College Degrees You Probably Never Heard Of

College Degrees You Probably Never Heard Of

May 4, 2010

by:  Paul Hughes


Like many Americans during this past economic recession (some would argue that we’re still in a recession), I was laid off from my work of 10 years and found a hard time finding new employment. After three months of looking on various employment sites and local listings, submitting resumes nonstop, and following up with local firms I decided to better my chances by going back to college and finishing my degree that I had left on the table nine years ago.

Job description after job description showed the same requirement, “BA/BS degree required, MBA degree preferred…” I had all the other qualifications in the bag – management experience, forecast and data analysis, customer service excellence, track record of high sales performance, etc… It seems like the job market was interested in a candidate with a higher education degree background more so than experience. That’s the reality of the job market. I have been out of the job search arena for so long that I forgot how hard it was to get a foot in the door with both, new and established firms.

After focusing in on my interests and figuring out what I wanted to do when I graduate, I decided to declare Economic Geography and Political Science as my majors. I was fortunate enough to have encouraging academic advisors to guide me through the decision process; but I can only imagine how hard it is for someone without that moral support to have been in the workforce for so long and then having to figure out, “what am I qualified to do now?”

Along my search for a degree that sparks my interest, I found these other programs from various higher learning institutions that were interesting and definitely not your run of the mill degrees. Take a look at the following programs and see if those are something you would consider going back to school for. We would love to hear your thoughts about these programs, or maybe you have a unique degree of your own you would like to share.

Bachelor of Science Degree in Applied Management – focusing on the technical nature of management with a combination of business programming.
Associates Degree in Green Data Center Management – developing think-tank consultants that can effectively convert data centers into green machines.
Bachelor of Arts / Science Degree in Sustainable Development – acknowledging that this is a growing issue and no longer just a grass reports attempt to help the environment.
Bachelor’s Degree in Ecological Restoration – assisting in the recovery of dysfunctional ecosystems in order to provide essential ecosystem goods and services that society depends on.
Bachelor’s Degree in Homeland Security – covers the development of the discipline and analysis of current issues, preparing students with the leadership knowledge and skills required for domestic and international security professions.
Bachelor’s Degree in Emergency Management – emphasizes planning and preparation for, response to, and recovery from disasters and events of various magnitude and impact.
Bachelor’s Degree in Information Assurance – emphasizes preparation of information systems security professionals, senior system managers and system administrators responsible for information systems and security of those systems.

Sources:
www.wifr.com, May 2010
www.fastcompany.com, September 2009
www.news.appstate.edu, June 2008
www.essm.tamu.edu
www.umuc.edu, April 2007

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