some bar or at an office party. They have all the answers. They can tell you just what they will write about, and how great it will be. Years pass, and they still have the same pat, 200-word answer to “What are you working on?” It never changes, because they are not actually working on anything, except that one little act. You, on the other hand, actually are working on something, and it keeps evolving. You don’t like the section you just finished, and you are not sure what will happen next. When someone asks, “What are you working on?,” you stumble, because it is hard to explain. The smug guy with the beer and the cigarette? He’s a poseur and never actually writes anything. So he can practice his pat little answer endlessly, through hundreds of beers and thousands of cigarettes. Don’t be fooled: You are the winner here. When you are actually writing, and working as hard as you should be if you want to succeed, you will feel inadequate, stupid, and tired. If you don’t feel like that, then you aren’t working hard enough. 6. Pick a puzzle. Portray, or even conceive, of your work as an answer to a puzzle. There are many interesting types of puzzles: “X and Y start with same assumptions but reach opposing conclusions. How?” “Here are three problems that all seem different. Surprisingly, all are the same [...]

The post 10 Tips on How to Write Less Badly – Do Your Job Better – The Chronicle of Higher Education appeared first on eduJunction.