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
- February 11, 2021
Which Majors Are in the Most Demand?
The most in-demand majors are concentrated in healthcare, computer and mathematical sciences, engineering, and business and finance, fields driven by technology advancement, an aging population, and the persistent need for analytical and technical expertise across virtually every sector of the economy.
- October 5, 2020
Can You Transfer Online College Credits?
Yes, online college credits transfer on the same basis as on-campus credits. Receiving institutions evaluate accreditation and course alignment as the primary criteria, not the method of delivery, meaning an online course from a regionally accredited institution is treated identically to the same course taken in a physical classroom.
- October 1, 2020
What to Know About Transferring Old College Credits
Old college credits generally do not expire, they remain permanently on your transcript, but whether a receiving institution will accept them toward a current degree depends on the subject area, how much time has passed, and the accreditation of the institution where they were earned.
September 28, 2020Associate Degree vs. Bachelor’s Degree
An associate degree is a two-year, 60-64 credit undergraduate program designed for rapid career entry or foundational coursework, most commonly offered at community colleges. A bachelor's degree is a four-year, 120-credit program that provides comprehensive academic and professional preparation in a specific major, and is the baseline credential for most management, specialized professional, and corporate advancement roles.
- September 24, 2020
3 Reasons to Go Back to School After Dropping Out
Going back to school after dropping out unlocks three meaningful benefits: significantly higher lifetime earnings, upward career mobility past the invisible ceiling that stops many non-degree holders, and the personal confidence and sense of accomplishment that comes from finishing what you started.
- September 21, 2020
What is a Certificate Program and Is It Right For Me?
A certificate provides targeted, skills-based training for a specific job or role, typically completed in a few months to one year at lower cost, while a degree is a broader academic credential that includes general education requirements alongside specialized study, taking two to four or more years and offering greater long-term career flexibility and advancement potential.
September 10, 2020Best Online Undergraduate Degrees
The best online undergraduate degrees combine scheduling flexibility with strong career demand, high postgraduate earnings, and full delivery compatibility, with business administration, computer science, psychology, and nursing (RN-to-BSN) consistently ranking among the most recommended based on these criteria.
September 3, 2020Best Master’s Degree Programs
We live in an evolving world. Innovations in the tech sector are constantly resculpting the ways we communicate, learn, socialize, and work. From Fortune 500 companies to small local businesses, every corner of the U.S. economy has been impacted by forces like automation, globalization, AI, and the rise of Big Data. If you’re thinking about ...
- August 31, 2020
Finding Your RN Specialty: Forensic Nursing
Forensic nursing bridges healthcare and the legal system, with specialized registered nurses providing trauma-informed care to victims of violence including sexual assault, abuse, and human trafficking while collecting and preserving critical evidence for use in legal proceedings.
- August 27, 2020
Finding Your RN Specialty: Become a Travel Nurse
Registered nurses (or RNs) traditionally work with patients in a hospital or clinic close to where they live. However, there are different types of nurses that work in a variety of other settings. Given the current health and social climate, more and more nurses are going into travel nursing to help in the areas that ...
- August 24, 2020
Finding Your RN Specialty: Become a Public Health Nurse
In many cases, a registered nurse (or RN) works one-on-one with patients in a hospital or private practice setting. However, some RNs take up the cause of looking out for the health and well-being of entire communities. These nurses are public health nurses. If you think you may want to work with your community to ...
- August 20, 2020
Finding Your RN Specialty: Become a Nurse Manager
Whether you just earned your Registered Nursing (RN) license or you’ve been working in a hospital or medical center for years, you may be curious about the different avenues you can pursue within the nursing field. Once you have your nursing degree and RN license, you have the ability to explore new specializations, or switch ...
- August 17, 2020
Most Useful Degrees for Business Owners
No specific degree is required to own a business, many successful entrepreneurs launch without one, but higher education can meaningfully accelerate business success by providing financial literacy, operational knowledge, and leadership skills that take years to acquire through trial and error alone. A Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) provides the broadest foundation, covering management, finance, marketing, and operations, while an MBA adds strategic leadership, organizational management, and the professional network that is particularly valuable when scaling a business or seeking investment.
August 13, 2020Best Degrees and College Courses for Firefighters
The degrees that provide the strongest competitive advantage for firefighters depend on career stage: fire science or fire technology for foundational knowledge and entry-level hiring, emergency management for incident command and disaster response expertise, and public administration or fire administration for promotion into officer and chief roles. While no single "firefighter degree" exists, fire science remains the most direct academic pathway, covering fire chemistry, building construction, hydraulics, codes, and fire prevention, with related roles including fire inspector, fire investigator, and fire marshal.
- August 10, 2020
Essential Soft Skills for Teachers
Soft skills are the interpersonal, behavioral, and emotional competencies that enable educators to build relationships, manage classrooms effectively, and deliver instruction that genuinely reaches students, the foundational layer beneath subject-matter expertise that determines whether knowledge is successfully transferred.
- August 3, 2020
Can You Get a Nursing Degree Online?
Yes, you can get a nursing degree online but with an important distinction based on licensure status. Pre-licensure programs (ASN, ADN, and BSN) that prepare aspiring nurses to become registered nurses for the first time cannot be completed 100% online, because hands-on labs, simulations, and clinical rotations at local healthcare facilities are required components that cannot be replicated virtually. These programs use a hybrid model where all lecture and didactic coursework is completed online while the school arranges clinical placements at partner hospitals and clinics in the student's local area.
July 27, 2020Everything You Need to Know About Online Engineering Programs
Online engineering programs deliver the same curriculum requirements as on-campus counterparts, typically 120 credits for a bachelor's degree. The most important quality checkpoint before enrolling is accreditation: the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology provides programmatic accreditation that employers and professional engineering licensure boards use to evaluate degree credentials, regardless of whether the degree was earned online or on campus.
- July 23, 2020
Make a Career Switch to an Engineer
Switching to an engineering career is achievable by identifying the discipline that best matches your existing background, bridging skill gaps through targeted education, and building a portfolio that demonstrates practical ability to employers.