NU Editorial Contributors
National University Editorial Contributors include writers, editors, and academic professionals who are experts in creating high-quality educational content that is timely, accurate, informative, and easy to understand. All contributors who develop content for National University follow strict guidelines to ensure they provide credible and authoritative information that is independent, free from advertiser influence, and aligns with the high standards our readers and students expect from National University.
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Articles by NU Editorial Contributors
April 17, 2023The Difference Between EMTs and Paramedics [Updated 2026]
EMTs (Emergency Medical Technicians) and paramedics are both licensed pre-hospital emergency care providers who assess, stabilize, and transport patients, but they differ significantly in training, scope of practice, and compensation. EMT programs typically require 120-170 hours of training and focus on basic life support: CPR, oxygen administration, bleeding control, splinting, and stabilizing patients for transport. Paramedic programs require 1,200-1,800 hours of instruction, often a two-year associate degree, and qualify graduates to provide advanced life support, including IV therapy, cardiac monitoring, medication administration, and advanced airway management such as intubation.
April 13, 2023What is Healthcare Administration?
Healthcare administration is the field responsible for managing the business, operational, and clinical systems of medical facilities and health organizations, handling budgeting, staffing, compliance, and health IT so that clinical professionals can focus on patient care. Core responsibilities include financial management and billing oversight, ensuring regulatory compliance with standards such as HIPAA, human resources functions including recruiting and scheduling medical staff, and operational improvements to healthcare delivery systems and health information technology infrastructure.
April 8, 2023Mastering Your Finances: NU’s Commitment to Financial Literacy
April is Financial Literacy Month, that time of year to check your fiscal fitness, take a hard look at your money management habits, and brush up on your financial skills. It’s also a great opportunity to practice improving your finances through budgeting and setting savings targets for important life goals such as earning a college ...
April 5, 2023How Long Does it Take to Become a Teacher?
Becoming a teacher typically takes four to seven years, depending on the educational pathway, prior degree, and state credentialing requirements. The traditional pathway requires a four-year bachelor's degree in education or a teachable subject, followed by a state-approved teacher preparation program that includes required student teaching hours, adding approximately one to two years in states like California, where the Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) requires a separate credential program after the undergraduate degree.
March 28, 2023Is Graphic Design a Good Career?
Graphic design is the art and practice of communicating ideas through the strategic combination of typography, color, layout, and imagery, solving visual communication problems for clients across branding, digital media, publishing, packaging, and user experience. Most graphic designers specialize in one or more applications: branding and identity design (logos, color systems, brand guidelines), UI/UX design for websites and mobile applications, motion graphics for digital and broadcast media, packaging design, and publication layout, with UI/UX and motion graphics representing the fastest-growing specializations as digital-first design demand expands.
March 23, 2023What Is Transformational Leadership?
Transformational leadership is a style that inspires and motivates employees to exceed expectations through vision, empathy, and innovation, emphasizing growth for both individuals and organizations. The concept traces back to 1973, when sociologist James V. Downton introduced the term, and was later expanded by leadership scholar James Burns and researcher Bernard M. Bass, who formalized the four core components that define the model today: idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, and individualized consideration.
March 20, 2023What Is a BSN: Differences Between a BSN and ADN [Updated 2026]
A Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) is a four-year undergraduate degree that prepares students to become registered nurses (RNs), combining nursing theory, clinical practice, health policy, community health, and leadership alongside general education coursework. BSN programs typically require 120-130 credit hours and 700-800 clinical hours, with core courses including clinical assessment, pharmacology, pathophysiology, informatics, and community health. A BSN is the degree; an RN is the license, earned by passing the NCLEX-RN exam after graduation.
March 16, 2023Public Accounting vs. Private Accounting
Public accounting involves working for a third-party firm to provide audit, tax, and consulting services to multiple clients across industries. Private accounting means working internally for a single organization to manage day-to-day financial operations, payroll, internal reporting, and strategic financial planning. Public accounting generally offers higher starting salaries and faster early-career skill development through exposure to diverse industries and clients, while private accounting offers better work-life balance, more predictable hours, and comprehensive long-term benefits such as retirement plans and stock options.
March 10, 2023What Can You Do With a Business Degree? [Updated 2026]
A business degree is one of the most versatile credentials in higher education, opening career paths across marketing and sales, finance and accounting, management and operations, human resources, consulting and analysis, and entrepreneurship in virtually every industry from technology and healthcare to entertainment and nonprofit work.
March 8, 2023From Barriers to Breakthroughs: Women in Higher Education
Women now earn approximately 58% of all college degrees in the United States, a historic reversal from an era when women were largely excluded from higher education entirely, with Oberlin College becoming the first U.S. institution to admit female students in 1837 and Title IX (1972) prohibiting sex-based discrimination in federally funded education programs, driving a surge in enrollment that led to women earning half of all bachelor's degrees by the early 1980s.
February 27, 2023How to Become a Cybersecurity Analyst
A cybersecurity analyst is an IT professional who continuously monitors, detects, and responds to digital security threats, safeguarding an organization's hardware, networks, and data from cybercriminals, malware, and unauthorized access through threat monitoring, vulnerability scanning, incident response, and compliance enforcement.
February 13, 2023The History Behind Black History Month
It’s February, that time of year we honor the contributions and legacy of Black Americans throughout U.S. history as part of Black History Month. When it Started and How it Began In 1915, a half-century after the 13th Amendment abolished slavery in the United States, the story of Black History Month began. That September, Carter ...
February 9, 2023How to Become a Crime Scene Investigator
A crime scene investigator (CSI) is a forensic professional who identifies, documents, collects, and preserves physical evidence at crime scenes, ensuring that evidence is collected following strict chain-of-custody procedures and is legally admissible in court. Core responsibilities include systematic scene documentation through photography, sketching, and mapping; evidence collection covering DNA, fingerprints, trace materials, weapons, and biological fluids; forensic analysis using techniques such as blood pattern analysis, impression casting, and chemical testing to reconstruct how events unfolded; and preparing technical reports and providing expert testimony in criminal trials.
January 19, 2023How to Become a Paralegal
Becoming a paralegal requires completing formal education through a certificate program, associate degree, or bachelor's degree, gaining practical legal experience, and pursuing voluntary professional certification to strengthen hiring potential. Employers consistently prefer training approved by the American Bar Association (ABA), which is the primary quality signal when evaluating paralegal education programs.
January 11, 2023Is Earning a Degree Your New Year’s Education Resolution?
As people reflect, grow, and aim to make 2023 a year of significant change, priorities take shape. Getting a degree may be your New Year’s education resolution, and National University is here to help. You may be asking, how do I get started and stay on track? First things first, understand that nothing can change ...
December 11, 2022Do College Credits Ever Expire?
College credits do not expire, once earned, they remain permanently on your transcript. The relevant question is not whether credits expire but whether a receiving institution will accept them toward a current degree program, which depends on the school's own transfer policies, the subject area of the coursework, and how much time has passed since the credits were earned.
December 2, 2022Mental Health During the Holidays
Between the tasks, celebrations, and family obligations, the holiday season can be a trying time for anyone. Whether you feel the holiday blues or are coping with feelings that aren’t merry and bright, taking care of your mental health during the holidays is important. Think of it as a gift you can unwrap for yourself! ...
November 29, 2022Everything Worthwhile Depends upon Consciousness
Authored By: Academic Program Director, Craig Chalquist, PhD Imagine if you were a fish who could study water. You could then swim where the current best carries you while avoiding turbulence and toxicity. You could know why some waters are warm and some cold, and what difference that might make to how you live. You ...