An Online Psychology Degree that opens up a Brand New World of Careers!

A degree in Psychology opens up a wide gamut of opportunities with high paying remuneration.
It is a common scenario for psychology graduates to have a variety of “stepping stone” jobs
after the completion of their under graduate courses. Psychology deals with the study and
understanding of human mind and their different interpretations over the course of a human life.

Those who want to go into a more specialised domain in psychology like say Forensic
Psychology should look for a career in the forensic settings such as the service. Since the
candidate is looking for jobs in the psychology domain; prior work experience or voluntary
services before the completion of the undergraduate course is highly valued and in great demand
and it greatly increases the candidate’s career prospects.

A degree in psychology enables one to apply for management training schemes, so that they
can pursue higher education in case they want to in the future. Here also, voluntary work is
highly appreciated though it is not necessary. Below some career prospects are mentioned for
psychology students:

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Jobs directly related to Psychology degree:

•Clinical psychologist – As a clinical psychologist, the candidate will be able to use his skills and expertise learned to reduce mental distress of the patient to reduce psychological difficulties. This practise depends on using evidence based practice and research.

•Educational psychologist – A specialised angle of psychology, educational psychologist tries to identify the problems a student faces in the school settings so as to deal with it and cure the student in order to improve his learning abilities.

•Further education lecturer or higher education lecturer – After completion of your
course, you can join any academic institution to teach psychology to students above 16
years. Or they can go ahead and pursue higher advanced education, so that in the near
future they can do research work on the topic of their choice.

•Occupational psychologist – You can apply, as an occupational psychologist the
skills and expertise acquired in solving organisational problems including recruitment,
selection and assessment, training, work design and dealing with change.

•Sport and exercise psychologist – As a sport and exercise psychologist you can apply
the psychological principles with athletes and sportspersons to improve their overall
performance or as an exercise psychologist to increase their participation in exercise.

Jobs where Psychology degree would be useful:

•Psychotherapist – As a psychotherapist you can work with a group to treat and develop
mental and physical disorders through various psychological treatments.

•Counselor – As a counselor, you can counsel the patients and play a role in relieving
their pain and mental stress and give them mental relief.

•Careers adviser/personal adviser – As a career adviser you can advise students
regarding their career orientation and job prospects. Or as personal adviser to famous
personalities, you can tell them how to conduct themselves in public and create a positive image amongst the fans.

•Human resources officer – Implement policies with regard to human resource
management, their recruitment, training, promotion – as a human resource office you can
do all these.

•Retail manager – As a retail manager, you would be responsible for the management of
the whole store. You will have to oversee that everything functions smoothly.

Don’t be under the assumption that your degree determines your options. Keep in mind that there
are many careers which one can opt for irrespective of their degree. So don’t restrain yourself to
the career prospects that we have mentioned here.

Make a Fruitful Career with an M.Sc IT degree

I had done my graduation in Information Technology as I was aware of the fact that this course would
provide me with broad range of career prospects. And it is very obvious that the present generation
faces tough competition in the job market. So, I had to make a witty decision before enrolling for a
graduation degree.

Though there are various other courses available in which I could have done my graduation but
somehow my instinct pushed me to specialize in an IT bachelor degree. Now am working in one of the
top IT companies and earning pretty well. But then to improve my professional skill and become more
efficient in my field I wanted to pursue higher qualification.

Image Courtesy: broadviewuniversity.edu

My professional life being very hectic prevented me from enrolling for a regular course. But the high
technological improvement is proven to be a blessing for many of us. Therefore, I decided to do M.Sc in IT (Information Technology) through online distance mode.

It is a convenient way of obtaining higher qualification in spite of remaining stable in your professional life. It does not create any kind of hindrance in your career path but rather enhancer s your vocational life. You tend to become sharper among your colleagues and you feel a sense of superiority.

So, let me tell you about what this particular course covers and how it helps you to grow in your career.
I have really gained immense knowledge about information technology after I had done this online
course. The flexibility of the program even allowed me to keep up my pace in my professional life.

Brief detail on the course

The MSc in Information technology is basically designed for computer graduates who wish to specialize
in core areas of computing related to society and business as well as computer networking and web
developments. In different modules all the details of the course are covered.

Finally when you reach the final year of your MSc degree you are made to plan and carry out a large
scale IT project work. So basically you not only gain theoretical knowledge on the subject but also you
are involved in practical task. This in return equips you with advanced techniques and skills.

Duration of the MSc degree

The online program is generally allotted time limit of one year, but if you feel you need more time you
can extend the course for almost five years.

How does this online master degree help you to enhance your career prospects?

After I completed my master’s degree in IT, I was eligible for better job prospects. In fact I got promotion
to a higher rank in the company where I worked. So there are always better possibilities when you
upgrade your qualification. With an MSc in Information Technology you are entitled to hold profound

Positions in several multinational companies and firms.

Hence, you can become a software engineer, a programmer, professor of IT, IT researcher, System
Engineer, Client technologies analyst. So you see there are various reputed designations are available
for MSc IT students. You are assured to have a bright future on doing this fruitful course.

Zoom into big corporate world in no time

In today’s world where everything comes to you at speed, how come education fare at slower pace? Students, around the world seek to touch heights in minimum possible time. Oftentimes,receiving higher education is the mantra that paves the way for a flourishing career ahead.

People as young as in their early twenties start their professional career in order to grow bigger, from the basics. Most of the time their qualification remains only up to graduation level when they start leading a professional life. With only a graduate level qualification, they might witness a fumbling career where growth is not to be seen by miles.

In such circumstances, the only need is to keep holding up until you acquire a better and higher qualification. And if it comes from some of the most prominent institutions, a high growth rate is assured to you.
UK Universities are the perfect platform for giving a required boost to your professional career. The e-learning program provided  in their academic curriculum is the only medium through which one can dream of going miles ahead.

Image courtesy: edudemic.com

These universities, by the means of online distance learning provide numerous courses to the students which help them for better career prospects. A master degree earned in business administration has yielded desirable results repeatedly over the times. But it comes with minimum two years of study period.

As time factor remains innuendo for making it big in the industry, so anything that assures a highly  competitive degree in less possible time is sought after by the students. For a postgraduate student, MBA Degree top-up course is a wise choice.

This course could be pursued after completing graduation studies, plus who are graduate professionals, they can go for such courses at any point of their professional career. Nature of the medium of course, online distance learning, wouldn't hamper their working life also.

Degree at par HND Diploma is provided to the students, which holds its significance in the corporate world of today. A MBA top-up degree pursued in Strategic Management &Leadership program opens the floodgates for several lucrative job opportunities.

Benefits of the course pursued through MBA Top-up program

• As the duration of a top-degree is limited to one year, so receiving a highly competitive degree in fewer time frames is possible. This way, you can earn a better reward from your organization in the form of growth and more responsibilities relatively at a younger age.
• As this degree is equivalent to BTEC Diploma, so it is validated by all the big players in corporate world. It paves the way for a lucrative job prospect.
• Enhancing analytical and decision making capabilities is done under the course of study, so it makes you efficient enough to meet the challenges of today’s business environment.

Good news for associate degree holders as well, now you can get your bachelor degree by studying for one more year only. There is a wide scope for you, the associate degree holders,under undergraduate degree top-up courses.

From different UK Universities, you can seek a top-up course of study in your respective chosen field and complete the graduate degree in one more year. You also have an option of pursuing a full time MBA course after getting an associate degree, provided minimum five years of work experience.

Degree top-up courses for Undergraduates

• BA (hons) in business
• BSc (Hons) in Business Computing
• BA (Hons) in Business Finance
• BA (Hons) in Business Marketing
• BA (Hons) in Business and Management
• BA (Hons) Accounting and Financial Management

Hence, in this tough and competitive world, UK Universities have come up with solutions which prove crucial for obtaining high success rate in lesser time period.

As a wise person once said, “Time and tide waits for none”, so go for a top-up degree from UK Universities before time bids adieu to you and leave you alone in this never ending sea.

Hospitality Industry offers you the best career opportunities

Hospitality Industry is one of the most profitable and popular industry in the contemporary world. There
are various courses that can be studied to fit yourself in the hospitality industry. Hospitality generally
means the relationship between the host and the guest. A degree in hospitality is sure to open up many
prospective job offers for you.

These days there are various colleges and universities that offer specialisation in hospitality in
undergraduate and post graduate level. Hence the degree that helps you to get the best job in
hospitality industry is Hospitality Management Degree.

Image Courtesy:http://www.rdi.co.uk/

Role of Hospitality Industry 

The hospitality industry is an extensive group of fields within the business industry that comprises accommodation, restaurants, event planning, theme parks, transportation, cruise line, and more fields within the tourism industry. It is an expensive industry well to be more specific it is a million dollar industry that is relied on the accessibility of free time and non refundable income. A unit of hospitality industry such as hotels or amusement parks also comprises of several groups. Management, Marketing,Human Resources, facility maintenance, and straight operations i.e. servers, bartenders, housekeepers,porters, kitchen workers all are a part of the big hospitality industry.

If you want to own a reputed job profile in the hospitality industry, an authentic degree in hospitality is
must. You must enroll yourself in one of the recognised university and acquire the required degree.

So let me furnish you with some important roles played by the hospitality industry employees:

Hospitality manager: A hospitality manager holds a supervising or managing position. He or she looks
after the work that is carried out on a daily basis in a hotel or a motel. He or she even looks into the
various facilities whether it is functioning well at the customer’s expense. All over you can say he or she
is endowed with huge responsibility.

Customer Relationship Manager: The Customer Relationship Manager is in charge of chalking out plans
and carrying out a successful implementation of different kinds of customer maintenance campaigns.
He or she also involve in the task of pioneering complicating projects, analyzes data to improve fund
related issues.

Hotel sales Manager: The hotel sales manager is responsible for bringing in customers or guests to the
hotels. The manager therefore helps to make profit in the hotel. He or she may also work with senior
sales manager to sponsor or sketch sales promotions.

So, give it a thought and gear up to take up a hospitality course to find the best job available in this
industry. It is indeed one of the most flourishing industries of the 21 st century. There are abundant job
opportunities always waiting for you in this field.

Black Enrollments in High STEM Colleges and Universities -- Part 2

The findings/data are reported in the first part of this note ==> HERE

 
D. Conclusions and Comments

This note reports the results of a small exploratory study; therefore no firm conclusions can be drawn from its findings. At best they will be consistent with the results of more systematic investigations. One large statistical research program will be referenced: Bowen's Crossing the Finish Line (2009). A second recent effort, M. Beasley's Opting Out (2011), an intensive exploratory investigation with extensive links to the statistical literature, will also be cited.  

1. The "Overmatch Hypothesis" vs. Affirmative Action 
As per Crossing the Finish Line (2009), the "Overmatch Hypothesis" 

"... is often made by opponents of affirmative action who claim that race-sensitive admissions policies harm the very minority students they purport to help by stigmatizing them and forcing them into harmful competition with white classmates of greater ability."  (p. 209)

The study goes on to note that when Bowen and Bok conducted a previous study of 28 mostly private colleges and universities (The Shape of the River, Princeton University Press, 1998), they "concluded that there was absolutely no support" for this hypothesis. The results displayed in Table 1D and Table 1E of the first part of the current study also suggest that black students do better when their classmates have higher math aptitudes, which is consistent with Bowen and Bok's conclusion.

Crossing the Finish Line goes on to recommend (p. 210) that the "evidence available strongly suggests that students in general, including black students, are generally well advised to enroll at the most challenging university that will accept them" [Italics in the original text]. Based on the extensive analysis of the massive data sets that authors had assembled, they concluded that "black men should be encouraged to 'aim high' when deciding whether and where to pursue educational opportunities beyond high school." Again, the data displayed in Table 1D and Table 1E of this study support this recommendation.

Indeed, the only thing that readers familiar with Crossing the Finish Line might find surprising about the results in Table 1D and Table 1E is the extent to which this pattern is displayed more sharply in Table 1E for the private Non-Research Institutions than in Table 1D for the Research Institutions. While the black students at the Higher Non-Research Institutions are doing better than black students at the Lower Non-Research Institutions, they are also doing much better than the black students at all three types of research institutions. Why? A small, exploratory study like this one can't provide conclusive explanations of this pattern, but it can suggest some credible insights:

• The ultimate explanations certainly won't relate to the resources available to these institutions because, for the most part, research institutions are much larger and wealthier than non-research institutions.
   
• A more plausible hypothesis leaps to mind -- if only because it's bannered in large fonts on all the Websites and in all the printed catalogs of these small, but highly esteemed colleges and universities. The fact that they don't conduct extensive research programs enables their faculty and staff to enhance their teaching with maximum TLC (tender loving care)  ... which is the same "secret sauce" that HBCUs, most of which are also smaller institutions, have traditionally lavished on their students ... :-) 

2. Dilemmas of Giving Back
That more than 60,000 black students are now attending the nation's most esteemed institutions of higher learning came as a pleasant surprise for me. To be honest, I wasn't expecting half that many. 60,000 represents two percent of the 3 million black students currently enrolled in accredited U.S. colleges and universities. I was surprised because, like most educators, I have been focused on the 98 percent, most of whom have not been receiving an education that adequately matches their aptitudes and requirements.

Although Dr. DuBois referenced a talented 10 percent, I am sure he would agree that it's more important to enhance the constructive impact of this elite than its  percentage. So no matter what the Supreme Court decides about affirmative action, we have to maintain our focus on the grand challenge that Dr. DuBois posed in the opening and closing lines of his classic essay:

• How can we encourage our black elite to provide the leadership that will enable their less fortunate brothers and sisters to obtain better educational opportunities and to make better use of the opportunities they already have???

Fortunately, as per Dr. Maya A. Beasley's extensive exploration of the attitudes of high achieving black students at Stanford University and UC Berkeley, Opting Out: Losing the Potential of America's Young Black Elite, a strong desire to "give back to the community" is still deeply ingrained in their DNA:

"African Americans have a lengthy tradition of activism and community service that predates the founding of the NAACP at the turn of the twentieth century. This heritage is reflected in the success of the civil rights movement as well as the subsequent expansion of black professionals in racialized occupational fields like education, social services, community relations, and politics. The desire to improve the fates of African Americans is truly an enduring legacy. The majority of black students in this study articulated a strong desire to aid in black social mobility, and many students believed their career choices were closely tied to their desire to decrease black inequality" (p 127)

Dr. Beasley uses the term "racialized fields" to denote well-integrated occupations wherein blacks have already gained substantial access and prominence.  Unfortunately, our knowledge-based, globalized economy is now allocating the biggest rewards to STEM, finance, and other high tech occupations wherein blacks are still grossly underrepresented. 

• Therein lies the dilemma for talented black students. On the one hand, not being rich (and probably carrying extensive tuition loans), they are attracted by the higher paychecks provided by non-racialized careers; on the other hand it's easy for them to see how their success in racialized fields will have substantial immediate impact on the Black Community.
  
  Faced with their perceptions (real or imagined) of prejudice in non-racialized fields, plus a sense that these fields have limited relevance to the immediate needs the black community, some of these talented black students "opt out" of the higher paying, high tech job to pursue "careers that matter."
   
• But therein also lies the dilemma for the Black Community. Of course it still needs to develop new leaders in the racialized fields that have become such a significant part of its traditional economic base; but it will incur far larger, long-term economic losses if its elites do not gain access and prominence in the STEM, finance, and the other high tech occupations that have become the higher reward sectors of the global economy.

3. Ineffective Connections
Opting Out reports that a major factor that influencedthe decisions of black students to transfer out of STEM and high finance majors was their limited access to persons who were knowledgeable about these non-racialized fields. As consequence, the students didn't know much, and much of what they thought they knew was suspect.

• Although their parents and the friends of their parents might have helped them navigate the procedural obstacles that had to be overcome in order to gain admission to Stanford or UC Berkeley, they could not provide hands-on guidance with regards navigating the barriers to entry into STEM and high finance. By contrast, the white students in the study had parents or had access to the friends of their parents who were practicing professionals in these fields.
  
  For example, "... Jason, an aspiring banker (and eventual CEO), was hindered by the limits of the social networks with which he had been brought up. He had no clear concept of how to break into that field. Although supportive, Jason's parents had little education and no understanding of what his options were, nor did anyone from the community in which he was raised. So Jason was left puzzled, wanting to go somewhere, but unsure how." (p 146)
   
• It's also likely that the black students had limited access to, or even awareness of the existence of the black alumni of their esteemed institutions who had become practicing professionals in these fields a few years earlier. Whereas HBCUs can celebrate the achievements of their alumni who are the "first blacks" to become a this or that, elite non-HBCUs long ago graduated hundreds if not thousands of (mostly white) alums who had become eminent practitioners in all segments of STEM and high finance. So a few more entries wouldn't become the stuff of headlines on their Websites or announcements in their alumni newsletters ... and it would be awkward for esteemed non-HBCUs to ballyhoo these latest entries just because these accomplished alums were black.

4. Workable Responses to a Focused Challenge
The pressing need to get more highly talented blacks into STEM, finance, and other high tech careers translates into the need for a strategy that will enable them to overcome the substantial hurdles to entry and subsequent success in these non-racialized fields while satisfying their desires to "give back" -- in other words, a strategy that will simultaneously finesse their dilemmas as individuals and the dilemmas confronting the Black Community as a whole. Fortunately, such a strategy already exists and is already in practice; so it's just a matter of stimulating its diffusion and more widespread application ... :-)

Traditional Version 

Talented black men and women pursuing non-racialized careers should be encouraged to understand that the most potent ways they can "give back" right now is to share what they have learned about how they got to wherever they are with younger black men and women who aspire to get to where they are; and they should consciously measure their success in this effort to contribute to the Black Community by how many younger black men and women they successfully mentor. What does all this mean? It means the same things, but it looks different at different levels:

• Black students in their freshmen and sophomore years at elite colleges and universities should volunteer to assist their institution's efforts to attract more talented black high school juniors and seniors by participating in recruiting trips wherein they answer questions about application forms, what courses to take before the students apply, how to prepare for SAT exams, etc, etc, etc   ... and the all-important underlying question: What's it really like to be a black student majoring in STEM, finance, or some other high tech field at the world-renowned University of XYZ???
   
• Black students in their junior and senior years should participate in high school recruiting drives, but should also volunteer as tutors and mentors for the black freshmen and sophomores.
   
• Black alums should participate in their alma mater's placement programs wherein they act as career counselors, role models, and mentors for juniors and seniors to facilitate their successful entry into the job market, graduate schools, and professional schools.

As I said, this strategy is already in place in many elite colleges and universities, but it needs far more extensive and intensive application, an expansion that can now be easily achieved

through the appropriate use of social media, e.g., Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, and LinkedIn.

Powerful Networks
The Black Community long ago recognized the value of good connections for professional success.

• Its fraternities not only accept members while they are in college, but throughout their subsequent careers, a practice that makes them more akin to the Masons or Chambers of Commerce.
   
• A recent survey by the Pew Foundation ("Who's On What) reports that black Americans make far more intensive use of social media than white Americans.
   
• Given that there are at least 60,000 black students currently enrolled in America's most prestigious colleges and universities, there must be at least an equal number of alums at various stages of their professional careers.

Combining these factors with social media should fuel the rapid development of powerful, overlapping national and local networks that could greatly enhance the size and the impact of the high tech segment of the Talented Tenth. Just as online courses are revolutionizing higher education by enabling students to learn any subject from the comfort and convenience of their dorm rooms, offices, and homes, so too appropriate applications of social media will revolutionize the potential impact of the Talented Tenth upon itself, upon the rest of the Black Community, and upon the entire nation because tutoring, mentoring, and career counseling can now be provided and received from smartphones and tablets. When Dr. Beasley conducted the interviews for her study ten years ago, "Jason" didn't have any black colleagues who could help him figure out how to get to the next phase in his career. That shouldn't happen today.

5. The Talented Tenth, HBCUs, MSIs, and Black Higher Education
During the initial phases of this mobilzation, current students and alums will probably focus on serving as mentors, role models, tutors, and career counselors for the black students who are enrolled in their own alma maters. But as quickly as possible, these intramural subnets should be expanded to provide intercollegiate support networks for the much larger populations of black students at HBCUs and other minority serving institutions (MSIs) having high black enrollments. Alums of America's most prestigious institutions should also consider teaching online courses at HBCUs and MSIs as adjunct instructors from time to time.

And those who are committed to pursuing full-time careers in academia should seek one or two-term appointments as assistant professors at HBCUs at early points in their careers and become visiting professors from time to time at later points should they obtain tenured positions at more prestigious institutions. During both appointments they should focus their energies on helping HBCUs to develop innovative technology-based teaching procedures that will enable all colleges and universities to provide more effective learning opportunities for all black students.

"The Negro race, like all races, is going to be saved by its exceptional men."

W.E.B. DuBois, The Talented Tenth, September, 1903

_______________________

References

• Beasley, Maya. 2011. Opting Out: Losing the Potential of America's Young Black Elite. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
   
• Bowen, William G., Matthew W.  Chingos, and Michael S. McPhersonn. 2009. Crossing the Finish Line: Completing College at America's Public Universities. Princeton: Princeton University Press.

Related Blog Notes:

• But What About the Other 91 Percent???
• Affirmative Action Strategies -- 1
• Affirmative Action Strategies -- 2
• Fight or Flight
• The Best HBCU