If you are already associated with this profession or are considering entering this vital and emergent industry, there are a number of options available. The first thing to do is to get certified as a professional. Certification courses are available for each level of healthcare industry. A person interested to join and establish himself in this field can become competent by acquiring more information and certifications. Never let your career become dull and stagnant. Get constantly certified to improve your career options.

Thirty entrepreneurial companies, all members of the Northwest Education Cluster, feel that technology is the tool to fix the education system in the U.S. Many educators are now going back to school to obtain a Masters of Education Degree in Instructional Technology, a decision based on the advancements of new technology.

Instructional Technology Innovations

The Northwest Education Cluster has already introduced new and exciting technologies. One company has developed a program that instantly analysis and generates graphs. This allows students to focus less on drawing graphs and more on the experiment they are conducting. Another company has created software to aid students in languages, math, social studies and science. What’s even more exciting is a program being developed to allow students to work with geometry and math equations interactively.

These new software technologies have been sold to educators and schools all throughout the nation. Those who graduate with a degree in Masters of Education in Instructional Technology are excited to see the how well these new products perform. Both students and teachers will gain much from the lessons learned with these new technologies. Computers could act as teaching aids to help educators develop lesson plans that complement each student’s learning style.

Going Beyond Educators - Supporting Instructional Technology

Both investors and the Government support new technology in education. The National Science Foundations has given grants to some members of the Northwest Education Cluster. Even venture capitalists are enthusiastic about the future of these technologies and bombarding company board meetings look for the next great product.

Earning a Masters Degree - Education in Instructional Technology

Want to get involved with educational technology? Complete an information request from The University of Phoenix to learn more about a Masters of Education Degree in Instructional Technology!

Liberal arts majors and business majors are like oil and vinegar. They don’t exactly blend well together, but for some reason when you combine the two they are absolutely fantastic.

I learned this my final year of college when I moved into the sorority house and instantly bonded with my business major roommate, Jenny. I was an English major and the two of us were intermingled with several other girls with varying interests and educational pursuits. But for some reason, while Jenny and I were the most different, we ended up becoming almost the same.

I was messy and artistic, Jenny was organized and, I hate to admit it, a little sterile. She liked things where she liked them and anything out of place was sure to trigger a conniption. She instantly made our bills into an Excel spreadsheet and wrote out “invoices” each month to each housemate for their share of the gas, water, and…frozen waffles? Down to our grocery shopping, she inventoried everything and left me awestruck and wondering, “Who does things like that?!”

Apparently a lot of people as I met many business majors during my college years. And for some uncanny reason, they were always the ones that I hit it off with the most. My quirkiness meshed together with their straight man personality. My creativity was enhanced by their organization, and while it seems as if our worlds would collide, they seldom did.

There were a few times that we butted heads, when my dance team crashed the house and we kept the karaoke machine on a little too loud a little too late. Jenny would throw herself into a tirade about her 8 am accounting final and couldn’t we PLEASE just keep it down a bit? (Answer: no, but we will pretend to try.) And there were times I left the half eaten bowl of macaroni on the stove top and Jenny found it before I remembered I had left it there. (Truth: it was usually about three days later.) But all in all, we became the best of friends. My carefree outlook softened her anal retentive views toward college and life. Her orderly conduct encouraged me to be more responsible with money and especially with sleep. I started to value going to class more, and learned that there was more to get out of college than just the degree. The funny thing is that in a different way, I taught her that as well.

I learned from rooming with “Miss BA in Business” that sometimes the people the most unlike us are the ones that we are destined to enjoy and cherish the most in life. I’ve done my best to keep in contact with Jenny, and though I rarely see her, I’m grateful for the communication and correspondence we do have.

Jenny continues to go down the straight and narrow path. She’s made some great achievements and built a solid resume. I seem to remain all over the map. I run a dance company, work as a freelance writer, and travel the world every chance I get. While she loved her accounting firm internship, I loved my trip to Africa. We enhance each others’ lives more than I experience with my friends who are a lot like me. Cookie cutters are not always a positive thing. A flair for the variety is often the more successful of pairings.

All over the U.S., the health care industry has reported a shortage in qualified nurses. Several online colleges and universities, such as The University of Phoenix, are trying to help by offering several health care and nursing degrees.

The American Association of College of Nursing said that the in the U.S. alone, there could be a shortage of 340,000 quailified nurses before the year 2020. That is roughly 3 times the current rate.

There are multiple reasons for the trend.

Many veteran nurses are retiring as the baby boomer generation reach retirement. Compounding the issue is the fact that people live longer now than ever before, all of which creates a greated need for health care.

There is also a problem in finding teachers to train new nursing and health care canidates. 150,000 applicants were turned down for nursing programs because of shortages in qualified nursing educators. Part of this was due to keeping qualified faculty. A recent survey of nursing faculty members reported many work close to 60 hour work weeks, due to the shortage.

Both four-year bachelors degrees and two year associates degrees in the nursing and health care fields provide a future for strong job outlook.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimated that nurses will create the second largest number of new jobs among all occupations in the future. In addition to the new jobs, many existing positions are expected to open as existing health care providers retire.

There are many degree farms who offer fake degrees. Here we list the top 10 most common warning signs that a school is offering a worthless degree.

1. The university you plan to attend is not accredited.
2. The university you plan to attend is accredited but is not reconized by the Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). Internet based ‘degree farms’ get their accreditation by fake accreditation agencies that they have created themselves. These fake accreditation companies often have names that sound prestigious. Contact CHEA for a list of valid names of accreditation agencies in the United States.
3. Admissions from your prospective college or university tells you that a online or distance learning school can not be accredited by a CHEA agency. This is simply not true and any worthwhile school will be accredited.
4. Be careful of college and universities that offer degrees in a certain country, but are not located within the country they offer the degree for. This often indicates so called ‘degree farms’ who only want your money in exchange for a piece of paper. Check that the school is accredited with a CHEA agency.
5. The criteria for admission requires a valid credit card. Your previous G.P.A. and school records play no role in the decision.
6. The prospective college or university does not list the faculty and staff, or the faculty and staff themselves have attended unaccredited colleges or universities. It is even possible some of the faculty will have no degree what so ever.
7. A degree will be awarded to you based on your resume or career experience. A distance learning college or university with valid accreditation will often substitute some credits for work experience but will not issue a degree soley on work experience alone.
8. A promise is made that you will receive a degree for a flat fee, usually between $2,000 to $3,000 for higher level degrees. Accredited universities and college charge per credit or course for tuition and fees. Your total expenses will vary depending on your program of study.
9. Always check with the Better Business Bureau. They keep records of complaints filed against all businesses, including colleges and universities.
10. A promise is made that you will receive a diploma within 30-90 days of program enrollment. Degree farms like these are just selling paper and do not care about your education.

The continuing demand for graduate degrees is growing, online schools are more appealing now that ever before to those returning to school.

Bert Valencia is the vice president of distance education programs at Thunderbird, the Garvin School of International Management.

Valencia said Thunderbird’s Global MBA program requires students only spend four weeks in a classroom.

“Students can be located anywhere, as long as they can communicate they can be a part of the class,” he said.

Graduate degrees obtained at online universities and colleges have become more attractive because they provide the same level of education that a traditional university would, but from the comfort of your choosing. This has also become attractive to those with full time jobs and parents.

To complete an online MBA education however, classes alone are not considered sufficient. Networking is also a big party of the MBA program.

Networking is so critical to success, Thunderbird requires that MBA students spend the first few weeks at the Glendale campus. After eight monghts they will then get to travel to Genva for a week.

In addition, they may also spend a week in Beijing and a final week back at Thunderbird.

“If you have a job that requires travel, it is hard to pursue an MBA that doesn’t require you to be at a specific location,” Valencia said.

These programs improve the quality of the education by getting students enrolled that are established in their field.

Officials expect enrollment numbers to double in the next three years.

College-Pages.com has several schools that offer diplomas. A diploma is a certificate issued by a educational place of learning, such as a college or university, that signifies that the recipient has successfully completed a particular course of study.

The biggest advantage of a Doctorate degree is the huge pay increase it provides over other academic degrees. A Doctorate degree, also known as a Ph.D., can earn an individual more than 3 times that of someone with a high-school diploma. A Doctorate degree also earns 71% more than a Bachelor’s degree and nearly 50% more than someone with a Master’s degree. In addition to a higher salary, Doctorate degree also allows for an increase value in hiring and career advancement decisions within the workplace environment.

Earning a Doctorate degree on-line is an easy choice for someone who wants an advanced college education, but also has to balance a family and personal life. A Doctorate degree earned on-line can often be obtained in 2 - 3 years. Many colleges and universities will also take into account a student’s education and work experience which then can be applied to the Doctorate degree saving precious time and money.

A great number of individuals do not realize that it’s possible to obtain a masters degree or graduate degree on-line. However, thanks to the Internet, obtaining a masters or graduate degree on-line is a reality. Most college graduates feel that they don’t have time to obtain a masters degree while entering the workforce and balancing a family. The benefit of an on-line masters degree is that it is flexible, more so than a degree from a traditional college or university. It allows you to study from the comfort of your own home and frees up time in your day for family and work. Getting a masters or graduate degree allows you to obtain that promotion and salary increase you deserve. Individuals with a master degree typically earn twice that of a person with a bachelors degree, and 4 times that of those with high-school diplomas.

With reasons like these, it’s no wonder why on-line master’s degree are more popular than ever!

An individual with only a high-school diploma will earn earn approximately 1 million over a lifetime. In comparison, individuals with Bachelors degrees will earn over two times that amount. In addition to a better salary, a Bachelors degree allows for movement up the ranks of your employer. Many employers reward employees who continue their education by obtaining a bachelors degree. The rewards are often in the form of raises, promotions, and positions with greater responsibility and challenges.

With reasons like these, it’s no mystery why obtaining on-line bachelor degrees are as popular now as ever before!

Recently, studies have shown that individuals with an associates degree may earn twice that of a high-school graduate. An associate degree is often highly sought after by many fast growing occupations. Each year, more than 400,000 enrolled in on-line education courses earn and associates degree.

It generally takes 2 years to earn an associates degree, the completion of which prepares college students for bachelor’s degree programs. This degree usually requires a high-school education or equivalent.

Certificates are useful for those who are already in the workforce and are in need of additional education for career advancement. A certificate signifies that a student has the required knowledge in a given field of study. Often there is no prerequisite or a certificate, however this varies between universities and colleges.

College-Pages.com offers universities and colleges with varying level of degrees. What ever your career or interest of study, you can find a degree or certificate that meets your needs. Every college and university offers certificates, associate degrees, bachelor degrees, master degrees, and doctorate degrees.

• Certificates: Useful for those who are already in the workforce and are in need of additional education for career advancement. A certificate signifies that a student has the required knowledge in a given field of study. Often there is no prerequisite for a certificate, however this varies between universities and colleges.
• Associate Degree: An academic degree awarded by community colleges, junior colleges, business colleges and some bachelors degree granting colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study usually lasting two years. This degree usually requires a highschool education or equivilent.
• Bachelor Degree: An undergraduate academic degree awarded for a course or major that generally lasts for three, four, or in some cases five to six years. This degree usually requires a highschool education or equivilent.
• Master Degree: A postgraduate academic degree awarded after the completion of a program of one to four years in duration. A master degree usually requires the completion of a bachelor degree as a pre-requisite.
• Doctorate Degree: The highest level of degree. This degree requires the completion of a master degree. This degree is also sometimes known as a Ph.D.