Over the years, marketing has progressed as a sort of art (and in recent history a science).

In today’s information-rich world, marketing is everywhere. Embedded in sporting events, items placed in films, and your favorite news sources and commentary.

If you’ve ever watched the show Mad Men, you’ve caught a glimpse of the heights to which “ad men” went in pre-internet America. Today, billboards still work, but an entirely new form of marketing is all the rage.

Inbound marketing involves the creation of content and resources such that your brand is of use or interest to consumers. Instead of placing your brand’s imagery out into the world (outbound marketing), you create value that consumers seek out.

Of course a huge portion of marketing today rides on the back of the internet. And the influx of opportunities to collect and utilize data to drive marketing campaigns has ushered in a whole new era of marketing opportunity. Where marketers of old were “creatives” and “people persons,” there are more options than ever for data-driven and “analyst” types in marketing.

All-in-all, marketing is a relatively new academic discipline. And the internet has brought about drastic changes in this space as well. While individuals would need to move to the location of a business school a mere 20 years ago, today there are more options than ever for learning about marketing online.

In this guide we’ll cover some of the many ways in which you can get your “foot in the door” or advance in your marketing career. While marketing is a huge field today, there are some standard degrees with proven track records of gaining graduates employment. We’ll cover these degree types as well as what you can do with these degrees when you graduate, below.

Jump To

• What Marketing Degrees Are Available?
• Can I Pursue a Marketing Degree Online?
• How Do I Gain Admission to a Marketing Degree Program?
• What Can I Do With a Degree in Marketing?

Don’t see what you’re looking for in this guide? Be sure to check out some of DegreeQuery’s related resources below:

• The 20 Best Online Marketing Degrees (Bachelor’s)
• What Degree Do Marketing Managers Have?
• What Is the Difference Between a Degree in Marketing and a Degree in Market Research?
• What Are the Highest-Paying Jobs in Marketing?
• How much can I make with a Degree in Digital Marketing?
• What Can I Do With a Degree in Marketing?
• What degree do I need to become a Digital Marketing Manager?
• What Should You Know About Getting Into An MBA Program?
• What Are the Highest-Paying Business Entry-Level Jobs?

What Marketing Degrees Are Available?

Marketing degrees are available at the associates through doctoral levels. With that said, the degree levels utilized most often for common marketing jobs are at the bachelor’s and master’s levels.

Many companies generally require a bachelor’s degree or above for business-related jobs (including marketing). While you may be able to find employment with an associates in marketing and a portfolio of previous work, many marketing associates students use an associates degree as a stepping stone towards a bachelor’s.

Associates in marketing degrees are available as associate of art or science degree. With the primary difference that associate of science degrees provide a few more quantitatively rigorous courses.

As with nearly all associates-level degrees, students in a marketing degree are required to complete general education requirements as well as major requirements. General (Gen) education (Ed) requirements include college level courses in social sciences, natural sciences, mathematics, literature, writing, computer skills, and the humanities.

Upon completion of GenEd requirements, students will often take close to 10 major courses. At the associates level, there are seldom any concentrations or focus areas offered within a degree. With that said, most programs to allow students to tailor their program somewhat through the choice of electives.

Common courses that may be taken within an associates in marketing degree include:

• Microeconomics
• Business Communications
• Principles of Marketing
• Retailing
• Sales
• Digital Marketing
• Buyer Behavior
• Marketing Analysis
• Integrated Marketing Communications
• Among Others

Associates degrees can be some of the most affordable ways to gain your first two years of higher education. As long as you attend a regionally accredited institution for an associates degree (and make decent grades), you should be able to transfer in to a bachelor’s degree in the subject.

Bachelor’s degrees in marketing are the standard entry-level degree within marketing. While you don’t need a degree specifically in marketing to land a marketing job, gaining an undergraduate degree in the discipline may preclude the need to return to school to gain discipline-specific skills.

As with associates degrees, bachelor’s in marketing are available as art of science degrees with the primary difference being a greater focus on quantitative courses in the science track. Bachelor’s degrees commonly require 120 credit hours for completion, which is traditionally completed in 4 years.

After general education courses, bachelor’s in marketing degree seekers will begin with survey courses in marketing. In some bachelor’s-level programs, concentration or focus areas are available. Some of the most common include public relations, communications, digital marketing, marketing analytics, and marketing management.

Within a bachelor’s in marketing degree, courses vary widely. Some degree programs even allow undergraduate students to begin taking graduate courses in their discipline as part of bridge programs. Some of the most common course topics within a bachelor’s degree in marketing program include the following:

• Microeconomics
• Business Communications
• Principles of Marketing
• Retailing
• Sales
• Digital Marketing
• Buyer Behavior
• Marketing Analysis
• Integrated Marketing Communications
• Marketing Management
• Marketing Research
• Strategic Brand Management
• International Marketing
• Data Science and Marketing
• Social Media Marketing

For students looking to get ahead in their current job, enter into a more competitive job title, or simply to advance their skills, a wide range of graduate degrees and certificate programs in marketing are available.

Graduate certificates often require 3-6 courses for completion. And are often offered entirely online. Common graduate certifications in marketing include certificates on data science, marketing management, and digital marketing. Whereas a master’s in marketing will often provide some general background courses on marketing, certificate programs typically offer a cluster of topically grouped courses with very little general topic backdrop.

Masters in marketing degrees are typically master’s of science degrees that allow students to deep dive into one marketing area. The range and depth of concentrations offered in master’s level degrees is typically much greater than at the bachelor’s level. And on top of a cluster of related courses — as is offered in a graduate certificate — students typical take a group of core courses on general principles behind marketing, general business, and data literacy.

Some of the most common concentrations offered with master’s in marketing degrees include:

• Retail Management
• Marketing Management
• Project Management
• Branding
• Strategic Communications
• PRofessional Sales
• Digital Marketing
• Social Media Marketing
• Outbound Marketing
• Among Others

Another common graduate-level degree in marketing is a marketing MBA. Marketing MBAs are masters in business administration degrees that provide a general background on a wide range of business disciplines, as well as a cluster of graduate courses that focus on marketing.

MBAs are great degrees for students who may want to focus on marketing, but also want courses in general business and management. These degrees are some of the most widely known and accepted within large employers, and can serve as a sort of hybrid degree that can both prepare you for marketing roles, and for tangentially related roles. Additionally, MBA degree programs have some of the most well-established histories when it comes to catering to adult learners.

Finally, doctoral degrees in marketing typically take the form of a doctor of philosophy (Ph.D.) in marketing, or a doctor of business administration (DBA) in marketing. The primary difference between these two degree types is that Ph.D. programs are research doctorates. This means that a primary goal of the program is both to prepare students to be able to teach at the university level, as well as to contribute original research to peer-reviewed journals. This research takes the form of a dissertation, or original research document of several hundred pages.

DBA degrees are professional doctorates. They’re meant to allow students access to the highest level of courses, perform some research, but re-enter the workforce. While gaining a PH.D. doesn’t mean you have to work in academia, DBA degrees are shorter and more directly centered around courses that can be immediately applied in the workforce.

Can I Pursue a Marketing Degree Online?

Yes, as with most business disciplines a wide variety of marketing degrees are available as hybrid or fully online degrees. With that said, the amount of offerings varies depending on degree level. Below we’ve listed how common — in general terms — online marketing degrees are.

• Associates Degree Programs – Can be found but not common
• Bachelor’s Degree Programs – Commonly found in online universities
• Master’s in Marketing Programs – Some Available
• MBA in Marketing Programs – Widely Available

If you would like to pursue a marketing degree online, there are options at every degree level. With that said, some degree levels offer a wider range of institutions to choose from.

While online degrees are a great option for many students, potential applicants should be aware that there are some distinct trade offs between online and in-person degrees.

Online degrees typically offer greater flexibility and lower fees. They’re great for working professionals or those that must balance other commitments.

In-person degrees typically offer a greater range of support services, and more of a collegiate (or graduate school) “experience.” You may have more access to networking events, and these programs may be better for students that don’t consider themselves to be “self starters.”

How Do I Gain Admission to a Marketing Degree Program?

Marketing programs typically follow the same admissions process for other degrees of the same level within a university.

At the associates and bachelor’s levels, students gain admission to the overarching college or university at which they want to study. Upon completion of some general education courses, students may then elect to pursue marketing as a major.

Common entry requirements and documentation for undergraduate degrees include:

• Transcripts
• Standardized Test Scores (sometimes)
• Application Essays
• Interviews (sometimes)
• Letters of Recommendation

Students seeking a master’s in marketing must often supply proof of interest in marketing. These students gain admission directly to the marketing program. Applications will be more centered on marketing, and depending on the level of competitiveness in the program, students may be expected to have worked in marketing or taken courses in marketing.

For MBA programs, students typically seek admission to the MBA program generally, and then may elect to pursue a marketing specialization at some point within their course of study.

Typically both MBAs and master’s in marketing require standardized test scores including the GRE and/or GMAT. Additional requirements include resumes, statements of purpose, letters of recommendation, and transcripts.

Within doctoral degrees, students are often required to have found a mentor within the program in which they would like to study. This is particularly the case among research doctorates. Students should seek out a program that not only aids them in their goals, but that has a faculty member studying what they wish to be studying and willing to oversee their research.

What Can I Do With a Degree in Marketing?

Jobs in marketing range from entry-level all the way up to the “C-Suite.” With that said, most degrees in marketing lead directly to entry level through lower management positions. While the true answer to what you can do with a marketing degree depends on the field you’re in, your skills and dedication, AND the degree level you choose, we can definitely describe some trends around some of the most common marketing positions available.

With an associates in marketing, you’re likelier to get into a sales representative position than a straight up marketing role. While there’s a good deal of overlap in these positions, marketing typically focuses to a greater extent on discerning the higher level strategy for how an organization should present themselves and reach out to the world.

Sales, on the other hand, is directly marketing and trying to close deals with individual clients.

Typical sales representative tasks may include cold calling, cold emailing, or otherwise soliciting potential clients, managing the accounts of existing clients and trying to “upsell” them with additional products, meeting with clients and running sales meetings, and generally evangelizing the products or services of your organization.

Many sales positions are commission based. Meaning that while you may have a certain level of guaranteed salary, the rest of your pay comes from hitting certain sales milestones.

The average salary with commission for a sales representative is $67,960, though this number varies widely by industry and results.

For those graduating with a bachelor’s degree in marketing, many graduates start in positions like that of a marketing analyst. Marketing analysts are tasked with tracking elements of a marketing effort and providing analysis through a suite of engagement and analysis tools.

Additional job tasks may include, leading meetings regarding your area of expertise within a marketing effort, pitching new ideas to higher-ups, gathering data on buying habits, consumers, demographics, and aiding in information-related issues within a marketing effort.

While salaries may vary a great deal within this role, the average salary nationwide is presently, $54,235. In competitive markets, this number is often over $80,000 a year.

Among digital marketing jobs, social media managers are among the most common positions. Nearly every organization needs a robust social media presence, and some businesses use social media as their primary form of marketing.

Key responsibilities of a social media manager include developing relevant content to be shared on social media channels, the managing of posting schedules, the management of response to social media posts, reporting on engagement through analytics, and management of advertising campaigns on social media channels.

While numbers vary for precise earnings levels, the average salary for social media managers in the United States is presently $50,489.

Marketing managers work within a variety of channels within marketing. In cases where marketing needs require an entire team to meet requirements, marketing managers are typically present.

Marketing managers help to provide the overall direction of marketing efforts. They hire, fire, and train employees. They also help to align larger business goals with individual marketing efforts. When it comes to final responsibility for individual projects, this typically falls on marketing managers.

While you can work your way into a marketing manager position, many marketing managers also hold master’s degrees in marketing or MBA degrees with marketing concentrations. Marketing managers are generally quite well paid compared to some other types of managers, and make an average of $124,850.

Brand managers are in charge of discerning how others perceive a brand, as well as enacting strategies to change how consumers see the brand. This analysis-heavy role often looks at demographic data, enacts polling measures, discerns a proper way to interpret data, and employs testable measures to change brand perception. While some brand managers are in charge of brand perception for an entire business, many work in larger corporations and are in charge of a single brand (product or service).

Brand manager earnings can start off relatively low at $44,000 a year. But by the time brand managers have experience, they often make over $100,000 a year. The largest locations for employment of brand managers include New York City, Los Angeles, and Atlanta.

The post What Can I Do With a Marketing Degree? appeared first on DegreeQuery.com.

There is no question that there are certain accountant knowledge and abilities one would likely need to truly be effective. A quick perusal of job descriptions or example resumes will show that some skills are going to make you a more enticing job candidate. Are you discouraged because you don’t have many of them? Don’t be. While it may be tough to grow new skills, (especially those that aren’t your natural inclination) it is possible and it is worth it, especially if it is going to help you get the job you want.

What Does An Accountant Do?

This question is broad, but it can be answered broadly as well. Accountants are responsible for collecting, tracking, and organizing financial information for organizations and/or individuals. They are also responsible for finding appropriate and concise ways to display and/or present that information to their clients. Accountants are also involved in tax preparation and auditing activities.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the accounting and auditing industry is expected to grow at a rate of 6% through the year 2028. This is equal to a healthy national average. Median pay in 2018 for an accountant/auditor was $70,500/year. 

The Accounting Industry: Top Accounting Skills and Habits

Like most industries, an accountant needs both hard and soft skills. Technical and business savvy are important (and can often be taught or learned), but interpersonal skills will prove just as (if not more) important as well. So what are some of the best accounting skills to include on a resume?

Hard Accounting Skills

What are hard skills? These are the skills you’ll see on a resume or job description that are usually specific, defined, measurable and teachable. Usually, these can be learned in school, through books, in training, or through certifications. Typically, these skills relate to specific levels of competency; credentials that follow a name can often be directly related to hard skills.

Examples of hard skills for an accountant include:

• Technology Expertise: This includes proficiency in accounting software programs, especially as accounting automation increases in popularity. Some common programs and knowledge areas include Advanced Excel, Enterprise Resource Planning (like Oracle), data analytics, cloud based software, Microsoft Visual Basic, Hyperion, Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) or QuickBooks.
• General Accounting Skills: These skills are likely what you’d imagine when you consider an accounting career. Are you analytical and detail-oriented? Are you comfortable with business jargon and financial jargon? Are you a problem-solver? The ability to prepare and interpret financial statements, the ability to develop and present financial reports, and the ability to communicate this knowledge clearly will be Note here that both written and verbal skills are equally important.
• General Industry Knowledge: While this sounds basic, it can be challenging to stay up to date on a constantly changing industry. Explicit knowledge of industry regulations, strategic thinking, and negotiation skills will be a must, as will strict adherence to policies, regulations, procedures and practice. You must be trustworthy, discreet, and ethical.

 Soft Accounting Skills

Though soft skills are less tangible and harder to measure, they are still an integral part of job success.  Some employers believe that soft skills, which are often considered harder to teach, are more important than hard skills. Soft skills can be enhanced over time, so do the work to either better yours or build them.

Examples of soft skills for an accountant include:

• Collaboration: Accountants are going to have to communicate with a variety of professionals (as well as their clients), at multiple levels of an organization and industry. You will be working with regulators and auditors, as well as several other non-financial individuals. The ability to assimilate the information you receive from all individuals is incredibly important.
• Commercial Awareness/Understanding: While it is integral to understand your industry academically, it is also important to understand how your client fits into the market. Know your craft! The ability to understand and make sound decisions based on economic, social, or political movements is hard to quantify but can be crucial to excellence.
• Communication: You’ll find effective communication a buzzword on nearly any job description, but there is good reason for that. Accounting is often storytelling; you must be able to tell the story in a way others can understand. You also must be able to listen and understand your client’s long-term goals and plans, building appropriate professional relationship(s) with them.
• Intellectual Curiosity/Innovation: Those with fresh ideas show they want to make an impact on the industry. These self-starters show initiative, prove they can work on their own, and can think independently.

What Skills Should I Work On?

The list of top accountant skills and abilities is going to continue to change. While this may feel frustrating, certain hard and soft skills will always be important. To best set yourself up for success, stay on top of your education and pursue extra certifications and credentials. These activities will absolutely grow your hard skills, while also showing that soft skills, like industry understanding, curiosity, and awareness, are important to you as well. Accountant knowledge and abilities can be taught and they can be grown. Do the work to learn new things, while also showcasing (and continue to grow) the areas in which you are already strong.

DQ Staff

February 2020

More Articles of Interest:

• If I Have No Experience, How Do I Go About Getting a Job as an Accountant?
• What Areas of Accounting Do I Need To Study to Become a CPA?
• If I Don’t Get My CPA, Will I Find Myself Stuck and Unable to Advance Professionally?
• What is the Difference Between an Accountant and an Auditor?

The post What Are the Best Skills to Have to Be a Successful Accountant? appeared first on DegreeQuery.com.

Deriving Job Satisfaction From Guest Satisfaction

Being the kind of person who gets innate enjoyment out of making other people happy is a good indicator that you would do well in the field of hotel management. Although hotel managers are responsible for many different job duties pertaining to the operations of the hotel and its progress toward reaching short-term and long-term goals, guest satisfaction is of the utmost importance. In fact, lodging managers report that answering guest questions and complaints is among the most important of the core tasks involved in their work.

The best hotel managers consistently ensure that their guests are happy – and that happiness may be contagious. Hospitality has been ranked among the happiest industries for employees.

Having a Flair for Customer Service

What several of the qualities considered to be the most important for lodging managers by the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) have in common is their impact on interactions with guests. Listening skills, interpersonal skills and general customer service skills are crucial to success in this position, the BLS reported.

After all, if you don’t have the strong listening skills to understand what customers are saying and where they are coming from as well as making them feel that they are being heard, you won’t be able to resolve problems and complaints. Customer service skills, which you can often learn in common first jobs in industries like retail sales and fast food, give you a repertoire of strategies and communication skills appropriate for professional service. Interpersonal skills that allow you to win over disgruntled guests, as well as work productively with colleagues at all levels and in all departments of hotel service, are also valuable.

Although addressing problems is important, the attitude you display while working with customers is just as crucial, if not more so. Researchers have found that the attitude of any employee in a customer service role has a strong influence on customer impressions.

Navigating the Problems and Keeping Track of the Details

What does it mean to manage a hotel or other large, logistics-heavy operation? Challenges of all natures are bound to arise, so you must be something of a professional problem-solver. Being able to identify all of the practical solutions to an issue, whether related to personnel or inventory or occupancy or guest satisfaction, and then narrow down your options to the most effective and reasonable solution, is in important skill to attain. This trait requires a strong degree of resourcefulness as well as familiarity and proficiency in negotiation, coordination and persuasion.

When possible, preventing problems from arising in the first place is even better than solving them promptly and effectively when they do occur. One way to reduce the number of problems you encounter in hotel management is to stay organized. A lack of organization could mean that the hotel is short-staffed and unable to provide the service guests expect, rooms are double-booked or incorrectly assigned, inventory of kitchen ingredients or clean linens runs low and rooms are not cleaned appropriately. By keeping schedules, budgets, inventory orders and hotel policies and employee training initiatives organized and up to date, hotel managers can better avoid unnecessary problems and focus on solving the issues that weren’t easily preventable.

Some people have a natural knack for problem-solving and organization, while others struggle to develop these skills. Regardless of where you started on these qualities, you can benefit from taking steps to enhance your organizational and problem-solving abilities.

Managing Hotel Employees and Business Operations

Some people are born businessmen and businesswomen and natural leaders. For candidates with these inherent personality traits, a career in hotel management may be a natural fit. If you worry that you don’t have some mysterious instinctive insight into how to make business decisions and motivate others, the good news is that these qualities can be developed over time through academic and on-the-job training and through practice. Hotel management degree programs usually devote a good chunk of their curricula to courses in business and management, focusing on matters like accounting, hotel finance, human resources in the hospitality industry, strategic management and leadership principles.

Companies not traditionally in the hospitality industry, including luxury brands and the so-called experience industry, are starting to recognize the unique strengths candidates with a background in crafting the perfect guest experience can bring to their businesses.

Additional Resources

What Personality Traits Are Most Important for a Career in Hospitality Management?

Am I Better Off Getting a Job at a Hotel or Going Straight to Getting a Degree in Hotel Management?

What Is the Difference Between Hotel and Hospitality Management?

Exciting Jobs: The Top 15 Jobs for Adrenaline Seekers

The post What Personality Traits Are Most Important for a Career in Hotel Management? appeared first on DegreeQuery.com.

Great Leadership Skills

Principal is, above all, a management role, according to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). This means that skills traditionally associated with managing a business are also valuable in education administration positions. The most important of these skills are leadership abilities. School principals draw on their leadership skills when they perform some of the most crucial tasks of the profession. For example, they observe and evaluate curriculum standards and teaching strategies and work with educators to plan for reaching academic performance goals. Effective principals manage and supervise school personnel, not only to ensure compliance with teaching and employment standards but also to support them to reach their full potential in the classroom.

Of course, there are some crucial differences between managing a massive corporation and leading an elementary school. Although strong, effective principals are strategic in their use of funding and resources and committed to improving pupils’ educational performance in much the same way the manager of a company is committed to improving productivity and the bottom line, elementary school principals are looking at the social and academic performance of children as young as five. Elementary schools aren’t the right settings for cutthroat business leaders. Principals, especially at the lower grade levels, need to inspire, motivate and connect with students – especially those who are struggling academically or behaviorally. They need an approachable personality, an enjoyment of working with children – even challenging ones – and a strong understanding of and belief in the foundations of teaching and learning.

In addition to leadership skills, principals should work to develop other business and management skills, including the human resources skills to recruit and train teachers and support staff and an understanding of how to best allocate a school’s resources.

Strong Interpersonal Skills

Although your leadership and management abilities are crucial to your effectiveness and efficiency in your job as elementary school principal, a big part of success depends on your interpersonal skills. In so many of the tasks a school principal must perform, how you communicate with people and how you make people feel matter.

Strong interpersonal skills lead to strong relationships with students, staff, parents and the larger community. They help school leaders to develop a truly inclusive school atmosphere that welcomes and supports all students, allowing each pupil to achieve his or her potential. Whether you’re hiring teachers or evaluating teachers, meeting with students and their parents regarding disciplinary issues or working with community partners for the benefit of your students, your interpersonal communication skills take your abilities to handle challenges to the next level.

Specifically, the interpersonal communication skills you should strive to develop as you prepare for a principal position include active listening, speaking, reading comprehension, writing, negotiation and persuasion.

Skills in Solving Problems and Making Decisions

The BLS rounds out its summary of the most important qualities for principals with three related abilities: skills in critical thinking, decision-making and problem-solving. It goes without saying that, as the leader of a school, your job as principal will include a great deal of decision-making. Some decisions are small and low-stakes, while others are large and have much more serious consequences. Although you may have other administrative, teaching and support personnel to consult to help you understand different perspectives, many of these decisions will ultimately be your responsibility. In addition to planned decisions about the use of resources and the strategies implemented to reach performance goals, you are also likely to encounter some problems – often unexpectedly.

Underlying both decision-making and problem-solving skills are your critical-thinking skills. Whether you’re weighing the expected choices available to you in a planned-for decision or potential solutions to a tricky and pressing problem that requires immediate attention, thinking logically and critically about your options – and the consequences of taking or not taking each option – can help you reach a decision. After all, as important as it is to pay attention to gut instincts, truly sound decisions are made based on careful, thoughtful examination of data.

To help aspiring principals cultivate these necessary skills, graduate certificates and master’s degree programs in educational leadership often include coursework specifically in data-based decision making and similar topics.

Additional Resources

For a Superintendent, Which Is More Important: Interpersonal Skills or Business Abilities?

Is It Useful to Have Your MBA If You Want to Get Into an Administrative Position?

What Does a Private School Call Its Principal?

The post What Qualities Do I Need to Have in Order to Be a Successful Elementary School Principal? appeared first on DegreeQuery.com.

Writing Internal and External Reports

You’re not finished writing reports just because you’re out of school. In a business setting, corporate communications professionals write reports all the time – for company leadership, employees, investors and shareholders and even potential consumers. Whether these reports are annual, quarterly, or related to a one-time event like a new product launch, they are a crucial form of corporate communications for many types of businesses.

Writing reports requires great analytical and critical-thinking skills as opposed to the creative skills needed to write advertising and marketing materials. You must be able to present and sum up information which can, at times, be very technical, including explanations of numerical data like changes in profits. However, you also need to have a thorough understanding of your audience. A report you distribute to employees that encapsulates procedures will sound a lot different than one written for your investors.

Reports can vary a great deal in length, from white papers that consist of a few pages to lengthy annual report booklets. The longer the project, the more planning is required in terms of breaking the report up into usable sections and preparing it for print publication.

Press Release Writing

Managing an organization’s reputation is another crucial part of corporate communications. Whether you provide company-created content to an outside public relations agency or handle PR yourself in an in-house role, you should know how to draft documents like press releases and media advisories. These documents can lead to positive media coverage of your company.

Generally, a media advisory is a form of written notice of an event to journalists, editors and other members of the media. By making the media aware of the event, you are inviting media coverage that can publicize your company without the direct costs of advertising and marketing campaigns.

A press release is a news story sent to members of the media. Rather than asking them to cover an upcoming event, you’re providing journalists with information about something that has already happened. A newspaper might use your press release as is or as the launchpad for its own investigative report highlighting the story.

Both media advisories and press releases are short pieces of writing. However, a press release allows for more creativity and stylistic flair, as you are writing it in a style that will hopefully capture the attention of relevant members of the press.

Marketing Writing

IMAGE SOURCE: Pixabay, public domain

Some corporate communications roles encompass in-house marketing and advertising duties. Writing marketing and advertising materials requires creativity and originality. Marketing some products and services requires you to have a strong understanding of your ideal customer and empathy for the problems that your service can help address. For other marketing efforts, you need to draw on your sense of humor to develop clever and amusing content. A corporate communications professional may play a role in drafting or editing social media posts, blog content, digital marketing materials, billboard designs and much more.

If marketing writing is what most appeals to you, focus your job search on marketing agencies or in-house marketing roles. Since many companies outsource their marketing, not every job in corporate communications involves marketing writing on a regular basis.

Writing Memos, Management Emails and More

Although some corporate communications tasks involve big writing projects, it isn’t all about annual reports and advertising campaign copy. A lot of a company’s messages are internal, taking the form of memos, emails from administration to employees, company-wide newsletters and magazines, employee handbooks, flyers and signage posted around the office and much more. The larger and more complex an organization’s structure is, the greater its need for effective internal communications is likely to be.

A company’s employees are some of its most important stakeholders. How you manage internal communications can play an important part in employee morale, retention and productivity as well as perceptions of workplace culture.

Planning an Organization’s Communication Strategy

In high-level corporate communications roles, you also have to look at the bigger picture of developing a communication strategy. Think of each report, press release, ad, memo and other message as one small part of the company’s larger communication strategy. To keep every piece of corporate writing consistent with the organization’s goals and voice, you need a guiding strategy that will direct the messaging of all communications. Planning a company’s communications is an important job duty in roles like corporate communication officer.

Strategic communications planning is a dynamic task, not a one-time job duty. As organizations grow and public opinion and consumer behaviors evolve, corporate communications directors must revise their strategies to fit the times and the brand.

Additional Resources

What Is the Difference Between Corporate Communications and PR?

Are Companies Looking for Something More Than a Social Media Expert When Thinking About Corporate Communications?

What Are Some Typical Courses I Would Take in a Corporate Communications Master’s Program?

What Are the Salary Benefits of Getting a Master’s Degree in Corporate Communications?

How Much Can I Make With a Degree in Digital Marketing?

The post What Areas of Writing Should I Focus on to Be Successful in Corporate Communications? appeared first on DegreeQuery.com.

Traditional Paths to Law and Medical Degrees

To earn either your law school degree (Juris Doctor, or J.D.) or your medical degree (a Doctor of Medicine or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, also known as M.D. or D.O.), you need exceptional performance in your academic pursuits. What you don’t necessarily need to be accepted into either of these advanced, competitive programs of study is a specific major. Having a substantial science background is important for success in medical school, but you don’t necessarily need to major in pre-medical studies, according to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Law school students come from every discipline, the American Bar Association reported.

What’s most important for success in law school and medical school isn’t knowledge of one specific discipline, but instead the skills to succeed in classroom and clinical settings. These skills are integrated into the coursework of an electrical engineering program.

Going to Law School as an Electrical Engineer

As technological innovation continues to evolve, understanding the laws that govern scientific breakthroughs and the tech industry has also become increasingly complex. If you’re interested in the laws and policies that pertain to technology, starting your college studies in electrical engineering can give you a unique background in the technical aspects of these fields. Law school students who enter the field from a more traditional major, like English or liberal arts, may struggle to understand the highly technical concepts involved in the tech industry, even if they excel at the study of law.

Some universities even offer joint graduate degree programs in law and electrical engineering. In a joint Juris Doctor/Master of Science in Electrical Engineering program, you combine classes in both law and engineering. Alongside your coursework in circuits, software and hardware systems, communications and networking, physical technology and signal processing and optimization, you’ll take classes in civil and criminal procedure and in legal writing. You might take specialized courses in the regulation of artificial intelligence technology, free speech and the Internet, cryptocurrency law and policy, intellectual property, technology and patent licensing, information privacy, digital technology and more.

A benefit to majoring in electrical engineering, rather than liberal arts, is that a bachelor’s degree is sufficient to get started in a career path with a six-figure median salary, according to the BLS. If plans change or you take a gap year, you still have excellent career potential. 

Electrical Engineering and Medical School

You learn a lot of technical skills in an electrical engineering program, but you also learn a lot of high-level, versatile skills that can help you make it through medical school. Developing competency in logical and critical thinking and in problem-solving is especially valuable for aspiring doctors, according to IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Magazine, a publication of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.

You could even use your knowledge of the design and function of electrical systems to better understand parts of the human body. The heart, for example, has similarities with an electrical pump connected to an elastic hose, the IEEE explained. Although you still need to understand the specific parts of the human cardiovascular system and their functions, you can draw valuable parallels between troubleshooting a malfunctioning electrical pump and practicing the medical specialty of cardiology.

All that being said, if you only take the bare minimum of laboratory science courses required for your engineering studies, that might not be sufficient to meet the prerequisites for medical school, according to the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE). This means you will need to strategically plan your coursework and, possibly, use a fifth year of undergraduate study to fit in all of your classes. You will also want to make time to participate in research and extracurricular activities that share some common ground with healthcare and medicine as all as engineering.

There are also engineering schools that offer an interdisciplinary pre-med option for electrical engineering students. A pre-medical engineering program will include a much heavier emphasis on biology and chemistry courses, along with your engineering studies.

Additional Resources

What Classes Will I Have to Take for a Degree in Electrical Engineering?

Top 25 Law Schools

Top 25 Medical Schools

The post How Does an Electrical Engineering Degree Prepare Me for Studying Law or Medicine? appeared first on DegreeQuery.com.

Managers work in all organizations throughout the economy, ensuring organizational goals are met, boosting efficiency, and working to bolster harmony between employees, ownership, and the audience that interacts with a specific organization. Managers set goals for groups and individuals, organize the work they do, communicate and motivate the people they manage, measure their performance, and develop employees’ knowledge and abilities to make them more valuable to their organizations, and the workforce at large.

Managers are incredibly versatile, indispensable parts of businesses, non-profits, schools, government agencies, and other organizations. People become managers in many different ways. Some people work their way through organizations from more entry-level positions, while others get recommended for managerial roles at new organizations based on their past work, but a great way to begin a management career is through earning a degree in the field. There are also many different areas of management that you can specialize in, and the field is expected to see significant changes in hiring and continues to adopt new techniques. There are several ways to set yourself apart from the competition for management positions.

In this guide we’ll examine what managers do, what makes them successful, the different levels of management degrees, different specializations within management degrees, look at what we here at Degree Query have already written on management education and career opportunities, and more. We’ve set out to help you find your niche within education and your career. Our content on management will help give you the tools you’ll need to reach your goals, including finding the best management degree for you.

While you explore this guide, please ask yourself and consider:

• What has been your career and educational experience? How has your employment and education background geared you to study and work in management?
• What degree level in management is right for you considering your educational background?
• What would you like to accomplish in the next five years? How would a management degree prepare you to reach these goals?
• Management is a broad field, with many different subsets and specializations. If you know what sector of business or the economy you’d like to be a manager in you’ll have a much easier time selecting an academic program that will position you appropriately. We’ll inspect the different specializations within management later.
• How much can you afford to pay for a management degree, and how much would you need to borrow to pay for one?
• There are many different costs associated with earning a management degree depending on where you earn your degree, where you reside and the delivery format you choose. Will you need to work full or part-time while you attend your management program? How do individual programs facilitate working while you earn a management degree?
• You should always strive to avoid private, high-interest loans and choose public ones. Preferably you’ll choose a management program you can afford or one that gives you grants/scholarships that help you pay. You can also choose management programs that are delivered online, so you don’t have to pay for room and board.
• How much time can you spend earning your management degree daily, weekly, and in total before you graduate?
• What’s the best delivery format for you in a management degree program? Do you want to go to school full-time, part-time, in-person, online, or in a hybrid of online and on-campus education?
• What part of management would you like to study to specialize in? Some of the options include technology management, marketing management, business administration, finance management, among others.
• Where would you like to live and work during and after earning your management degree?
• Some cities, states, and regions have a greater demand for specific types of managers than others. The school you attend can also help you gain a competitive advantage for local jobs with their professional network, and the connections you’ll make through professors and peers while you attend their management program.

So what are some of the specializations within management that you can study? Let’s explore:

What are Your Management Degree Specialization Options?

There are scores of areas you can study to become a manager in. More general management degree programs will give you the tools to become a manager without putting you on a specific management path, while other specializations will set you up to become a manager in a field like finance, agriculture, entertainment, or elsewhere. Let’s explore some of your options by looking at a dozen management degree specializations:

Agricultural Management

In these programs you’ll study business, economics, and biological sciences. They might be called agribusiness programs, and feature coursework in farm management, public policy, agricultural law, commodities markets, and food industry sales, agrarian marketing, retail sales, among many others. Graduates might work to market agricultural products, sell farming equipment, run organic farms or gardens, trade agricultural commodities, or work in sales, grain merchandising, an agribusiness office, PR firm, and more.

Applied Management

Here you’ll build critical thinking and analytical chops, and see how they can improve the management of a business or organization. You’ll study business communication, human resources, economics, and accounting, among many other topics, and how they apply towards running an organization. Courses will likely include business law, organizational behavior, microeconomics, managerial finance, and much more. These degrees can lead to management positions in virtually any organization.

Biotechnology Management

The health and medical business sector is expanding rapidly with more significant needs from an aging population and businesses creating and utilizing technological breakthroughs in the field. In degree programs specifically targeting biotech management you’ll study areas like bioinformatics, the ethical and societal issues that impact the field, biotechnology project management, and managerial accounting. If you want to become a leader in this vital, constantly evolving field, a biotechnology management degree is a great choice.

Business Administration

Like applied management, these degrees will give you a broad, diverse set of skills that apply towards working or supervising within corporate structures, nonprofit organizations, government agencies, and other organizations. You can specialize in areas like finance, marketing, accounting, supply chain management, and more. You’ll study human resources, mathematics, economics, marketing, business ethics, and much more.

Athletic Administration

If you’ve ever dreamed of working for a professional sports team, collegiate athletic program, or in fitness or athletic management, these degree programs would make a great fit. You’ll study organizational leadership from a sports or fitness perspective, and learn what impacts athletic performance, sports economics, and much more. The sports and fitness industry is also set to expand exponentially as pop culture becomes more obsessed with health and fitness, which presents many opportunities for athletic administrators and managers in the coming years.

Construction Management

Construction isn’t going anywhere and is a field with unique demands for efficient leadership. In these degree programs you’ll study the theories behind effective construction management, trends and evolving strategies in the field, evaluating and improving construction plans, legal issues that impact construction, construction project management, and much more. You’ll also explore the latest construction technologies, and how construction projects are financed.

Energy Management

The energy sector is going through significant changes as it simultaneously embraces and resists making desperately needed changes to our energy infrastructure and fuel sources. In these programs, you’ll learn about energy policies throughout the world, new technologies, renewable energy, nonrenewable resources, and much more. You’ll study negotiations, financial analysis, and the management strategies and theories that impact energy in many different business settings.

Engineering Management

There will always be a high demand for engineers in all facets of construction, manufacturing, energy, public services, among many other areas of the economy. In these degree programs, you’ll learn to design, control and evaluate engineering projects and workers. You’ll study advanced math and science including chemistry, calculus, and physics. You’ll also tackle concepts and applications related to engineering finances, leadership, operations management, quality control, and analysis.

Financial Management

In these degree programs you’ll study how to help people maximize the returns on their investments, calculate and mitigate financial risk, manage businesses, and much more. You might end up working as a financial advisor, accountant, or in a leadership role in many different companies and organizations. Typical courses include bank and money management, financial risk management, investment theories and tactics, international finance, and financial evaluations.

Healthcare Management

There are many different degrees within this overall umbrella, including Health Information Technology (working with electronic health records), Health Services (healthcare administrative work, delivery, and more), Hospital Management, Public Health, and Global Health, among other specializations. The healthcare system in America is in a state of flux, and always in need of good management.

Information Technology and Information Security Management

In Information Technology Management you’ll learn to learn how to create websites, software, apps, databases, and more, as well as manage those that do. In Information Security Management you’ll work to protect digital information at a time when it’s wildly unprotected, and its theft and corruption are costing companies significant amounts of money. You’ll study internet security, data management, digital communications, cybersecurity, preventing cyber attacks, network design and maintenance, disaster planning, and more.

Project Management

These degrees give you the perspective and strategic tools needed to work in management for a wide array of organizations. You’ll become immersed in the practical application of teamwork, budget analysis, strategic management, and structured, goal-oriented projects across economic sectors. You’ll study organizational theory and behavior, corporate communications, project planning, and managerial decision making.

Remember, these are just some of your options within management degrees. We’re constantly updating our content on management and all other educational disciplines, which brings up:

How Can We Help You Find a Degree and Career in Management:

When trying to choose a management degree, it’s prudent to balance specific career interests with a degree that will give you practical skills and experience that applies throughout the job market. You also want to take time to research the different management positions that are available, plus how to qualify for and get them. Let’s take a look at some of the work we’ve done to help answer common questions about management, management certifications, management degrees, and specific management programs.

Frequently Asked Questions We’ve Answered About Management:

• What degree do I need to become a Digital Marketing Manager?
• What degree do I need to become a Hotel Manager?
• What degree do I need to become a Property Manager?
• What degree do I need to become a Database Administrator?
• What degree do I need to become a Hospital Administrator?
• What master’s degree do I need to be an athletic director?
• What Degree do I need to become a Restaurant Manager?

Management Career Examinations

• Top 10 Highest Paying Business Careers
• Top 20 In-Demand Healthcare Careers
• Top 20 In-Demand Information Technology Careers
• 15 Top Degrees for the Highest-Paying Business Careers
• Top 10 Highest Paying Management Careers

Management Degree Program and Certification Rankings

• Top 15 Master’s in Finance Degree Programs
• The 40 Fastest Online Master’s Degree Programs
• 25 Fastest Online Associate’s Degrees
• Easiest Online Bachelor’s Degrees
• 25 Best Online Bachelor’s Degrees for 2018
• 50 Best Online Master’s Degrees 2018
• Top 50 Online Business Degrees

Remember, this is just some of the content we’ve produced about management. To see all that we’ve done on the topic, go to our management category. If you find a management program, you’re interested in through our content, or otherwise, we strongly recommend reaching out to them directly to get more information about the program and ask for assistance with the application process.

Now that we’ve checked out what we’ve written on management degrees and career options, Let’s look at the different levels of management degrees:

What are the Different Levels of Management Degrees?

Associates in Management Degrees

In these two-year programs, students will learn foundational concepts in financial management, communication, micro and macroeconomics, entrepreneurship, human resources, organizational methods, accounting, marketing, and more. Graduates will be prepared to work as trainees, clerks, and administrative service managers, among other entry-level positions at numerous organizations. You can also take what you learn and apply it to starting a business of your own. These two-year programs can also be a great stepping stone to further degrees, and if you earn one at a community college or online you can save significant money in comparison with traditional brick and mortar degrees at four-year universities.

Bachelors in Management Degrees

Here you’ll have several options. You could earn a Bachelor in Business Administration, Accounting, Economics, Commerce, or other business related degree, but if you prefer a degree with more focus on management and leadership skill building and curriculum, consider a Bachelor of Business Management (BBM) or Bachelor of Management Studies (BMS). In these degrees, you might major in Human Resource Management, Operational Management, Marketing Management, or Financial Management. You could also specialize in areas like accounting management, business law, organizational behavior, economics, ethics, entrepreneurship, supply chain management, among many other areas. There are many, many options for Bachelor’s in Management, so if you have specific interests or other criteria for a prospective program apply them precisely in your search.

In these programs you’ll generally study for 3-4 years full-time. You’ll also likely complete a professional internship, work placement or study abroad program for 11-12 months.

Masters in Management Degrees

Here you’ll either earn a Master of Management (MM, MBM, MIM, MMgt), Master of Business Administration, Master of Science in Management or related degree. These programs require an undergraduate degree (sometimes in business or management) and are completed after one to two years of full-time study. They are aimed at helping graduates achieve advanced leadership positions at many different organizations. Masters in Management degrees come in an incredible number of specializations including Management Theory, Marketing Management, Human Resources Management, Financial Management, Accounting Management, Supply Chain Management, Entrepreneurship, Nonprofit Management, and more.

Doctoral Degrees in Management

A Doctor of Management (D.M., D.Mgt. or DMan) is the terminal degree in management. It requires advanced research and study, and graduates of these programs receive a Ph.D. or D.M. degree. The former focuses on theoretical knowledge, while the latter concentrates on applied research. These programs require a Master’s degree, and often three to five years of management experience. They can be completed in three to six years of study, and often culminate in the conception, execution, and defense of a dissertation. Graduates go on to executive roles in businesses and other organizations, do significant research in management and business, teach university-level management courses, and more.

Of course, degrees aren’t the only credentials that can help advance a management career. There are also several certifications in management that demonstrate your commitment, education, and experience within the field:

What are Common Certifications in Management

Some of the top management certifications associated with higher wages include:

Certified Associate in Project Management

The CAPM is an excellent certification for anyone looking to demonstrate project management competencies. Project Management focuses on planning, designing, creating, enacting, controlling, and measuring organized, temporary plans based on high standards that meet organizational goals. This certification lets professionals showcase their understanding of standardized practices in project management. An estimated 15.7 million new Project Management jobs will be created by 2020, and this certification is an excellent way to show your readiness to work in these roles. You’ll show you can handle increased responsibility and work in project management roles at your current organization, or as you continue in your career.

The price for this certification exam is $225 for members of the Project Management Institute members and $300 for non-members. Students need a secondary degree and 1,500 hours of project experience to sit for the exam or 23 hours of project management education. You maintain this certification by retaking the exam once every five years. The test is made up of 50 multiple choice questions, and you have 3 hours to complete it. There are also several other project management certifications you can go on to earn, including the Professional in Project Management (PPM), Master Project Manager (MPM), Project Management in IT Security (PMITS), CompTIA Project+ Certification, among others.

American Management Association Certificates in Analytical Skills

Through three levels of certificates you can build and demonstrate skills in analysis, strategic decision making, use vitally necessary software, translate abstract ideas into concrete plans and results, work with visual data, judge the credibility of information, and much more. These programs involve seminars and cost $3,495. AMA also offers certifications in Leadership Development, Management Development, Business Communication, and more.

Association of International Product Marketing and Management (AIPMM) Certified Brand Manager

In this certification you’ll learn to build strong consumer experiences, look at their relationships with organizations, brand identity and positioning, core values, how to maximize brand value, and much more. It costs $3,995-4,995 depending on when you register. It’s offered in Dubai.

These are just some of the certifications you can earn to enhance your management credentials.

Management Degrees in Conclusion

We hope you’ve found this guide helpful and informative. To see all of our management content, remember to check out our management category page of content. If you find any school with a management degree program you’re interested in; it’s beneficial to contact them directly to learn more about their program and assistance in the application process. Good luck!

For Further Reading:

How Much Can I Make With a Degree in Digital Marketing?

What Salary Can I Expect With a Human Resources Management Degree?

How Long Does It Take to Get a Business Degree?

The post What Can I Do With a Management Degree? appeared first on DegreeQuery.com.

Persistence and Dedication

One of the most important traits that every person who is aspiring for this position should have is dedication. Since becoming an art director requires a few promotions and a good amount of professional experience, one will have to spend some time building their reputation and knowledge. After obtaining the necessary skills and technical abilities, they will eventually become eligible to hold the said leadership position. To make it that far, however, it is crucial that one has enough dedication to overcome the never-ending challenges and adversity along the way.

Also, persistence is an accompanying skill that gets developed alongside dedication. The difference between the two mostly relates to the timelines in which they function. Someone who has outstanding persistence will be able to pursue short-term projects and ensure that they are completed in a timely and effective manner. Those who are dedicated will be able to stay behind their long-term objectives and pursue the dream vision of attaining the art director status. Regardless of their differences, both of these are necessary to succeed.

Creativity and Confidence

Anyone working in the field of arts has to possess a high dose of creativity and confidence. The reason why these two go together is that confidence is what permits one to display their creativity. Lacking self-esteem will make it much less likely that the person reaches their full potential as they struggle with self-criticism. Unlike most other skills on the list, creativity is one of the few that cannot be taught. While there are many strategies to help someone boost their imagination, being creative is a talent that people are usually born with.

Communication Skills

Contrary to the popular belief, art directors spend the vast majority of their time working with others. Sometimes, this includes clients who are negotiating a project and trying to convey their ideas. There is usually also a lot of communication taking place between the director and the artists themselves. To ensure that no issues are arising due to misunderstandings, developing professional communication skills is crucial. Luckily, learning how to express oneself is often an essential part of a future art director’s college education. Not to mention that it is a skill that gets better with practice. That means that experience will facilitate more efficient communication that, according to Forbes, is an elemental part of overall leadership.

Financial Skills

Financial knowledge is plausibly the most overlooked skill that every art director has to possess. This is because many people who do not work in this market fail to realize the number of budgeting responsibilities that these professionals carry. For example, the vast majority of pricing, long-term spending plans, and cash flow analyses are handled by art directors. Given that they are the ones who help overview the company’s operations from one of the high-leadership roles, they have the broadest perspective. Thus, they can properly execute their budgets and ensure that the company is staying within the limits of forecasted expenditures and cash inflows.

Unorthodox Originality

While the number of administrative duties handled by art directors is quite high, they still have a fair amount of hands-on work. For instance, they are usually the first on the scene to communicate with clients who want to begin a new project. Based on their ability to perceive ideas, subordinate artists are instructed to fulfill those projects. To ensure that clients keep coming back and that the demand remains strong, one has to have some unorthodox originality. In translation, they must possess the ability to take a seemingly simple idea and turn it into a masterpiece distinguished by uniqueness. Not to mention that art directors work directly with artists who often require mentorship to reach their full potential. So, knowing how to inspire creativity in others will determine the longevity of one’s career as well as the success of their enterprise.

Organization and Multi-Tasking

As said, art directors have to deal with a plethora of high-level responsibilities that include management of subordinates, long-term planning, company growth strategies, and similar. Since these types of duties are extremely time consuming and often overlap, they need to be able to work in a fast-paced, deadline-oriented environment effectively. One way to do so is to develop excellent organization and multi-tasking skills. Fortunately, the experience will allow these talents to flourish as trial and error is the best way to master them.

Flexibility That Facilitates Learning and Growth

It is not uncommon for art directors to find themselves in situations where they may not hold the answer or know the right course of action. After all, they face various scenarios that require specialized solutions almost every day. What matters is that they know how to continuously learn and improve themselves to a point where they can overcome practically anything. So, they must possess enough flexibility to learn from others and acknowledge when they may not be up to par with their technical knowledge. That flexibility will play a crucial role in their non-stop learning and professional growth that facilitates better leadership.

Some other skills that are worthy of mention combine strategic thinking, attention to detail, and proficiency with information systems. Most of those, however, are usually prioritized in the early stages of the career or educational institutions that these professionals attend. Hence why the seven categories mentioned above are ordinarily the most prominent characteristics and common denominators of prosperous art directors.

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The post What Makes Someone a Good Art Director? appeared first on DegreeQuery.com.

Creativity

IMAGE SOURCE: Pixabay, public domain

Coming up with clever campaign ideas isn’t all marketers do, but the creative aspect of the field of marketing as a whole is important. Creative thinking is often more important in the field of marketing than hands-on skills in creative endeavors, like graphic design or drawing, because these aspects of a marketing campaign may be outsourced to experts in those fields. If you can think outside the box to identify unique angles and memorable, compelling stories for the purpose of making sales, you might have the creativity to be a marketer.

That said, creativity alone will only take you so far in the field of marketing. Many marketing roles combine campaign concept development with job duties in coordinating campaigns and analyzing their success.

If you don’t feel like creativity is your strong suit but you still want to work in marketing, you might focus on the analytics side of the field.

Strong Communication Skills

Marketing is all about communicating messages – particularly, the messages that drive sales. These messages may be expressed in several ways, including written advertising copy, videos and visuals. If you have a gift for communication, particularly in multiple media, that gift will help you succeed in marketing.

When working in marketing, you also need strong communication skills for your day-to-day job duties and professional interactions. Whether you’re collaborating with your creative team, presenting return on investment data to company leaders or giving clear specifications and instructions to the skilled creatives whose services you use, communicating clearly is important.

Fortunately, your communication abilities are skills that are easy to strengthen through practice, both in your academic studies and your professional experiences.

Curiosity

Good marketers tend to be curious individuals. They ask a lot of questions and search for answers. Some of these questions may be obvious, like what compels consumers to make purchases. Other questions are of a more technical nature. How does a marketing team judge success in a campaign?

In the modern world of digital marketing, the questions get even more granular, and the analytical data available to answer them is even more plentiful. Ads can be targeted in new ways that weren’t possible through traditional forms of advertising. Technology like A/B testing services allows marketers to compare the success of different designs, slogans and images used on a website. Even what counts as success can be measured in different ways, like contact form submissions, phone calls using special tracking numbers, clicks, impressions, social media interactions and search engine rankings.

Another important quality in marketers is having strong analytical skills. You need these analytical skills to answer the questions that your curiosity compels you to explore.

Adaptability

The field of marketing is constantly changing to keep pace with emerging technologies. If you aren’t big on diving into the newest channels for reaching potential customers or learning new tools and strategies for maximizing the impact of your work, this field may not be ideal for you. Today’s marketers need to be flexible, agile and eager to adopt new ways of doing things. Although some marketers may spend a sustained amount of time on one campaign, it’s not unusual for marketers to be managing numerous campaigns and projects at a time.

If you’re eager to join the hottest new social media site or try out the beta version of an up-and-coming technology, that’s a good sign that you would feel at home in the fast-paced field of marketing.

Strategic Thinking Skills

Successful marketing requires strategy. While it’s possible for a company to get a social media post to go viral by sheer luck, the more consistent and sustained marketing success companies need for growth takes more than a hunch that happens to pan out. Being a good strategist is particularly important for high-level marketing roles, but you don’t have t be a marketing director for your strategic thinking skills to matter. Strategy is a part of every marketing project and even the individual stages and components of a successful marketing project.

Taking academic coursework in marketing and business can help you gain a better grasp of strategic thinking, but you can also boost these skills in more entertaining ways, like playing strategy games.

Additional Resources

Will Most Marketing Skills Transfer Between Different Fields?

What Other Business Fields Will a Marketing Degree Help Me Get a Position In?

What Computer Programs Should I Learn So I Can Be a Strong Marketer?

The post Which Personality Traits Will Help Me Be Successful in Marketing? appeared first on DegreeQuery.com.

A Core Curriculum in General Marketing

IMAGE SOURCE: Pixabay, public domain

Before you can delve into a marketing concentratio, you need to understand the basics. Most undergraduate marketing programs include a required core of general marketing classes. These classes usually cover, at least, topics such as consumer market behavior, marketing research and quantitative skills, strategic marketing management and planning, brand management and marketing communications. Marketing degree programs that don’t allow for further specialization may have a more extensive list of major core coursework than those that do, including studies in international marketing and marketing management.

Marketing is just one aspect of the business world. The best marketers have a solid grasp of how other business functions operate and how these functions work together to help a company succeed. To help you develop this knowledge, your marketing degree program may also include core coursework in general business. You may take classes like financial and managerial accounting, managerial finance, investments, operations management, organizational behavior and business statistics as you complete these requirements.

A marketing internship or capstone course may be a required or optional part of a bachelor’s degree in marketing. Internships put you directly in a real-world marketing environment, while capstone projects may involve real or simulated scenarios.

Undergraduate Specializations in Marketing

In today’s business world, the most prevalent concentration in marketing is digital marketing. Companies are increasingly reaching their audiences through digital platforms and spaces, and understanding these tools and the underlying concepts that drive them is crucial for competing in a world that is becoming increasingly high-tech. Students in a digital marketing track are likely to take classes that cover everything from website development and social media marketing to search engine marketing and search engine optimization.

Other popular marketing degree specializations include marketing management and marketing analytics, according to U.S. News & World Report. Studying marketing management is ideal if you aspire to a leadership role and want to learn the management skills that will help you bring out the best work in your employees and your company’s campaigns.

Marketing analytics is a good choice if you like working with numbers and data. Companies want to develop targeted marketing campaigns and test the effectiveness of their campaigns based on quantitative data, which a skilled marketing analytics professional could even use to predict consumers’ buying behaviors. A concentration in marketing analytics or marketing research might include classes like market and business intelligence.

Other marketing concentrations include innovation and product management, sales leadership and marketing promotions and communications. If you choose innovation and product management, you should expect to spend some of your time studying interdisciplinary topics in product development as well as classes in brand management and product management. Sales leadership tracks often cover basic retailing principles, sales management techniques, personal selling aspects of marketing and business-to-business marketing practices. Choosing a concentration in marketing promotions and communications may have you focusing on the advertising side of things, as well as sales promotion, e-commerce, brand management and different marketing channels.

Many marketing programs now include digital marketing coursework in their curricula. You don’t have to declare a digital marketing specialization to learn the basics of this field. In fact, choosing a less saturated area of focus may help you stand out in a job search.

Focusing Your Marketing Studies Without an Official Concentration

Marketing degree programs often give students considerable flexibility in the courses they take, allowing for at least a few elective courses both within and outside of the major. Even a bachelor’s in marketing program that doesn’t offer official concentration options will usually offer enough elective courses that allow you to gain some specialized marketing knowledge in an area of interest. You can use these electives to essentially build your own concentration or minor and develop a base of knowledge in that area.

The options for elective courses within marketing are numerous and diverse. You could decide to take classes in sports and event marketing if you would love the chance to promote your favorite sports league or team. If you have an interest in environmental responsibility and hope to work for a company that shares this passion, you might benefit from a class in sustainable marketing. Depending on which aspects of marketing interest you the most, you might want to study business-to-business marketing or the techniques of personal selling and sales force management.

Any internship experiences you complete can help you make the most of your unofficial area of focus, so be sure to look for hands-on opportunities that match your career goals and your course selections to get the most out of your education.

Additional Resources

When Is the Best Time for Bachelor’s of Marketing Students to Begin Looking for Summer Internships?

What Websites Should I Know How to Use When Starting a Marketing Program?

Do Associate Degree Programs in Marketing Have Time to Specialize in Certain Areas or Are They Focused on Overall Information?

The post Will I Learn About Marketing in General in a Bachelor’s Degree Program or Can I Focus on Particular Areas Within My Degree? appeared first on DegreeQuery.com.

Earning Dual Degrees in Graduate School

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The process of earning dual degrees in graduate school is easy enough to understand, even if it isn’t easy to do. Schools that offer joint master’s degree programs admit students into both programs. The graduate student completes two sets of degree requirements, often structured so that at least some of your coursework counts toward both degrees. Typically, the student takes classes in both topics during the same timeframe and graduates with both master’s degrees simultaneously.

In certain situations, the non-journalism graduate degree you’re seeking may not be a master’s degree. For example, if studying both journalism and medicine, you might start your journalism studies two years into medical school and ultimately graduate with a doctorate in medicine.

Your non-journalism degree can be as specific as meteorology and graphic information technology or as general and interdisciplinary as sustainability.

Studies in Public Relations and Beyond

Public relations is a field that shares a lot of overlap with journalism, so it makes sense if this is the first topic of study that comes to mind for prospective graduate students of journalism. After all, public relations specialists pitch stories about their clients or companies to reporters, editors and other journalists to achieve media coverage. Journalists often work with public relations specialists. Building a rapport is beneficial for both parties, since the reporter gets the “scoop” on a breaking story and the PR professional gets the publicity their client is seeking.

However, the commonalities that connect journalism and public relations are so strong that some students may find that it’s better not to earn a master’s degree in both of these topics. Earning a complete master’s degree in each program, rather than just taking a few courses in the topic outside of your major, could actually be redundant. While you can and should consider studying public relations specifically to work in a PR role, the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that a journalism degree can also be sufficient for starting this career path. In other words, you can use your journalism master’s degree to pursue either a journalism career or a public relations career, even if you don’t earn a second master’s degree.

Instead, you might be better off exploring graduate programs that have less in common with journalism. For example, some journalism graduate schools offer dual degree options in fields like computer science, international public affairs, law, business and religion. You might combine graduate-level journalism studies with a focus on specific places and cultures, like Latin American studies or Middle Eastern and North African studies, or with bilingual journalism.

The downside of earning two very different master’s degrees is that you may have to take more graduate coursework overall, since you may not have many classes that count toward both degrees. However, the impact on your career opportunities will be bigger.

Why Earn a Dual Degree as a Graduate Student?

There are multiple benefits of acquiring a graduate-level education in not just one subject but two. For one thing, it allows you to keep your career options open. With a background in two distinct fields, you’re eligible for consideration for a much greater number of potential careers. Even if you prefer one field over the other, having a fallback plan in place can be reassuring, especially in tough economic times.

The job outlook for journalists, reporters and correspondents isn’t particularly favorable, with the BLS expecting opportunities in these professions to decrease by 11 percent between 2019 and 2029. Staking your future on a career path where sharp declines are anticipated may seem risky, especially when you’re spending the money to go to graduate school. A dual degree path that allows you to broaden your opportunities without spending a lot more money can seem especially worthwhile in light of this bleak news about the journalism industry.

Instead of viewing a graduate education in two subjects as an either-or decision, you can also look at the intersection between those topics. The field of journalism encompasses storytelling of news that pertains to all topic areas. Whatever second graduate degree you choose, the knowledge you have of that field can help make you a better journalist, particularly when writing about that topic.

Not all reporter jobs specify a certain focus or specialization, but many do, including job titles like education reporter, criminal justice equality reporter, public safety reporter, business reporter and political reporter.

Additional Resources

Can I Get as Much Out of an Online Degree in Journalism as I Can From a Classroom-Based Degree?

Are There Different Areas to Study in a Master’s in Journalism?

Am I Likely to Be Accepted Into a Journalism Master’s Program If My Undergrad Degree Is in Another Field?

The post Is It Possible to Get a Master’s in Journalism as Well as Another Subject, Such as Public Relations, at the Same Time? appeared first on DegreeQuery.com.

While there are of course many other very crucial skills. Few skills work in a vacuum entirely separate from business. The best painters can’t work without a supply chain that provides their paint brushes. The best teachers need the help of skilled managers organizing support services in school. The best doctors need systems in place to track billing, obtain cutting-edge equipment, and market their places of work. In short, most of the world we know relies on skilled business men and women.

If you find yourself interested in complex practical problems and think you have a knack for solving them, business may be just the career for you. And for many, a Master of Business Administration (MBA) is the “go-to” business degree.

MBAs have been popular for quite a while among large employers and entrepreneurs. Many MBA programs are quite versatile and allow students to specialize in a wide range of areas. More than that, however, is the fact that MBAs can be obtained quickly and provide a great graduate-level understanding of business fundamentals.

While it is possible to self-educate in areas as diverse as marketing, human resources, business law, accounting, finance, and logistics, MBAs can accelerate this process in a “tried-and-true” degree type.

Have additional questions about MBA degrees? Check out some of our general FAQ coverage below:

• How Long Does It Take to Get an MBA?
• Is There Any Math Required for an MBA?
• What Is the Salary Potential for Someone With an MBA?
• What Is the Difference Between an MBA and a Master’s in Organizational Leadership Degree?
• What Is the Difference Between an MBA and a Master of Finance Degree?
• What Are the Benefits of Earning a Master’s in Finance Degree Instead of an MBA?
• What Are the Highest-Paying Business Entry-Level Jobs?

What Can I Do With a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree?

MBAs mean different things to different candidates and different employers. Some undergraduate students will proceed directly from their baccalaureate degree to an MBA. In this case — with little or no prior work experience — an MBA will often help recipients to land an entry-level job and progress more quickly into leadership.

For other MBA seekers, they may have already held a job for several years. In fact, the average MBA seeker is in the middle of their career. These MBA candidates may find that an MBA helps to increase their pay and responsibilities at their current job, or that they are more easily able to apply for a job with slightly more seniority.

Either way, MBAs tend to qualify students for a variety of entry level and project manager positions. As one moves up through a corporate or organizational structure, MBAs often become more and more common.

Think you might be interested in pursuing an MBA? Be sure to check out DegreeQuery’s rankings of The 25 best online MBA degree programs today!

For more MBA-specific FAQs from DegreeQuery, check out the below resources:

• What undergraduate degree is best for an MBA?
• How Long Does It Take to Get a Business Degree?
• Is an Online MBA Easy?
• Will An Online MBA Help My Career?
• Are Online MBAs Worth It?
• Are Online MBAs Respected?
• How Much is an Online MBA?
• Are Online MBAs Accredited?
• What is a MBA?
• What Degree do I need to become a Contract Specialist?
• What is the Difference in a Doctorate of Business Administration vs. a Ph.D. in Business?
• How Many Jobs Are Available in Finance?
• How Much Can I Make With a Degree in Digital Marketing?

What Jobs Can You Get With an MBA?

For those early in their career, MBAs help make candidates “shoe-ins” for a variety of entry-level and mid-career positions. Some of the most common positions held by MBA recipients include the following:

• Business Analyst
• Product Owner
• Product Manager
• Sales Representative
• Sales Manager
• Marketing Specialist
• Marketing Analyst
• Project Manager

These jobs can be grouped into three groups: business intelligence, outreach, and management.

Entry-level business intelligence centered roles include business analyst, marketing analyst, and marketing specialist roles. These careers center around the gathering and analysis of data to support decision-making in business.

MBA programs help to prepare students for these roles to varying degrees and depending on what students within an MBA program specialize in. Most MBA programs, however, will provide a basic overview of intelligence gathering methods, statistical analysis methods, and research presentation methods.

Research for these roles can include the use of big data, machine learning, smaller data sets using SQL or Excel, or the synthesis of interview results with colleagues, customers, and other stakeholders.

If you find yourself good at navigating ambiguous situations, driven to find interesting insights into massive amounts of data, and analytically minded, these positions can be a great choice after completing an MBA.

What’s more, business intelligence roles are rewarded quite well monetarily. Entry-level business analysts earn an average of close to $60,000, with mid to late-career business analysts sometimes earning twice that. Marketing specialists and analysts earn between $50,000-$70,000. And for those to excel in their roles and have leadership qualities, management positions in each of these disciplines can earn much more. (Find out more about what degree you need to be an intelligence analyst.)

Broadly speaking, a number of business career paths deal with outreach. The form of these roles will vary depending on whether an organization is for-profit, non-profit, or governmental. Additionally, outreach roles vary depending on whether an organization sells a product or service that is business to business (B2B) or business to consumer (B2C) facing.

Some of the most common outreach roles across organization types include the job titles of sales representative, customer representative, marketing coordinator, and public relations specialist.

Sales representatives use a variety of tactics to reach out to potential clients, close a sale, and upsell customers. Sales representatives are often responsible for gathering potential customers, though this role may also fall on customer acquisition roles. Once potential clients have been identified, sales representatives may “cold call,” email, text, or set up meetings with potential customers. In some cases, sales representatives will give presentations or man booths at conferences or in physical storefronts.

Sales is a crucial part of nearly every for-profit organization. And in most medium to large organizations, there is a great deal of opportunity for advancement for those that work hard and excel in these roles.

A second role related to outreach can be found in entry-level marketing jobs. Instead of reaching out to clients one-on-one, marketers ensure that the assets and properties that represent a company help to sell. Broadly speaking, there are two forms of marketing: inbound and outbound. Inbound marketing focuses on generating interest and increased orders for an organization by driving potential users into sales funnels. Inbound marketing is most often performed online, and may be done by focusing on ranking for certain searches in search engines, by placing content on popular sites, or through online advertising.

Outbound marketing is what many people traditionally think of as marketing. This form of marketing may book ads in periodicals, place billboards, or host givaways.

Both forms of marketing are readily employed in a wide variety of organization types, and many MBA programs have concentrations on marketing for those interested in pursuing this form of business career.

Finally, public relations specialists help to manage interactions between an organization and the public to ensure outcomes that are acceptable to a business. Public relations may help in crafting a certain “image” for a brand, step in in times of crisis with carefully crafted statements, or gauge the attitudes of consumers and other stakeholders to ascertain if sentiment may hinder or help business objectives.

Think you might be interested in pursuing an MBA? Be sure to check out DegreeQuery’s rankings of The 25 best online MBA degree programs today!

The third and perhaps most common business role that MBAs help to prepare students for is in management. While many people working in business will likely begin in one of the previously mentioned business roles, as they gain experience and education they will likely be approached to enter management.

Each division of a business or large organization has managers. Common management types that can be aided by obtaining an MBA include the following:

• Project Manager
• Program Manager
• Product Manager
• IT Manager
• Software Manager
• Logistics Manager
• Marketing Manager
• Accounting Manager

As a whole, managers are some of the best paid positions in the business world. While highly specialized technical workers such as experienced engineers or data scientists may make more than many managers, this is a rare occurrence. The average salary for common management positions is listed below:

• Project Manager: $72,481
• Program Manager: $128,237
• Product Manager: $123,994
• IT Manager: $83,356
• Software Manager: $134,000
• Logistics Manager: $98,320
• Marketing Manager: $100,053
• Accouting Manager: $102,596

Think you might be interested in pursuing an MBA? Be sure to check out DegreeQuery’s rankings of The 25 best online MBA degree programs today!

Types of MBAs

Depending on the stage of your career you’re in as well as what sort of role you would like to work in, there are many ways to customize an MBA to fit your needs.

Presently there are three main “types” of MBAs each aimed at professionals in different stages of their careers.

The typical MBA is aimed both at experienced professionals and those that have yet to leave school. These MBA programs often require 2 years of full-time study and assume that students need foundational business courses at the graduate level. Many “traditional” MBA programs are open to students with zero work experience. This doesn’t mean that these programs are easy to gain admission to. Rather, some traditional MBA programs require stellar undergraduate attendance, GMAC scores, and recommendations.

The largest number of MBA programs do fall into this “traditional” MBA category. Many programs of this type are quite flexible, and are available to the widest range of candidates. Students in these programs may be allowed to take courses at night, on the weekends, fully online, or in blended formats that allow for students to largely study from home.

A second type of MBA program is a professional MBA. Professional MBAs are available to students are available to students that have 2 or more years of experience. The typical student of a professional MBA actually has 5 or more years of experience, and has a mid-career ladder title such as a low level of management or a slightly advanced title.

Due to the business experience that degree candidates bring to professional MBA programs, many programs assume they do not need to cover as many foundational topics as in traditional MBAs. This means that professional MBAs can often be gained in less time, with less coursework, and with greater flexibility than traditional MBA programs.

The third form of MBA is an executive MBA (eMBA). Executive MBAs are generally reserved for students that hold 5 or more years of experience at the managerial level. Two of the main differences between executive MBAs and other MBAs are that courses are often held on the weekend or at night, and tuition costs are often partly or fully paid for by the employer of the student.

A free education? Yep, many executive MBA programs are paid for by employers because the eMBA candidate has been identified as a future or continued leader in the company. Similarly to traditional MBAs, Executive MBAs also require 2 years of study, though often require less coursework than traditional MBAs.

Think you might be interested in pursuing an MBA? Be sure to check out DegreeQuery’s rankings of The 25 best online MBA degree programs today!

MBA Specializations

Once you’ve determined the “type” of MBA that you may be interested in, you’ll want to consider if you would like to pursue a specialization or concentration.

Generalist MBAs
While most MBA programs today offer a range of specialization options, traditionally MBAs were all largely generalist programs. Today many programs still offer a “general” MBA option.

MBAs with specializations and Generalist MBAs typically just differ in one way. Where an MBA with a specialization will require 3-6 courses in a particular subject matter, generalist MBAs will replace these concentration courses with courses distributed across the spectrum of business knowledge. Instead of a cluster of courses that will push you in one direction, generalists will be exposed — at a graduate level — to a wider range of business disciplines.

Finance MBAs

MBAs with finance concentrations are likely the most popular MBA specialty. Broadly speaking, finance is the study of two things: (1) how money is managed, and (2) how needed money is acquired.

Even though it can be reduced to two central focal points, finance is a broad academic discipline that covers topics including banking, credit, forms of investment, stocks, bonds, taxation, and more.

At the MBA level, a common grouping of courses that students may choose from in a finance concentration includes the following:

• Investments
• Corporate Financial Reporting and Analysis
• International Finance
• Global Business Conditions
• Financial Forecasting
• Behavioral Finance
• Capital Markets and Investment Planning
• Communication in Finance
• Advanced Corporate Finance

Marketing MBAs
Nearly every organization of a certain size has a marketing component. And today, there are more mediums through which to push corporate messaging and interaction with clients than ever before. Today marketing MBAs will often specify whether or not they are focused on more traditional outbound marketing, or whether they are focused on digital marketing. With that said, digital marketing has become so predominant that virtually all marketing MBAs at least include a course or two related to digital marketing.

Common courses that may be taken as part of a marketing concentration in an MBA include the following:

• Marketing Research Methods
• Glocal marketing
• Consumer Behavior research
• Integrated Marketing Communication
• Brand Management
• Advertising
• Online Marketing
• Product Management and Marketing
• Public Relations

While most marketing MBAs focus generally on marketing, some also promote courses of study for students looking to enter into particular roles. Common marketing job types that some MBAs allow focal areas include:

• Sales
• Promotion
• Advertising and Public Relations
• Brand Management
• And Market Research

Information Technology MBAs

It should come to no surprise to potential MBA candidates that information technology-related businesses are a massive opportunity for savvy business graduates. While technological services or advances may be at the heart of what IT businesses do, business insight, marketing, and managerial insight are central to the overall success of these businesses.

“Work fast and break things” expresses a sentiment commonly heard in companies run according to software development maxims. This unique management style refers to the overwhelming trend of releasing software as a minimum viable product (MVP). Once the product is released, it will inevitably break. By fixing what breaks, software development continuously hones their product and knows exactly what to focus on.

Learn more about what degree you need to be an information technology specialist.

This management style among others requires a uniquely trained manager. For those seeking an MBA in information technology, concentration courses will likely include some combination of the following:

• Database development and applications
• Ecommerce Management
• Emerging Technologies
• Data Analytics
• Project Management
• Information Assurance Strategies
• Decision Support Systems

International Business MBAs
It’s hard to find corporations above a certain size that aren’t multinational, or at the very least don’t partner with multinational corporations. This has brought about an ever-increasing need for professionals with the right foundational knowledge to operate in multinational environments. This may include knowledge of how to deal with employees or stakeholders from different cultures, different marketing tactics for different locations, knowledge of how international markets work, or knowledge of business laws in foreign nations.

If you have a desire to work abroad, get to travel a great deal for your work, or chase opportunities in international markets, an international business MBA can be a great option. Below are some of the most common courses that are included in international business MBA concentrations.

• International Financial Management
• Global Marketing
• Chinese Competitive Strategy
• Multicultural Management
• International Business
• Study Abroad / Immersion Trips
• Focus area on one part of the world

Operations Management MBAs

While each business division is important to the overall success of a corporation, perhaps no other discipline is more important to the staying power a business than operations management. Operations management is a multidisciplinary field that makes sure what is supposed to be produced, is. Operations managers plan, organize, supervise, and document the provision of services and products. They’re at the heart of making sure what should be delivered is delivered.

The two central components of operations management are logistics and supply chain management. Both of these disciplines are covered in common courses within an operations management MBA concentration (listed below):

• Operations Research
• Project Management
• Lean Management
• Supply Chain Management
• Logistics Management

Leadership MBAs

While some managers specialize on industry-specific skills or technical analysis, others opt to jump right to the heart of management in their education: leadership. Leadership MBAs are multidisciplinary and deal with human resources, the psychology of workers, crafting a vision for organizations, and other facets of management.

While there are many managers that hold technical skills in the business division in which they manage, many fewer approach true leadership. And organizations are constantly seeking those with leadership qualities to join their rankings.

Popular courses within a leadership MBA specialization include:

• Innovation and Risk
• Operations Management
• Effective Leadership
• Strategic Thinking
• Organizational Change
• Strategy
• Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship MBAs
Sometimes it can feel like it takes a force of nature to get a business up and running of your own effort. What it really takes is the proper interdisciplinary skills related to entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship as an academic discipline is relatively new. The discipline focuses on early-stage initiatives and particularly on funding, marketing, and analysis of opportunities.

Common courses included in entrepreneurship MBA concentrations include the following:

• Innovation Management
• Technology Management
• Discovery of New Ventures
• Managing Change
• Funding of New Businesses
• Intellectual Property Law

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) MBAs
Depending on the organization you’re a part of, a distinct portion of your organization’s mission is likely related to some social responsibility. As organizations grow, social responsibility can be a crucial part of your public relations strategy, relations with stakeholders, and overall objectives.

A few of the common courses you may take in a corporate social responsibility-related MBA may include:

• Global Social Impact
• Research on Social Impact
• Sustainable Enterprise
• Sustainability Audits
• Corporate Ethics

The post What Can I Do With an MBA Degree? appeared first on DegreeQuery.com.

All these considerations require expertise. Bad marketing can do serious damage to a company’s reputation, and companies are always looking for experienced professionals to refine and spread their corporate message. And these marketing professionals are highly valued and well-compensated. According to US News and World Report, entry-level marketing professionals earn an average of $40,000, and mid-career professionals earn $78,000. Sales managers earn $105,000 on average, while advertising and marketing managers make $116,000. Marketing professionals are in demand as well; the Bureau of Labor Statistics has found that jobs in this sector are growing at a faster rate than the national average.

If you’re analytic, strategic, and creative, you may want to learn marketing. A career as a marketing professional will require a degree in marketing or a related field. But if you just want to get your feet wet, brush up on your skills, or diversify your skills set, there are other ways to learn marketing fundamentals. Read on to explore the options for learning marketing.

Learning Marketing through Self-Teaching

If you’re considering marketing as a career, getting a sense of the fundamentals from resources like books, podcasts, and videos can be extremely helpful. If you’re a small business owner, you may wear “marketing director” as one of your many hats, and need some quick ideas to grow your brand. Cracking an old-fashioned book is one extremely accessible way to learn marketing methods. Here are some of the most popular books on the basics of marketing:

• Marketing for Dummies, by Alexander Hiam
• Introduction to marketing: Introduction to marketing for entrepreneurs and small business owners , Alex Genadinik
• The 1-Page Marketing Plan, by Allan Dib

If you’re already working in business or in the marketing industry, you may simply want to gain some new insights and keep abreast of the current trends. Here are a few books on marketing methods that can be useful for professionals:

• Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion, by Robert Cialdini
• How Brands Become Icons, by Douglas B. Holt
• Contagious, Why Things Catch On, by Jonah Berger

Podcasts are a great and cost-free way to learn about the business and keep on top of the latest developments. With a good marketing podcast, you can even learn marketing strategies while driving, working out, or taking a shower. Some of the most popular podcasts for learning marketing are:

• Call To Action
• Success Made Simple
• Social Media Marketing Podcast
• Social Pros Podcast
• Marketing Over Coffee

Similarly, there are a lot of video channels where savvy marketing professionals share insights and ideas for free. Video content is an engaging way to learn, and although you can’t watch YouTube while driving the way you can with a marketing audiobook or podcast, you will be able to see important visuals, such as ads, stat shots, and graphics. Some of the leading marketing YouTube channels include:

• Social Triggers, by Derek Halpern
• Jay Today, by Jay Baer
• Focused Leader, by Michael Hyatt

Learning marketing through these sources is flexible, fast, and usually free. Ideally, you should approach teaching yourself marketing with the intent to expose yourself to a lot of different perspectives, since there are many, many different ways to market. Choosing more than one approach to learn about will give you a better sense of the possibilities and a more complete strategy toolbox. You may also want to try more than one way of consuming content in order to find out which best suits your learning style).

Self-learning Pros:

• self-paced
• usually free
• stay on top of trends

Self-learning Cons:

• conflicting perspectives
• no hands-on exercises
• not structured

Learning Marketing through MOOCS

When you want a way to learn marketing that’s more systematic than self-teaching, but still flexible and affordable, MOOCs are an excellent option. MOOC stands for “massive online open enrollment class.” Open enrollment means that you won’t have to apply for entrance the way you would in a typical university class. These high-enrollment online classes can be completed at home or even on a mobile device. They are affordably priced, and many are even free. Content is usually delivered on-demand, making marketing MOOCs a good option for busy learners. Some MOOCs are offered through accredited institutions and are led by instructors in a large-scale classroom-style format. Other marketing MOOCs are a series of videos, power points, and other educational content organized into class modules.

A few outstanding MOOCs for learning marketing include:

• Introduction to Marketing, by the University of Pennsylvania
• Marketing in a Digital World, by the University of Illinois and Urbana Champaign
• Customer Centric Marketing for Entrepreneurs, by Babson
• Marketing Analytics: Price and Promotion Analytics, by BerkleyX

MOOCs are a great way to learn marketing in a structured and systematic way. Your course curriculum will start with the fundaments, and build towards advanced topics, pulling in examples and different viewpoints. MOOCs can also help you keep your learning momentum. It can be much easier to maintain your studies when you’re learning marketing through MOOCs rather than creating your own ad hoc curriculum through self-study.

MOOCs pros:

• affordable
• flexible format
• provides structure

MOOCs cons:

• lack of personal attention
• lack of discussion
• lack of hands-on work

Learning Marketing through Classes

One problem with MOOCs is that it can be hard to stay engaged when you’re receiving content somewhat passively. Most people learn best when they can work with information as well as receive it, and this is one area where marketing classes have an advantage. In classes, students learn not only through direct instruction but by applying information in discussions and hands-on exercises. It can be easier to stay motivated and retain information this way, especially for people who have a “learn by doing” learning style. Group assignments, mock-advertising projects, discussions, and presentations are all part of typical marketing classes.

Marketing classes are offered by universities and colleges’ schools of business, and are sometimes offered as continuing education courses aimed at adults or non-traditional learners. Every institution has its own course titles, but some typical classes you may see offered for learning marketing include:

• Advertising Management
• Marketing Channel Strategies
• Market Research
• Digital Marketing
• Branding
• International Marketing

Of course, higher education is notoriously expensive, and marketing classes can cost hundreds of dollars per credit. If you take a series of a la carte classes to learn marketing principles, with earning a degree, you may find the return on your investment is lower. Pursuing a degree is a big undertaking, but earning a credential can go a long way towards building up your resume and professional opportunities.

Hiring Class Pros:

• interactive and hands-on learning
• higher structure
• individual attention

Hiring Class Cons:

• higher cost
• less flexibility
• credit but no credential

Learning Marketing through Degree Programs

If you’re passionate and driven when it comes to marketing, you’ll want to consider pursuing marketing as your career. A bachelor’s degree in marketing is the minimum required for entry-level work in this complex field. You can choose a marketing major, or a degree in a field like communications. Schools that offer professional marketing internships have a strong advantage. Learning on site in a professional setting can help you learn marketing firsthand, establish professional contacts, and gain real-world experience. Many degree programs also allow students to choose a concentration so that they can specialize in a particular area of marketing, such as:

• market research and analysis
• social media marketing
• search engine marketing
• global marketing

Beyond the bachelor’s level, you can choose to pursue a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Marketing. An MBA in marketing can be helpful in securing a leadership role in the field. Many schools offer executive MBA programs, usually online, that are designed for busy working professionals who want to earn a degree part time in order to advance their careers.

Marketing Degree Pros:

• network with peers, professors, and alumni
• structured curriculum
• internships for experience

Marketing Degree Cons:

• highest cost
• takes 4+ years to complete

Further Reading:

• What Can I Do With a Marketing Degree?
• The 20 Best Online Bachelor’s Degrees in Marketing
• How much can I make with a Degree in Digital Marketing?
• What Are the Highest-Paying Jobs in Marketing?
• What Degree Do Marketing Managers Have?
• What Is the Difference Between a Degree in Marketing and a Degree in Market Research?
• How much can I make with a Degree in Digital Marketing?
• What Can I Do with a Management Degree?
• Top 10 Highest Paying Management Careers
• Top 10 Careers for Extroverts
• Do I Need a Graduate Degree to Become a Manager?

The post How to Learn Marketing appeared first on DegreeQuery.com.

Organizational and Strategic Communication

Two essential topics in a corporate communications master’s degree program are organizational communication and strategic communication. These types of communication studies may overlap to some degree, but they’re also separate and distinct topics.

Organizational communication emphasizes the application of communication theories and practices to the workplace, often in the context of using communication as a tool for company management and leadership. Studying organizational communication encompasses learning about how to create messages that relate to change management, conflict management, team building and management, the development of an appropriate organizational culture, and more. Often, students practice creating business communications, including both written assignments and oral presentations, in their organizational communications courses.

Effective corporate communication doesn’t just happen. It needs to be thoughtfully planned out so that each individual message is consistent with the overall tone and goals of the organization’s corporate communications efforts. Strategic communication is a facet of the field of communication that focuses on this planning of communications efforts. Students learn not only the methodology of how to effectively plan an organization’s corporate communications but also the various theories, methods of application and best practices of strategic, persuasive communication.

To succeed in a corporate communications role, you need to understand the concepts and applications of both organizational communication and strategic communication planning. More importantly, you should develop the ability to synthesize these two types of communication expertise to develop communication plans and messages that work well together.

Because organizational and strategic communications together make up a big part of your knowledge base, your curriculum may include multiple courses in these areas, such as classes in organizational communication assessment and strategic marketing.

Ethics in Communication

Words can be powerful. They can express poignant truths, but they can also be maneuvered to mislead and manipulate. Your job in corporate communications may be to persuade consumers to buy a product, potential investors to contribute money or employees to adapt to new processes and procedures, but you must do this ethically. Otherwise, companies could face legal trouble and other serious consequences for false advertising, misleading investors or violating employment contracts.

It’s no surprise, then, that the study of ethics has a place in an education in corporate communications. In a class in professional and organizational ethics, you will learn about different ethical issues, corporate ethical responsibilities and frameworks for making ethical decisions about the communication messages you create. You might also take classes in business ethics more generally, which cover subjects such as a company’s ethical usage and responsibilities pertaining to environmental matters and technology.

Part of corporate communications is choosing what information to share with an audience and how to “spin” that information. Having strong ethics is crucial when making this choice, because leaving out the wrong information can constitute unethical behavior.

Specialized Coursework in Areas of Business Communication

IMAGE SOURCE: Pixabay, public domain

Beyond organizational and strategic communications and the study of ethics, the coursework in a corporate communications program can be diverse. These master’s degree programs often include a good deal of elective credits in their curriculum requirements, allowing students to customize their program to meet their career needs.

Electives in a corporate communications program can range from investor relations to employee communication and from theories of persuasive communication to the role and use of information technology for communication. Some students of corporate communications programs focus their careers on branding and consumer behavior, often to dive into a marketing role, while others emphasize the use of communication in human resources and in their interpersonal management skills.

What electives you should choose depends on where you want to take your career. If you’re looking to rise to a leadership role, courses more in line with cultivating management skills are a great choice. You might study media relations and crisis communications if you’re interested in reputation management and public relations.

Other elective options in a corporate communications program might include project management, global business, website creation, digital tools and platforms for communication, and data analytics.

Additional Resources

What Is the Difference Between Corporate Communications and PR?

Are Companies Looking for Something More Than a Social Media Expert When Thinking About Corporate Communications?

What Areas of Writing Should I Focus on to Be Successful in Corporate Communications?

What Are the Salary Benefits of Getting a Master’s Degree in Corporate Communications?

How Much Can I Make With a Degree in Digital Marketing?

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Certification Programs in Paralegal Studies

For obvious reasons, a paralegal studies program is often the education of choice for aspiring paralegals. Ideally, students should look for paralegal programs that have been approved by the American Bar Association (ABA). These programs include certificate programs, associate’s degree programs and bachelor’s degree programs. These programs meet the high standards of the ABA guidelines. An ABA-approved paralegal program is not the same as certification offered through the National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA), but completing one such program is part of the professional standards needed to attain NALA certification.

In a paralegal studies program, students develop the core competencies needed for success in this career, the American Association for Paralegal Education reported. Regardless of your level of academic study, these competencies should include skills in legal research, legal writing, law office management, interviewing and investigation, critical thinking, computer proficiency, organization and general communication skills.

A few schools even offer paralegal studies programs at the master’s level, some of which have earned ABA approval.

Choosing Your Major Based on an Area of Legal Practice

Although there are general practice law firms and lawyers out there, many attorneys focus on a particular area of law. The paralegals they work with, too, focus on certain legal specialties or areas of practice. If you aren’t interested in a basic paralegal studies program – or if you want to switch up your major at either the associate’s or bachelor’s degree level – then you might choose your program of study based on what kind of law most interests you.

Determining the most appropriate college major is easier for some areas of legal practice than for others. Paralegals work on both sides of criminal law – prosecution and defense – and can learn a lot about the legal system and process by studying criminal justice. If you want to go into corporate law, assisting attorneys with mergers, acquisitions and compliance issues, then you could benefit from studying business administration. An academic background in a field like psychology is a good choice for students interested in working as a paralegal in family law, according to The Houston Chronicle.

Another way to prepare to work in your desired area of legal practice is by strategically searching for internship opportunities in that area of law. Internships are valuable for helping aspiring paralegals gain hands-on experience working in a law firm or courtroom.

Picking a Major for Skills Rather Than Content

Ultimately, you don’t need one specific major to work as a paralegal, or even for your college education to count toward a degree requirement. When law firms seek paralegals with a bachelor’s degree, for example, they rarely disqualify candidates based on the subject of their bachelor’s studies. Similarly, many non-degree paralegal certificate programs are designed for college graduates, but these programs usually don’t restrict entry to candidates with only certain academic backgrounds.

Generally, paralegals benefit from having a college education, no matter what subject they study. It’s often a good idea, then, for aspiring paralegals to consider what skills they will most need for their career and choose a program of study that will help them develop those skills. The most important qualities for paralegals to have include research skills, computer skills, organizational skills, communication skills and interpersonal skills, the BLS reported. Majoring in a subject like communications can help students develop skills in reading, writing, research and public speaking. Although you don’t need an advanced understanding of computer science or programming languages, achieving proficiency in general computer skills can help you quickly learn to use software for legal research and case files.

Even a degree in liberal arts helps students cultivate important skills like critical thinking, research and how to effectively learn new information – which they will have to do throughout their career as they investigate case law and legal precedents.

Additional Resources

What Degree Do You Need to Be a Paralegal?

What Is the Benefit of a Degree in Paralegal Studies Vs. Legal Studies?

What Is a Bachelor’s Degree in Paralegal Studies?

What Is a Bachelor’s Degree in Legal Studies?

Top 25 Law Schools

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According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), workers with a bachelor’s degree earn a median salary of $1,173 per week. Compare that to $712 per week for workers with a high school diploma.

But even higher earnings are available for workers with a master’s degree. The question for you is, does it pay to continue your education? 

The same BLS study notes that workers with a master’s degree earn a median salary of $1,401 per week. Workers with a professional degree earn even more at $1,836 per week. So, yes, it could be worth it to continue your education!

Employers in many different fields will tell you that the more education you have, the more likely you are to move up the pay scale. In fact, some mid-level jobs require a master’s degree. A lot of high-level positions, like senior management, often require a master’s degree as well. In some professions, like counseling, a master’s degree is required for licensure.

If you’re ready to raise your income ceiling and continue your education, consult the list below. We’ve compiled 50 of the highest paying master’s degrees you can get.

Each degree lists the median salary. This information is obtained from the BLS and other sources, like Salary.com.

Remember, the salary you earn can vary from these numbers. This is especially true when you consider other elements of the compensation package, like health insurance and retirement benefits. Consider this list a good starting point. But do additional research as well to find the best master’s degree for you.

50. Rehabilitation Counseling

Rehabilitation counseling is closely related to social work and psychology. It is focused on helping people with disabilities. People with mental health and addiction issues can also seek help from a rehabilitation counselor.

A student who has earned a rehabilitation counseling degree is called a rehabilitation counselor. They can work in private practice, hospitals, or rehabilitation facilities. Some of them work in schools, government agencies, and insurance agencies as well.

It’s challenging work. And while the median salary for a rehab counselor may not match that of an MBA, the work is highly fulfilling. The good news is job prospects are strong through the end of the decade.

Job Outlook: 10% growth through 2029

Median Salary: $35,950

49. Social Work

There are many different specializations within this field. In general, the main priority for social workers is to help people cope with challenges in their lives. This might include:

• Adopting a child
• Dealing with unemployment
• Being diagnosed with a terminal illness

Some social workers work with specific people as well. They might specialize in working with children or the elderly. Some social workers are employed in schools. Others work only with people struggling with substance abuse.

Clinical social workers also diagnose and treat emotional, behavioral, and mental issues. To become a clinical social worker, you must have at least a master’s degree for licensure.

This is also a fast-growing occupation. While the median salary is toward the bottom of the rankings, the availability of jobs makes it an attractive option.

Job Prospects: 13% growth through 2029

Median Salary: $50,470

48. Master of Music in Music Education

A master’s degree program in music education has many focuses. First, you’ll learn how to foster musical skills in your students. Second, you’ll learn how to improve your own musical abilities. Third, you’ll explore educational tools you can use to improve your ability to teach music.

Students in these programs also take courses in:

• Leadership
• Curriculum development
• Research

You’ll also study musical foundations and music technology. Grade-appropriate courses are included as well, such as elementary teaching methods.

Job Prospects: 9% growth through 2029

Median Salary: $51,670 (for music directors) to $69,530 (for post-secondary music teachers)

47. Master of Studio Arts

A master’s degree in studio arts is usually focused on many areas. Students can work in photography, painting, and sculpture. They can also work in drawing, print, and extended media. In some cases, you might focus more on one area than others.

This degree can lead to many different jobs. You can be an art teacher at a college. You might find a job as an art director for a creative agency. You might even work as a museum curator. In any case, having a master’s degree can open many different avenues for work.

However, the job outlook for some studio arts careers is not good. With many areas in decline, competition for jobs might be intense.

Job Outlook: -2% to -4% decline through 2029

Median Salary: $52,110 (for graphic designers) to $94,220 (for art directors)

46. Pathology

A master’s degree in pathology is a good choice if you wish to work as a pathology assistant. This career is an important one. It involves examining organisms and their cells, molecules, and tissues. It also involves studying these systems to find the causes of disease.

Pathologists tend to work in research or clinical settings. As such, it’s important to have a solid background of science. It’s often best to have an undergraduate degree in one of the following areas before beginning a master’s degree in pathology:

• Biology
• Chemistry
• Life sciences
• Anatomy
• Physiology

By getting a master’s degree in pathology, you’ll have the skill set you need to work in research or teaching. You could also pursue careers in the biotechnology field.

Job Prospects: 7% growth through 2029

Median Salary: $53,120

45. Reading and Literacy

Reading and literacy is a specialty within a master’s of education program. Students gain skills that allow them to assist others in becoming better readers. This includes diagnosing reading problems. It also includes developing strategies for overcoming those problems.

Reading and literacy specialists often work with schools. They might develop a reading curriculum for teachers. They might also team teach in a classroom of children that have reading difficulties.

Some reading and literacy specialists work in private practice. Some become writers. Others work for media companies. A good number also work with adults to help them improve their literacy.

Job Outlook: -10% decline through 2029

Median Salary: $54,350

44. Divinity

A master’s degree in divinity prepares you for a professional ministry role. These programs focus not only on religious teachings but on leadership as well.

For example, you might take courses in Biblical content. But you will likely also take courses in communications, research, and organizational leadership.

Graduates of these programs often become ordained. They typically work as a minister in a church setting. This is not always the case. With additional education, you might be a counselor or social worker. Some people with a master’s in this field become teachers as well.

Job Prospects: 4% growth through 2029

Median Salary: $55,190

43. Interior Design

Graduate programs in interior design focus much on design principles. However, they also revolve around ways to use design principles to improve the way people live.

Much of an interior design graduate program involves the study of art, space, and ergonomics. Studies of color theory, psychology, and computer-aided design are often part of a master’s program as well.

Today, interior design programs also reach into the areas of globalism, social responsibility, and sustainability too.

Job Prospects: -5% decline through 2029

Median Salary: $56,040

42. Early Childhood Education

Though you can be a teacher with a bachelor’s degree, teachers with master’s degrees earn more money.

A master’s degree in early childhood education allows you to work with kids age 1-8. The number of children enrolled in early childhood education programs is expected to continue to rise. This includes kids in preschool, kindergarten, and early elementary grades.

Additionally, it is expected that many Baby Boomer teachers will retire in the coming years. With more kids in schools and more job openings, that makes this career a solid choice.

Job outlook: 4% growth through 2029

Median salary: $59,420

41. Master of Fine Arts

A master of fine arts, or MFA, allows students to advance their artistic abilities and knowledge. This is different from a master of studio art. An MFA is more focused on a specific creative field.

Students in this program learn highly technical skills. The skills learned depend on the specific area of study. For example, an MFA student in photography will learn a much different skill set than an MFA student in music performance.

Other careers for graduates with an MFA include:

• Screenwriter
• Actor
• Film director
• Author

Job Prospects: -5% decline through 2029

Median Salary: $63,200

40. Anthropology/Archaeology

A master’s degree in this field opens doors to many occupations. Anthropologists and archaeologists might work for government agencies or museums. Some work in construction and transportation trades. There are also jobs to be had in cultural resource management.

Field experiences are part of the master’s training for this field. This might take the form of an internship at a museum. It could also be a field experience on an archaeological dig.

In some cases, graduates might work in the private sector. This might involve doing contract work for government or public agencies. Some anthropologists and archaeologists go on to have a career in education as well.

Job Prospects: 5% growth through 2029

Median Salary: $63,670

39. History

Students receiving a master’s degree in history will be trained in research methods. These programs also focus on writing skills and content in selected areas of history.

The job possibilities with this degree are wide-ranging. You might work as a historian. You could teach as well. A graduate degree in history is also good preparation for law school.

Many people that work in museums and archives have advanced degrees in history. Some historians become lecturers and authors too.

Job Prospects: 3% growth through 2029

Median Salary: $63,680

38. Criminal Justice

The criminal justice field is growing. This is true for the number of jobs and the variety of positions. The possible salary levels are getting more diverse as well.

In the years since the 2001 terrorist attacks, homeland security has been a top priority. Competition for jobs in this sector is extremely high. Having an advanced degree like a master’s in criminal justice could help you land the job you want.

Career choices in this field include:

• Emergency management
• Policy and planning
• Crime scene investigation
• Agency administration

Depending on the fieldwork you wish to do, you might need to specialize. For example, a position as a field agent for a law enforcement agency would require training from that agency.

Job Prospects: 5% growth through 2029

Median Salary: $65,170

37. Curriculum & Instruction

A degree in curriculum and instruction is often a master’s of education. This degree is specifically for educators who want to extend their studies into theories of education. Curriculum design is a large part of these programs as well.

Most students in these programs already have classroom teaching experience. Getting this degree could allow them to move into other education-related careers, like:

• Instructional coordinator
• Academic coach
• Assistant Principal

No matter the future career, students in these programs will have a lot of work ahead of them. A master’s in curriculum and instruction requires studies in curriculum theory and educational research. There are courses in diversity and classroom management as well. Educational testing and measurement is a core topic too.

Job Prospects: 6% growth through 2029

Median Salary: $66,290

36. Orthotics and Prosthesis

You might have never heard of an orthotist or prosthetist. However, they are important and rapidly growing careers.

Orthotists specialize in creating things like supports and braces that help people with medical conditions function better. For example, they might design a walking cane for a patient.

A prosthetist designs and builds artificial limbs. For example, they might design an artificial hand for a patient that lost their hand in an accident.

In both cases, these positions require you to work closely with physicians to create supports that enhance the patient’s quality of life.

Job Prospects: 17% growth through 2029

Median Salary: $68,410

35. Public Health, Epidemiology

Advanced positions in the health industry often require a master’s degree. With a master of public health degree, you will get widely recognized credentials for managerial positions.

These positions can be in a variety of settings. Many public health officials work for government agencies, like the Center for Disease Control. Others work for non-profit organizations. Still others work for private organizations to conduct research or lobbying efforts.

Many master of public health programs have different options for specialties. You might specialize in epidemiology or health care policy. Health care administration or communicable diseases are additional options.

Job Prospects: 5% growth through 2029

Median Salary: $70,990

34. Architecture

Master’s programs in architecture provide students with advanced studies in building design. This includes designing structures for urban, suburban, and rural areas.

Much of an architecture program is focused on functional designs. These designs might be for single-family homes. They might be for apartment buildings. They might also be for skyscrapers or transportation hubs.

But there is also a good deal of conceptual studies. This includes designing buildings for the future. Buildings that might be more sustainable or functional might fall into this category.

Expect to study things like architectural history, environmental control systems, and tectonics as well.

Job Prospects: 1% growth through 2029

Median Salary: $80,750

33. Finance

Finance is another broad career area that offers many different paths for graduates to find success.

In school, students learn about many different financial services. This includes:

• Securities
• Corporate finance
• Investments

Finance graduate students also learn about the processes of mergers and acquisitions. Financial management principles, concepts, and techniques are further topics of study.

With a graduate degree in finance, you might find employment with a commercial bank. You could also work at an investment bank or an accounting firm. Some finance graduates work in corporate finance. Others are employed in private wealth management or entrepreneurial finance.

Job Outlook: 5% growth through 2029

Median Salary: $81,590

32. Biology

Master’s in biology programs provide a broad education in the principles of modern biology. The study of biology usually includes advanced courses in:

• Cell biology
• Molecular biology
• Physiology
• Neurobiology

Likewise, biology master’s programs include studies in developmental biology, pharmacology, and environmental studies.

Since these programs are so diverse, there are many career paths you might take. With additional training, certification, or licensure, you could become a:

• Teacher
• Physician’s assistant
• Biochemist
• Biological technician

Job Prospects: 3% growth through 2029

Median Salary: $82,220

31. Occupational Therapy

Occupational therapy is a rapidly growing field of work. But before you can begin your career, you need an advanced degree.

A master’s of occupational therapy program combines in-class learning with practical experiences in the field. You’ll learn how to work with patients of all ages. You’ll also explore methods that can be used with patients that have varying physical ailments.

For example, you might specialize in working with aging adults. This might mean you focus on muscle strength and flexibility. Alternatively, you might specialize in working with injured athletes. In this case, you would focus on rehabilitating the injury so the patient can return to full strength.

Job Prospects: 16% growth through 2029

Median Salary: $84,950

30. Civil Engineering

Though a bachelor’s degree in engineering can qualify you for many jobs, a master’s degree is even better.

Master’s programs in civil engineering explore advanced topics. These topics relate to how designs impact the environment, properties, and people as well:

• Fluid mechanics
• Acoustics
• Hydrogeology
• Computational mechanics

There are many opportunities for specialization too. For example, you might specialize in earthquake engineering. Another option would be to specialize in continuum mechanics.

Though this can be a lucrative career, it is not expected to grow much in the coming years. This will likely mean increased competition among recent graduates for fewer positions.

Job Prospects: 2% increase in jobs through 2029

Median Salary: $87,060

29. Mechanical Engineering

Engineering is a popular graduate program. Within engineering, mechanical engineering is one of the broadest disciplines.

This is good for you because the training you can get in a graduate program in mechanical engineering can lead to a variety of engineering careers. This includes:

• Aerospace
• Medical
• Agricultural
• Manufacturing

Usually, mechanical engineering programs come with a specialty. For example, you might have a set of courses that focus on material science. Alternatively, the area of emphasis might be fluid science or biomechanics.

Truly, the possibilities are virtually endless with a graduate degree in this field.

Job Prospects: 4% growth through 2029

Median Salary: $88,430

28. Physical Therapy

Maybe you’ve had a need for a physical therapist in your life. If so, you know that a physical therapist evaluates and treats patients with movement dysfunctions.

You can be a physical therapy assistant with as little as an associate’s degree. But a master’s degree is required to be a physical therapist. 

Most physical therapy programs include coursework in the following:

• Physiology
• Biology
• Anatomy
• Kinesiology
• Biomechanics

These programs include studies in exercise, neuroscience, and pathology as well. Students also learn how to conduct themselves in an ethical manner. There is instruction on evidence-based practice and clinical reasoning too.

Not only is this a highly rewarding career, but it is also growing rapidly. High demand means there should be plenty of jobs to be had in the coming decade.

Job Prospects: 18% growth through 2029

Median Salary: $89,440

27. Statistics

Like information science, statistics is a rapidly growing field. This is due in large part to the explosion of data that is produced in today’s world.

Statistics is not just the study of numbers for mathematical purposes. Instead, the theory, methodology, and practice of analyzing data is a fundamental tool in a wide variety of career areas. This includes:

• Education
• Sports
• Politics
• Mobile computing

Statistics is also a central component of finance, marketing, and even the internet.

In a master’s program in statistics, you can expect to learn about probability and theoretical statistics. Applied statistics and research topics should also be expected.

Job Prospects: 33% growth through 2029

Median Salary: $92,030

26. Industrial-Organizational Psychology

This is one of the most highly specialized areas of psychology. It deals with the scientific study of human behavior in organizations. Typically, these psychologists strive to resolve workplace-related issues.

For example, an industrial-organizational psychologist might be asked to identify ways to improve employee productivity. As another example, they might seek to find a solution to mistrust between employees and managers.

This kind of work requires a strong understanding of organizational dynamics. It also requires a good knowledge of individual and group behavior.

Job Prospects: 3% job growth through 2029

Median Salary: $92,880

25. Construction Management

A master’s degree in construction management opens up all kinds of jobs for graduates. Projects for residential, industrial, and commercial clients all need skilled site managers.

Likewise, heavy construction, mining, and highway projects need construction managers to ensure projects stay on schedule and on budget.

In a construction management master’s program, students explore a range of topics. This includes:

• Project management
• Cost control
• Construction programming
• Finance

Additionally, students study technical topics related to construction as well as finance. Most programs have coursework in entrepreneurship and business as well.

Job Prospects: 8% growth through 2029

Median Salary: $95,260

24. Educational Leadership

Educational leadership master’s programs are similar to those for organizational leadership. You still study things like project management, team building, and effective communication.

However, these programs are specifically focused on leadership in educational settings. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Preschools
• Elementary schools
• Middle schools and junior high schools
• High schools
• Junior colleges
• Public and private universities

These programs emphasize the importance of leadership, technology, and curriculum development in providing sound educational services for students.

Typical courses include educational leadership, school finance, and school law.

Job Prospects: 4% growth through 2029

Median Salary: $95,410

23. Educational Administration

If you have your heart set on a career as a principal or administrator, this is the master’s degree for you.

Educational administration degrees come in the form of a master of arts. This degree provides a foundation of skills for a variety of careers. These include:

• Personnel supervision
• Principal or assistant principal
• Superintendent or assistant superintendent
• Education finance
• School law

Educational administration programs also focus on topics like curriculum and instruction. Courses in learning theory and ethics are also to be expected.

Job Prospects: 4% growth through 2029

Median Salary: $96,400

22. Health Administration

Many healthcare executives have at least a master’s degree in health administration.

These programs prepare leaders that can effectively run a healthcare organization. These organizations are often quite large. They have significant budgets. There are many employees as well. This puts a lot of pressure on administrators to ensure everything is running smoothly.

Additionally, programs in health administration focus on the rapid changes that occur in the industry. For example, students might learn about emerging technologies that make telehealthcare a viable option for many patients.

Studying healthcare administration involves courses in finance, economics, and strategic planning. Students also develop strong leadership and research skills.

This is by far one of the most in-demand jobs. It is expected to stay in demand for the rest of the decade.

Job Prospects: 32% growth through 2029

Median Salary: $100,980

21. Electrical Engineering

Like other engineering fields, electrical engineering is a fast-growing career. Earning a master’s degree in electrical engineering will qualify you for a wide range of job options. This includes:

• Scientific research
• Power generation
• Architecture
• Manufacturing

Regardless of the area they work in, electrical engineers must have solid skills. This includes a deep understanding of topics like math, circuitry, communication systems, and electrical design.

Generally speaking, a master’s program in electrical engineering will take two years to complete. Some schools offer accelerated options that cut that time in half.

Just be sure you choose a school that is accredited. Accreditation comes from the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). Many jobs in this field require applicants to have a master’s degree from an ABET-accredited program.

Job Prospects: 3% increase through 2029

Median Salary: $101,250

20. Telecom Engineering

Telecommunications is a rapidly growing industry. This means that job prospects should be good for the next few years. But it also means that more people are entering this field. Competition for jobs can be fierce.

To position yourself for a telecom engineering job, you need at least a master’s degree. These programs explore topics such as:

• Computer network theory
• Operating systems
• Network engineering

Obviously, a large part of a telecom engineering master’s degree is also on telecommunications networks. This includes how to design, build, and deploy networks.

Many positions in this field require you to have a deep understanding of leadership. Additionally, you’ll need to be versed in telecommunications policies and regulations.

Job Prospects: 3% growth through 2029

Median Salary: $101,250

19. Economics

With a master of science in economics, you can pursue any number of careers. It is a broad field of study that emphasizes the development of technical, analytical, and qualitative skills. These skills are developed in courses like:

• Microeconomics
• Macroeconomics
• Econometrics
• Economic theory

These programs have a heavy emphasis on research as well. The research component helps students gain analytical and problem-solving skills.

With a master’s degree in economics, you can pursue careers in the public or private sector. You might become a professor or a policy analyst. You could also go into data science or budget analysis as well.

Job Prospects: 14% growth through 2029

Median Salary: $105,020

18. Software Engineer

Software engineering is a highly lucrative field. With a master’s degree, you can find many different advanced careers that pay very well.

Software engineers aren’t just employed by software companies. Instead, they are employed in a variety of sectors. This includes, business, industry, and government.

In most cases, software engineers design and construct computer systems. They also test software. Another important job duty is to maintain computer applications and systems.

This can be tedious work. Software is coded line by line. However, software engineers enjoy high pay, good benefits, and generally positive work experiences. There is often good job security as well. Companies are willing to pay a premium for well-qualified workers.

Job Prospects: 22% growth through 2029

Median Salary: $107,510

17. Applied Mathematics

Applied mathematics might seem like a very narrow field. However, a master’s degree can open up many different job opportunities.

For example, a master’s in applied mathematics might lead to a career in the engineering field. Likewise, you can pursue jobs in actuarial science. There are other possibilities as well, including:

• Scientific computing
• Numerical analysis
• Mathematical biology

Some of these fields are in higher demand than others. Actuarial science, for example, has more available jobs than mathematical biology.

Nevertheless, by gaining experience in math, economics, business, and other related disciplines in this master’s program, you’ll be prepared to take on all kinds of jobs.

Job Prospects: 18% growth through 2029

Median Salary: $108,350 (for actuaries)

16. Physician Assistant

If you’ve been to a doctor’s office recently, you may have seen a physician assistant, or PA.

These health care professionals are not medical doctors. However, they are licensed to practice medicine under the supervision of an M.D.

During a master of science in medicine program, students learn how to handle common tasks, like: 

• Conducting physical exams
• Diagnosing illnesses
• Treating illnesses
• Ordering and interpreting tests

Likewise, PAs might write prescriptions for drug therapies. They will occasionally assist in surgery as well. A large part of this job is also providing advice on preventative health care to their patients.

It should be noted that you must graduate from an accredited master’s program. You must also take the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam (PANCE). It is a good idea to continue your education as well. PAs that have specialties or board certification usually make more money.

Job Prospects: 31% growth through 2029

Median Salary: $112,260

15. Nurse Anesthetist

Nurse anesthetists provide anesthesia to patients before surgery. They usually work in a team with medical doctors, including an anesthesiologist.

However, they don’t always work in hospitals. Some nurse anesthetists work in dental offices and outpatient surgical centers as well.

Part of the duties of nurse anesthetists is to evaluate patients. These evaluations inform the type of anesthesia to be used. They also help determine the type of anesthesia to be used. Evaluations usually involve conversations about the patient’s:

• Known allergies
• Health conditions
• Medications

Among advanced practice registered nurses, nurse anesthetists are among the highest-paid. This is also a rapidly growing field. This means that in addition to high pay, there should be plenty of jobs available in the coming years.

Job Prospects: 45% growth through 2029

Median Salary: $115,800

14. Nurse Midwife

Like other health care careers, nurse midwifery is a rapidly growing field. Nurse midwives are licensed professionals that specialize in childbirth. They also specialize in reproductive health.

Typically, midwives help facilitate births. They also provide prescriptions, offer counseling to new parents, and perform annual exams.

Becoming a nurse midwife requires a lengthy education. In addition to a bachelor’s degree, they must also be a registered nurse. To become a certified nurse midwife, they must also have a master’s degree.

Common courses in graduate programs for nurse midwives include:

• Postpartum care
• Advanced physiology
• Research methods
• Pharmacology

Job Prospects: 45% growth through 2029

Median Salary: $115,800

13. Nurse Practitioner

One of the fastest-growing careers by far is nurse practitioner. That makes getting a master of science in nursing a smart choice.

Nurse practitioners coordinate patient care. They often provide direct care to patients as well. In some situations, a nurse practitioner might be specialized. An example of this would be a family nurse practitioner. Another example would be a cardiac nurse practitioner.

In graduate school, students focus on health care courses. This includes:

• Pharmacology
• Community health
• Statistics

Master’s programs also focus on specialty areas as well as clinicals. You can expect to be more independent in your studies and clinicals at this stage than in undergraduate studies.

Job Prospects: 45% growth through 2029

Median Salary: $115,800

12. Human Resources Management

A business is only as good as its people. This is true despite massive changes in how businesses operate. It’s also true in spite of the incredible technological advances that have changed the business landscape.

A master’s degree in human resources management will prepare you to lead a business’ employees. Your education will include a variety of topics, including:

• Employee training
• Hiring and firing procedures
• Overseeing organizational change
• Recruiting new employees

Additionally, human resources managers tackle issues related to employee and labor relations, sensitivity training, and employee compensation.

Job Prospects: 6% growth through 2029

Median Salary: $116,720

11. Organizational Leadership

A master of arts in organizational leadership is a great choice. These programs offer a wide range of studies. While the focus is on developing leadership skills, students also learn about:

• Project management
• Team building
• Effective communication

Organizational leadership also involves a heavy dose of conflict resolution. To be an effective leader, one must understand how to bring opposing sides together to manage disagreements. This is true whether you work for a small, medium, or large organization.

By the time students graduate, they will have the skills to be successful leaders in the public and private sectors.

Job Prospects: 6% growth through 2029

Median Salary: $116,968

10. Human-Computer Interaction

Not all that long ago, a master’s program in human-computer interaction would have been thought of as material in a sci-fi movie. Today, though, master’s programs in this area are becoming much more common.

These programs usually integrate multiple areas of study. This includes:

• Usability
• Interface design
• Research methods
• Interactive computing

Students in these programs also focus on user experience. This involves designing computer interfaces that are easy to use and intuitive.

With a master’s degree, you could go to work in the private sector. Some government agencies might also have positions available. In many cases, graduates go on to get a Ph.D. Doing so will open up even more career paths. It will also improve the possible salary.

Job Prospects: 2% growth through 2029

Median Salary: $117,220

9. International Relations

Many people that get a master’s degree in international relations work for the government. And while there are many government agencies that might hire a graduate with this degree, there are many other career options. This includes:

• Human rights activist
• Lobbyist
• Media analyst

In some cases, graduate programs in this field require you to have certain prerequisites. For example, proficiency in more than one language is often highly sought-after. This is because of the nature of this work. Often, the work revolves around the relationships between different nations.

As you might have guessed, the complexities of these relationships are far and wide. They can influence law and politics. There are also significant economic impacts that can result from how nations interact with one another.

Job Prospects: 6% growth through 2029

Median Salary: $122,220

8. Physics

Studying physics at the graduate level often means choosing from one of a number of specialties. These include:

• Quantum physics
• Biophysics
• Biophotonics
• Computational physics

With a graduate degree in this field, the world is your oyster. Physicists are employed in a wide range of disciplines.

For example, a physics degree could lead to a career as a computer programmer. Likewise, you might become a medical physicist. Other options include teaching, research, and product development.

There are many job opportunities in the aerospace industry, energy, technology, and engineering as well.

Job Outlook: 7% growth through 2029

Median Salary: $122,220

7. Computer Science

Computer science has long been a popular choice for master’s students. That’s because technology is rapidly changing. It’s also becoming an increasingly important part of our daily lives.

Because good computer scientists are in such high demand, workers tend to be very well paid. If you get a master’s degree in computer science, that only improves the likelihood that you have the necessary skills to be a desirable job candidate.

Computer science graduate programs focus on computer language theory and software design. There are also classes on operating systems, networks, and databases. Information security and data management are common courses as well.

A computer science master’s degree usually takes two years to complete. The return on that investment can be quite good.

Job Prospects: 15% growth through 2029

Median Salary: $122,840

6. Information Science

Information science is a field that examines the properties and behavior of information. It is concerned with the flow of information, how information is processed, and how information is used as well.

In graduate studies in information science, students learn how to collect, organize, and store information. Coursework also focuses on retrieving information, interpreting it, and passing it on to other people.

Information scientists are in demand in all sectors of the economy. You’ll find information scientists employed by Fortune 500 companies. They also work for government agencies. A good number work in the non-profit sector as well.

As organizations produce more and more data, information scientists will be in higher demand. In fact, this career area is expected to have strong growth throughout the 2020s.

Job Prospects: 15% growth through 2029

Median Salary: $122,840

5. Biostatistics

Most people with a master’s degree in biostatistics work in public health. Typically, they design studies that seek to expand medical knowledge. Additionally, they analyze data and seek out ways to improve the quality of research in public health.

Government agencies employ a large number of biostatisticians. This is because policymakers need hard data on which to make their decisions. Likewise, governments are seeking to reduce the cost of health care. To do so, they need biostatisticians to analyze health care data to identify areas where costs might be reduced.

Common courses in biostatistics master’s programs include:

• Bioinformatics
• Epidemiology
• Public health

Job growth for statisticians as a whole is expected to be robust for the next decade. But biostatistician jobs could see even more growth over the same period.

Job Prospects: 33% growth through 2029

Median Salary: $123,853

4. Business Administration

A master’s of business administration (MBA) has long been a top choice for graduate school students. As the economy continues to globalize, having an advanced level of business knowledge will only become more important.

In fact, many argue that business leaders must have at least an MBA. This level of education is necessary to handle the rapidly changing economy.

The core curriculum in an MBA program covers best practices like:

• Accounting
• Marketing
• Organizational behavior
• Finance

These programs also help students develop the soft skills they need to be successful. This includes communication skills, conflict resolution, and leadership skills, among others.

Though there are many avenues you can take with an MBA, some career areas are hotter than others. Finance managers are in high demand right now. Database administrators and business operations managers are also highly sought after.

Job Prospects: 6% to 15% growth through 2029

Median Salary: $129,890 (for financial managers)

3. Marketing

Marketing is critical for companies to maximize their return on investment. This being the case, skilled marketers can command very high salaries.

In a graduate program in marketing, you’ll study the thoughts, behaviors, and actions of buyers. You’ll learn the importance of differentiation. You’ll also learn how to establish unique brands.

Additionally, marketing programs help you:

• Develop solid communication skills
• Design engaging digital marketing campaigns
• Understand the qualities of effective promotion

Though some people with a master’s degree in this field work as marketing managers, others choose to work independently. In either case, the salary earned can be among the highest for master’s-level workers.

Job Prospects: 6% growth through 2029

Median Salary: $135,900

2. Petroleum Engineering

Historically, petroleum engineering has been one of the most lucrative engineering fields. Though there has been a shift toward renewable energy, petroleum engineers can still command excellent salaries.

To be a petroleum engineer you must have a strong education in STEM subjects. This includes:

• Engineering
• Math
• Natural sciences
• Earth science

In today’s world, technology plays a huge role in petroleum engineering. As such, graduate programs for petroleum engineering have a significant focus on technology. After all, technology is used to find reserves of oil and gas.

Being able to find these reserves and extract the oil and gas safely and economically is a central duty of petroleum engineers. To ensure students can achieve these goals, petroleum engineering programs have a heavy dose of coursework on safety.

Job Prospects: 3% growth through 2029

Median Salary: $137,720

1. Engineering Management

Engineering managers coordinate the activities of engineering companies. This involves much more than overseeing projects. Instead, engineering managers are responsible for:

• Developing plans for new designs
• Determining staffing and training needs
• Hiring and supervising staff
• Leading research and development projects

As a management position, there is a lot of oversight of workers. There is also a lot of coordination between different stakeholders on various projects.

An engineering management master’s program will help you develop the skills needed to carry out these tasks. Additionally, you can expect to take courses in:

• Engineering functions
• Information systems
• Economic decision-making

In most cases, students need two to three years to complete an engineering management program. But some students might be able to finish in just one year. 

Job Prospects: 3% growth through 2029

Median Salary: $144,830

The post Top 50 Highest Paying Master’s Degrees appeared first on DegreeQuery.com.

Web Designer

Wed designers craft webpage mock-ups based on brand, platform and corporate input. They present design proposals with user flows, site maps and B2B/B2C channel maps. Some web designer’s primary job is to edit and improve the navigation and performance of websites. This means that they may create vector images, manipulate graphics and work with other IT professionals to test functionality and ensure smooth traffic flow.

Some web designers work on the front-end by helping upload new content and prepare promotions. Others work on the back-end where they establish design guidelines and review best practices. Web designers tend to work with the same content management systems. Web designers will need to have a strong understanding of CSS, PHP and HTML.

Multimedia Artist

Multimedia artists use software, illustrations and design principals to create animation and interactive graphics that could result in a game, movie or visual effect. They may work in teams that are made up of programmers, illustrators, directors and technical staff. Multimedia artists usually specialize in certain mediums, such as apps, online games or CGI videos.

Those who work with video games may only create certain things like scenery, location background or character movement. For example, a character artist who works at an online game company will translate simple sketches into realistic character models that are futuristic, yet familiar. These multimedia design professionals will apply their understanding of human anatomy through traditional drawing and painting skills.

Web Graphic Designer

The Bureau of Labor Statistics notes that graphic designers convey information through photos, text and art. Web graphic designers create a variety of digital projects through software like GIMP, Drupal, WordPress, Illustrator, Photoshop and CorelDraw. Web graphic designers may help create a company’s logo, search engine ad and other digital marketing materials.

Some web graphic designers monitor websites to ensure they conform to layout, typology and style specifications. Senior graphic designers will ensure that digital content is proofed by following the quality assurance guidelines. Web graphic designers sometimes have the difficult task of translating complex information into a user-friendly design with logical navigation and simple pictures.

Multimedia Designer

Multimedia designers are generalists who are skilled in many types of visual communications design and development. They are expected to have ample proficiency with concept development, page layout, graphic manipulation and typography management. They may be asked to translate technical requirements into prototypes, page layouts and screen flows.

Multimedia designers may develop new navigation layouts, establish user interface design standards or educate leaders on web site requirements. Multimedia designers often work on temporary projects, so they must understand production costs, time management, effective communication and asset organization. They should have an acute sense of website aesthetics, creative workflows and team collaboration with multiple stakeholders.

The Multimedia Design Process

Regardless of the web content or career specialization, multimedia design projects follow the same process cycle. During the blueprint stage, strategic planning, feasibility studies and cost-benefit analysis are completed. Objectives, deliverables, milestones, technical parameters and content outlines are created. The statement of work will include a proposed plan, budget and schedule. During the design stage, flowcharts and storyboards help form the rapid prototypes that are tested by end-users. This generates usability test results that ideally triggers the next stage. During the production stage, A/V content is included, textual assets are edited and graphic deliverables are finalized.

Other employment areas of the web that a multimedia designer may find employment include graphic illustrator, production specialist, digital analyst and web developer. Regardless of the job, a multimedia designer will need a bachelor’s degree and a strong portfolio that exhibits an exceptional design aesthetic and mastery of creativity.

Related Resources:

What Can I Do With a Graphic Design Degree?

What is Multimedia Design?

Are There Bachelor’s Degrees in Multimedia Design?

What are Some Majors to Consider that Will Prepare Me for a Career in Multimedia Design?

What are Some Good Skills to Have When Considering a Career in Multimedia Design?

Are There Two Year Degrees Available in Multimedia Design?

What Are Some Careers a Person with a Degree in Multimedia Could Consider?

What are Some Good High School Classes to Take if I Want to get into Multimedia Design?

What is the Difference Between Multimedia Design and Graphic Design?

Do Only Art Schools Offer Programs and Degrees in Multimedia Design?

What Can I Do With a Degree in Visual Communications?

Is a Master’s Degree Necessary for Multimedia Design or am I Better Off Taking Individual Classes and Gaining More Work Experience?

Do I Need a Degree to Be an Interior Decorator?

The post What Kind of Areas of the Web Would I Be Working on in Multimedia Design? appeared first on DegreeQuery.com.

Business Degrees

IMAGE SOURCE: Pixabay, public domain

Although good leaders are needed in every organization, corporate or otherwise, leadership roles are most often associated with business. It makes sense, then, that an undergraduate background in some area of business would be beneficial to students considering a future in organizational leadership. As far as which area of business to study, that’s entirely up to you.

A broad degree program like business administration is a versatile option that will give you enough knowledge of each business function to carve your own path. You can’t go wrong with a major in human resources, the area of business that focuses on worker recruitment and training, either. A major in accounting, finance, or marketing offers a more specialized set of skills but can still provide the foundational business knowledge to help you excel in a future graduate program in leadership.

Some colleges even offer bachelor’s degrees in organizational leadership specifically, for students who recognize early on the value of organizational leadership skills and want to start out their college studies from this perspective. In a bachelor’s degree in organizational leadership, you might take classes in organizational management, personnel recruitment, workforce training and development, conflict management, communication and business law, according to U.S. News & World Report.

Students also major in business management, a business major that is even broader than business administration and which emphasizes the broader aspects of strategic planning, economic markets and business communication.

Education Degrees

For-profit corporations aren’t the only types of organizations the demand a strong leader. Organizational leadership degrees are sometimes offered out of graduate school programs in education. Although organizational leadership programs based in schools of education can be used to lead a K-12 school or an institution of higher education, they can also prepare you for a broader array of leadership opportunities.

Undergraduate degrees in education are typically teaching degrees that prepare you to work in the classroom. Education majors will learn theories and strategies for classroom management and finish their degree program with a semester-long student teaching experience in the classroom.

If you don’t have an interest in working as an educator, then this path isn’t right for you. You will need to spend at least a year, and often a few years, gaining full-time work experience after earning your bachelor’s degree and before applying to a master’s in organizational leadership program. Majoring in education as an undergraduate is, however, a good choice if you’re interested in both teaching and leadership.

If you’re thinking about majoring in education as an undergraduate, be aware of your school’s graduation criteria and your state’s teaching certification requirements. You may need to dual major in teaching and a subject area. 

Degrees That Emphasize Technical Knowledge

Although a background in leadership, business or teaching may connect more directly with a graduate program in organizational leadership, these aren’t your only options for undergraduate study. If you’re inclined to work in a technical industry or area of expertise, don’t shy away from majoring in that subject. A major and subsequent early-career experience in a technical field can set the stage for leadership studies later.

Many students in master’s in organizational leadership programs start out by gaining technical knowledge in disciplines that range from science and engineering to marketing and even history. Once they get to the stage of career advancement that they’re working toward leadership roles, going back to school for a master’s in organizational leadership allows them to develop the skills they need to move up to management.

The specifics of what to expect when choosing a degree program for the technical skills you gain depend on the discipline you select. Engineering majors will design solutions based on math and science, while marketing majors study sales, advertising and running campaigns.

Additional Resources

What Type of Degree Is Organizational Leadership?

How Can I Start My Career in Organizational Leadership?

What Is the Difference Between Organizational Leadership and Organizational Management?

The post What Is a Good Undergraduate Degree in Preparation for a Master’s in Organizational Leadership? appeared first on DegreeQuery.com.

What makes Business Popular?

As we’ll expand on later in this article, business is overwhelmingly the choice, statistically, by university students worldwide. At the undergraduate level and more so at the graduate level, students can begin specializing in one of the four principal areas – finance, accounting, management, and economics (FAME). One reason for its selection as a major is the diverse subject matter learned and its applicability to various aspects of the business world. A business degree opens up employment opportunities in retail, banking, marketing, human resources, real estate, finance, management, insurance, and more.

Some figures contradict the reasons for the popularity of a graduate degree in business. This data comes from the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), which published its Salary Survey report in the Winter of 2020. Data contained in the survey came from 134 employer members from September 16, 2019, through December 2, 2019 (many being Fortune 500 companies). The results state that the projected average salary for Business graduates in 2020 will be $75,197 – 2.89% lower than the expected income for 2019. Master’s degrees in computer science ($79,793), math, and engineering take the top three places. Not a significant range from first to fourth place business.

Why Specialize?

The concise answer to the captioned query is “No,” you do not need to choose an area of specialization in your MBA. There are pros and cons to both. Here are some of them to consider:

General MBA

Pros:

• You receive exposure to a range of subjects about business, communication, leadership, and management.
• You obtain the skills and knowledge to apply the coursework to a variety of sectors in the business world.
• Acceptance may not require specific undergraduate courses – just pass the GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test)

Specialized MBAs

Pros:

• Students receive an in-depth education in a particular concentration, like finance, marketing, accounting, or entrepreneurship.
• Those who know their career path can focus on the coursework most beneficial to their aspirations.
• A specialized program may provide a head start for those who have decided on their direction in business.

Some may enroll in an MBA after securing employment and see the advanced degree as a means for advancement. For these individuals, the specialized program might be the best choice to parallel their current area of work. Many schools offer online MBAs to suit working professionals. There are accelerated programs that one can finish within twelve months.

The list of possible areas of concentration is extensive. Those not previously mentioned above are:

• E-Business/E-Commerce
• Human Resources Management
• Information Systems
• Operations Management
• Strategic/Risk Management
• Technology Management
• Global Management

Working professionals and those whose career aims at any one of these sectors will benefit from a specialized MBA. The former group may be fortunate to have the employer pay for the cost of the degree. In this case, you would have to select an online program approved by the company. Reimbursement is generally predicated on choosing a concentration that applies to your position, and you maintain a passing grade.

An MBA need not be an expensive proposition for those paying their own way. One of the most affordable is Georgia Southwestern State University, whose online E-Tuition for its MBA is $257 per credit hour. California Coast University (CCU) has a graduate tuition rate of $230 per credit. The school offers a General MBA, as well as specializations in Marketing, Health Care Management, Human Resource Management, and Management. CCU was established in 1973 to meet the demands of professionals who must continue working but want to elevate their status and wage in their line of business.

Decisions…decisions

Ultimately, the decision to specialize or not is personal. First, will an MBA benefit your career in advancement that typically translates to a higher salary? If you launch into an MBA straight after receiving your baccalaureate, is it worth the additional time and expense? You may secure employment, and then find out if your employer has a college reimbursement program. Or, ask during the job interview.

There are jobs where an MBA is imperative if you want to move up the corporate ladder. Certain areas of management meet this requirement. According to the employment site, Monster, an MBA in Strategy or Strategic Management, is among the highest specializations. Management consultant, finance manager, and senior product manager comprise examples of this group, whose roles require vision and analytic thinking. Monster sets the median wage at $127,000 for those working in the field of strategy.

Additional Resources:

15 Top Degrees for the Highest-Paying Business Careers

What Are the Highest-Paying Jobs in Business Administration?

What Is the Salary Potential for Someone With a Business Degree?

What Is the Salary Potential for Someone With an MBA?

Do I Need a Graduate Degree to Become a Manager?

What Salary Can I Expect With a Human Resources Management Degree?

The post Do I need to specialize in an MBA program? appeared first on DegreeQuery.com.

Management or Administration

Your marketing educations and experience can be valuable if you want to work in management or in an administrative role within a business. In planning their campaigns, good marketers do a lot of the same types of work that good managers of all kinds have to do. They set goals, conduct research to inform their path to reaching that goal, develop plans and strategies to meet their objectives and collaborate with others involved in the work. They may be in charge of sticking to budgets, identifying programs and tools that will help their efforts succeed and analyzing the results of their projects.

Whether at the department level or the executive level, managers establish goals for their teams and then plan for success, including securing the resources workers need to support their efforts. Managers hold workers accountable and oversee – if they don’t do the work themselves – analyses of company progress and worker performance reviews.

A marketer who wants to work in a management role outside of their field might first advance to a marketing manager position and then move into different departments.

Human Resources

Marketing is, in many ways, about people. When developing a marketing campaign, you need to get inside the head of the consumer to whom your company aspires to make a sale. Through interviews, focus groups, questionnaires and other methods of market research, you’re going to be working with people. You will also need to collaborate with your colleagues and with any professionals, such as freelance graphic designers, copywriters and video producers, who assist in your campaigns. If you work in a marketing agency, there is a whole client side to the work, while if you’re part of a company’s in-house marketing department, you have to work toward common goals with company management and administration and with other departments.

All of this is to say that the field of marketing has more in common with human resources than you might expect. If you’re good at building connections with other professionals in the marketing field, interfacing with clients of the marketing agency and managing professional agreements and contracts related to marketing services and campaigns, you might also be successful as an HR specialist.

Another way to think of human resources is as the internal marketing and branding associated with employment within a company. Through its internal communications, teambuilding efforts, company policies and other messages and actions, the human resources department shapes workplace culture and expectations. When it comes to recruiting, HR professionals market their organization as a company that candidates would want to work for through job descriptions, interviews and phone and email communications.

Marketers who are contemplating a shift into HR should focus on gaining a broader knowledge of general business studies. You can also consider earning a master’s degree or seeking certification in the field of human resources.

Accounting or Finance

IMAGE SOURCE: Pixabay, public domain

On the other hand, if it’s the quantitative and analytical side of marketing that you enjoy, you might decide to make the move into a math-heavy branch of business, like accounting or finance. Accounting is the subject that’s concerned with creating financial statements and reports, while finance is the field that revolves around strategically using financial data to make the decisions that help a business grow, reduce waste and improve profitability. One difference between accounting and finance is that accounting tends to have a narrower focus on calculating reports and statements, while finance tends to be a broader area that involves risk, probability and different types of assets.

To jump into accounting or finance roles with a marketing background, you’re going to have to convince potential employers that your quantitative skills are strong enough. Rather than highlighting your creative contributions to marketing campaigns, you would want to emphasize the quantitative work you have done when conducting market research and calculating return on investments made on marketing campaigns. If you managed a marketing campaign’s or department’s budget, that could help you demonstrate that you have some history of accounting-related work, even if your primary job function was marketing rather than accounting.

Even if you have the aptitude for a quantitative business subject and some math-related experience as a marketer, you may opt to pursue a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree if you hope to turn your career toward finance or accounting.

Additional Resources

Will Most Marketing Skills Transfer Between Different Fields?

What Are Some Typical Entry-Level Marketing Positions?

What Are the Highest-Paying Jobs in Marketing?

The post What Other Business Fields Will a Marketing Degree Help Me Get a Position In? appeared first on DegreeQuery.com.

“Life is like accounting, everything must be balanced” – Unknown

Accountants enjoy greater stability and report disproportionate job satisfaction in comparison with other professions. People who began their careers as accountants can be found working as CEO’s, CFO’s, Financial Managers, and in a litany of other powerful, lucrative positions across different industries. Accountants are known for their practicality, guidance and reliability, whether they’re working for an established business, individual clients, or a startup organization. In the coming years the field is also expected to see growth, evolution and widespread upcoming retirement among currently practicing accountants, making now a great time to begin your accounting career, especially if you can pair an accounting education with highly demanded skills in information technology and strategic management.

What is Accounting?

Accounting is the process of keeping track of financial transactions. Accountants record, organize, use, summarize and present financial information in analytical reports. These reports are used both internally for organizations and individuals to make sound financial decisions, and also externally, like to the government in tax reporting. Some accountants serve to advise clients and organizations, while others have influence over budgets, operations and other far-reaching organizational decisions.

How Do You Become an Accountant

Becoming an accountant means different things to different people. It’s possible to work in accounting without a degree, but eventually you’ll need at least a Bachelor’s and probably one certification (like the CPA) that you’re only likely to pass if you graduate from an accounting program. You’ll also likely need to work underneath a licensed CPA for 1800 hours. Each state has different rules about CPA certification, so make sure to explore the requirements where you live and/or plan to work. People working as accountants are able to prepare financial statements, tax returns (after passing an IRS test and/or receiving a Preparer Tax Identification Number). CPA’s are qualified to do audits and review financial statements.

Essentially, in order to become a highly functioning accountant that has job security and financial mobility, you’ll likely need to:

• Earn at least a Bachelor’s degree.
• Work underneath a licensed CPA.
• Take and pass the CPA exam.
• Consider earning further degrees and certifications, depending on your career goals.

Questions to Ask When Beginning Your Accounting Quest

If this all sounds good to you, you’re ready to pick an accounting program and earn a degree that gets you on the path to an accounting career. If you haven’t attended an undergraduate program, you’ll help yourself tremendously by picking an Associate or Bachelor accounting degree. When selecting a program, make sure to ask yourself the following:

• How much can you afford to pay for an accounting degree? Will you need to take out loans to make it possible to earn one? By earning an accounting degree online, you can often save yourself time and money.
• How much time do you have to earn your accounting degree on a daily and weekly basis, and how much time can you commit to it overall? Different programs have different schedules, and some will allow you to complete your degree quickly, while others let you learn at your own pace so you can maintain your current schedule and responsibilities.
• What’s the best delivery format for you to earn your accounting degree? There are online accounting programs, on-campus accounting programs, and programs that combine online learning with traditional learning in hybrid delivery formats.
• What specializations do accounting programs you’re looking at offer you? How will a potential concentration in accounting help you achieve your goals?

At Degree Query we’ve worked diligently to answer many of the most common questions related to accounting. Here’s some of what we’ve covered already:

Questions We’ve Answered On Accounting

Here are some of the common questions we’ve covered that will let you know how to earn an accounting degree quickly, show you what credentials you need for different accounting positions, let you know where in accounting you can make the most money, and much more:

• What Are the Highest Paying Jobs With an Associate’s Degree in Accounting?
• What Are the Highest Paying Jobs With a Master’s Degree in Accounting?
• What Are the Highest Paying Jobs With an Accounting Degree?
• What Is the Fastest School for a Master’s Degree in Accounting?
• What Is the Fastest School for an Associate’s Degree in Accounting?
• What Is the Fastest School for a Degree in Accounting?
• What Degree Does a Bookkeeper Need?
• What Degree Do I Need to Be a Tax Accountant?
• What Degree Does a CPA Need?
• What Degree Do People With a Job in Auditing Have?
• What Degree Do People With a Job in Management Accounting Have?
• How Much Experience Do I Need to Become a CPA?
• What Is the Difference Between an Associate’s Degree in Accounting and a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting?
• What Is the Difference Between an Accountant and a CPA?
• How Do I Prepare for the CPA Exam?
• What Are My Degree Choices in Fraud Analysis?

Keep in mind this is just a light smattering of the questions we’ve answered to help you become an accountant. To see all of our coverage on accounting degrees, jobs, certifications and more, please do a search on the accounting section of Degree Query.

What are the Best Accounting Degree Programs?

Now that you know where to find answers to common questions you have about accounting, it’s time to explore where you should earn an accounting degree. We’ve created two incredible resources that can help you choose the best accounting degree program for you:

Top 10 Accounting Degree Programs: On this ranking you’ll find ten incredible schools that offer accounting degrees at the undergraduate, graduate and doctoral levels. We’ve also included schools charging anywhere from $5,000-$50,000 in tuition so you can choose an affordable program.

Some of the top schools on our rankings include the following:

• University of Illinois–Urbana-Champaign: offers a 5 year program in which students will earn a Master’s and a Bachelor’s in accounting, and can choose concentrations in finance, taxation, supply chain management, business and public policy, corporate governance and information technology.
• Indiana University–Bloomington: This school features very affordable in-state tuition ($10,388) and admits 76.1% of applicants.
• Brigham Young University–Provo: BYU is one of the most affordable schools we’ve ranked, with tuition for members of the Mormon Church coming in at $5,150, and $10,300 for non-members.
• University of Alabama-Birmingham: UAB’s 100% online accounting Bachelor’s costs $400 per credit hour and prepares students for the Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE), and Certified Management Accountant (CMA) exams.
• Colorado State University – Global Campus: This program features professors who were specifically trained to give online instruction, and prizes “accounting fundamentals and a comprehensive view of organization management issues including legal compliance and ethics, finance, marketing, leadership, economics, and quantitative decision making.”
• Southern Oregon University: SOU’s online accounting program gives students access to two tracks, one in which they can focus on public, private, or governmental accounting, and another track delving into management or systems accounting.

What Can You Do With an Accounting Degree, and How Much Can You Earn in Common Accounting Positions?

People who begin their career as CPA’s or accountants end up in many different positions. At its core, accounting teaches you how to make practical, financially viable decisions, and gives you a wealth of knowledge about finance, budgets, taxation and much more. Because of this, the experience and the skills you build in an accounting program are transferable throughout the business world, and in any organization seeking sustainability and longevity. However, here are some of the common jobs you can qualify for with an undergraduate education and/or certifications like the CPA, among other common certifications in the field.

• Accountants and Auditors analyze the financial records of private citizens, companies and corporations, making sure the records are accurate and comply with tax codes. In 2017 the median annual salary of $69,350, and the number of people employed in these roles was 1,397,700, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. BLS predicted 10% job growth in these positions over the next decade.
• Financial Examiners work ensuring companies, corporations, and financial institutions comply with laws governing financial transactions. Many financial examiners work for federal, state, or local governments.
  The median annual average for people in these roles were $81,690 in 2017, and 52,500 people were working in them in 2017, with that number expected to increase by 10% over the next decade, and that’s faster than average.
• Financial Analysts help businesses and individuals make smart investments and build sustainable strategies. They need a good understanding of stocks and bonds on Wall Street. The median pay for these roles in 2017 was $84,300 according to BLS, with 296,100 people working in those roles. BLS also predicted an 11% increase in these jobs over the next decade.

These roles are great, but after five years in the field and perhaps a graduate degree, you can expect to step up to more lucrative positions with greater responsibilities, like the following:

• Financial Managers are expected to supervise the financial state of companies, corporations, and institutions by creating strategies that accomplish organizational goals. In 2017 the median income of these roles was $125,080, and there were 580,400 people in them. BLS predicted 19% job growth in these roles over the next decade.
• Top Executives are the professionals in charge of controlling organizations from the top down. In 2017 they earned a median annual salary of $104,700, and the number of people employed in these positions was 2,572,000. BLS predicted there would be an 8% job growth in these roles over the next decade.
• Sales Managers are in charge of organizations sales teams and need to have a detailed understanding of marketplace dynamics. In 2017 BLS found there was a median annual salary of $121,060, and there were 385,500 people employed in these positions. BLS expected a 7% growth in these roles over the next decade.

Let’s take a look at all of the different levels of accounting degrees.

What Accounting Degrees Can You Take?

Certificate or Diploma in Accounting: These programs generally take a year to complete, and cover fundamentals of accounting, bookkeeping, and payroll, among other foundational aspects of accounting. Graduates will be qualified to work as low-level bookkeepers or clerks.

Associate’s in Accounting: Here you’ll most likely study for two years (approximately 60 credit hours) and will prepare you to work in the most entry-level bookkeeping or clerk jobs, as well as transfer to a four-year accounting program. Often the school that conveys an associate’s degree in accounting has agreements with four-year universities to make your transfer and completion of your Bachelor’s easy and painless.

Bachelor’s in Accounting: In these programs you’ll take 120 credit hours (unless you already earned 60 in an associate program). You’ll focus on accounting, business, math, statistics, and finance courses and qualify to take your CPA exam and become licensed as a CPA, or in one of the other highly demanded accounting certifications.

Maser’s in Accounting: These programs generally take one to two years and give you advanced skills in accounting theory, practice, and a specialization (more on that next). One excellent option for these programs are MBA’s in accounting, in which you’ll get a graduate business education alongside higher level accounting courses.

Ph.D. or DBA in Accounting: These programs take anywhere from a year to 4-5 years to complete and are the final levels of accounting education. DBA’s generally are for people who want to work at the highest levels of business and accounting, and most graduates with PhDs in accounting will continue on to become college professors, but can also end up as high-level accountants, personal finance managers, or other executive business positions.

What Kind of Specializations and Focuses are there in Accounting?

All programs are different, but earning an accounting degree in a specialization that reflects your goals in the field is a great way to set yourself apart from your peers and build skills in highly demanded aspects of accounting. Here are some common specializations that can refine your accounting education:

• Accounting Information Systems
• Forensic Accounting
• Actuarial Science
• Manufacturing Cost Accounting
• Financial Accounting
• Tax Accounting
• Economics and Finance
• Information Technology

What Are Common Courses in an Accounting Program

Here are some typical courses you can expect to take across all accounting programs. You can read up on any of these and give yourself a leg up in your studies:

• Principles of Financial Accounting
• Federal Taxes and Business Strategy
• Accounting for Mergers, Acquisitions and Complex Financial Structures
• Financial Reporting and Disclosure
• Financial Statement Auditing
• Payroll Accounting
• Internal Reporting Issues
• Financial Modeling and Analysis

What Skills Can You Build in an Accounting Degree?

The skills you build in an accounting program apply throughout your career and life. As we’ve mentioned people who begin their careers with an accounting education end up in all kinds of influential and supervisory positions across different industries and sectors. That’s in large part due to the abilities and aptitudes accountant programs foster.

Accountants will become well-versed in:

• Organization and Time Management: Accounting involves so many different facets that your ability to schedule your time and prioritize problems and solutions will grow exponentially throughout your time studying accounting.
• Adaptability: Markets, organizations, and financial environments are in constant states of flux, so your ability to change your strategies and processes under pressure will be tested and developed throughout your accounting education and subsequent career.
• Communication: In accounting you’ll need to explain complex topics and how they impact organizations to people with little to no experience with them. Being able to distill what you’ve learned in a digestible way for non-specialists and have them understand its importance will be essential to your professional success.
• Leadership: Accountants often operate behind the scenes, but the most successful move up to have significant control of the organizations they work for and in. Making that transition will require the ability to demonstrate your value, and how you can effectively shape an organization to the benefit of everyone within it, and the people it serves.

What are the Most Important Accounting Certifications?

We’ve talked a good deal about the CPA certification, but it’s just one of the vital and lucrative accounting certifications you can earn in addition to your accounting degree(s). Here’s a look at some of the most common certifications that can advance your career and direct it towards certain areas of accounting and business that you’re interested in.

Certified Fraud Examiner: If you’re interested in fighting against fraud, identity theft and more, this certification is for you. It combines the inner workings of accounting and auditing with criminology and sociological study. You’ll learn how to spot signs of fraud, interview and expose suspects, report on investigations, testify at trial, and much more. You’ll need a Bachelor’s degree in a related field (business, accounting, etc.), and take then pass a certification exam, as well as become a member of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE).

Certified Information Systems Auditor: By earning this certification, you’ll demonstrate an ability to monitor and safeguard information technology and business systems. You’ll use an auditor’s knowledge and computer science skills to make yourself an invaluable part of an organization. The need for these roles is on the rise, and by taking and passing the CISA exam, you’ll be ready to help fill them.

Enrolled Agent: Here you’ll become federally certified to represent taxpayers who are dealing with Internal Revenue Service audits, collections, or appeals. You’ll need the ethical decision-making of a lawyer and the knowledge of a tax professional. To become qualified you’ll need to work for the IRS for five years or alternatively pass all three parts of the Special Enrollment Exam (SEE) and a background check.

Certified Management Accountant: This is similar to becoming a licensed CPA but has more of a concentration on cost accounting, financial planning, and management. You’ll need to pass the CMA exam, and should consider joining the Association of Accountants and Financial Professionals in Business.

Certified Payroll Professional: In these positions you’ll need three to five years of professional payroll experience, take a number of courses and pass the CPP exam. Then you’ll be qualified to work as a payroll administrator, administrative manager, and payroll specialist, among other positions.

Accredited Business Accountant: This is also similar to becoming a CPA but involves more financially based study and labor. You’ll specialize in financial accounting, financial reporting, financial statement preparation, taxation, managerial accounting, as well as business law and ethics, among other areas of study. You’ll need three years of related work experience, (two of which can also be satisfied with college credit), and to pass Practice 1 and Practice 2 in order to receive the ABA certification.

Forensic Accountant: Here you’ll work in accounting litigation and investigation. On the litigation side you’ll dissect economic issues involved with legal disputes, prevent legal confrontation by working towards settlements, and offer expert testimony. The investigative wing involves exploring theft, securities fraud, insurance fraud, identity theft and more. You’ll take an exam and fork over a litany of credentials to qualify for this certification.

Now that we’ve looked at the different jobs in accounting, essential on-campus and online accounting programs, certifications in the field and more, let’s explore the best places to ply your trade as an accountant once you’ve earned the credentials to do so.

Where are the Best Places to Live and Work as an Accountant?

Planning on earning degrees and certifications is a great way to improve your career prospects in accounting. Another essential choice is where you’ll live and work. For example, if you’re looking to combine information technology skills with accounting, you might consider living in San Francisco or New York, where a lot of digital startups are headquartered. Overall, here are some of the top areas in America to live and work as an accountant:

• Washington, D.C. – Payscale Median CPA Salary: $79,327
• Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – Payscale Median CPA Salary: $75,212
• Seattle, Washington – Payscale Median Salary $75,178
• San Jose, California – Payscale Median Salary $72,000
• New York, New York – Payscale Median Salary $74,922
• Boston, Massachusetts – Payscale Median Salary $70,999
• Los Angeles, California – Payscale Median Salary $70,945
• San Francisco, California – Payscale Median Salary $70,721
• Atlanta, Georgia – Payscale Median Salary $70,157
• Detroit, Michigan – Payscale Median Salary $70,017

Accounting in Conclusion

Your career in accounting is in your hand. Unlike many industries, it’s extremely structured, and the steps for advancement are much clearer than more freewheeling sectors. At Degree Query, you can find an incredible library of resources that will aid you in your odyssey towards accounting superstardom. Make sure to reference all of the accounting questions we’ve answered about accounting, and our rankings of accounting programs.

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