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 19, 2026What Is a Degree in Interdisciplinary Studies?
An interdisciplinary studies degree lets you build a customized education by drawing from multiple fields, instead of locking into a single major. At National University, there are two paths: the Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies for students pursuing careers in business, public policy, or the social sciences, and the BA in Interdisciplinary Studies in Education for those working toward a California teaching credential. Both are designed for students who don't fit, and don't want to fit, a one-size-fits-all mold.
April 18, 2026What is a CNA?
A Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) is an entry-level healthcare professional who provides hands-on daily care to patients under the supervision of a registered nurse (RN) or licensed practical nurse (LPN). CNAs help patients with bathing, dressing, feeding, mobility, and toileting, and they record vital signs such as blood pressure, temperature, and pulse for the nursing team.
April 17, 2026BBA vs. BS in Business Administration
The main difference between a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA) lies in their program focus: the BBA offers a broad-based education across business disciplines, finance, marketing, management, accounting, and economics, designed to develop versatile professionals with knowledge across different areas, while the BSBA is a more technical and analytical program that emphasizes quantitative methods, data analysis, and operations research.
April 12, 2026How Long Does it Take to Get a Master’s Degree?
A master's degree typically takes 18 months to two years of full-time study to complete, though several factors can shorten or extend that timeline. Most programs require 30 to 60 credit hours, and the number of required credits is one of the biggest factors influencing how long the program takes.
April 10, 2026Master’s in Marketing vs. MBA: Which Is Right for You?
The choice between a Master's in Marketing and an MBA with a marketing concentration comes down to career stage and goal: a Master's in Marketing is designed for recent graduates and early-career professionals seeking rapid, deep specialization in marketing analytics, digital strategy, SEO, and consumer behavior, while an MBA develops versatile cross-functional executives who use marketing insights to steer organizations, manage budgets, and lead teams.
April 3, 2026PsyD vs. PhD in Psychology: What’s the Difference?
Both the PsyD (Doctor of Psychology) and PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) in psychology qualify graduates to become licensed clinical psychologists, but they differ significantly in emphasis, funding, and career trajectory. A PsyD is a practitioner-focused degree that prioritizes clinical training, psychological assessment, and direct patient care, designed for graduates who plan to work as therapists or clinicians. A PhD is a scientist-practitioner degree that emphasizes original research, statistical methodology, and academic scholarship, typically required for university faculty positions, research lab leadership, and roles in neuropsychology or federal research agencies.
March 31, 2026How AI is Changing the Future of Marketing Careers
Artificial intelligence is shifting marketing careers from manual execution to strategic oversight, automating routine tasks including copy drafting, consumer data analysis, A/B testing, and basic reporting, while elevating the marketer's role into what practitioners are calling an "AI orchestrator" focused on human creativity, brand positioning, and managing intelligent AI agents.
March 19, 2026Social Media Trends in 2026: What’s Next
Social media in 2026 is defined by three structural shifts: platforms functioning as primary search engines, the primacy of community over virality, and a growing consumer backlash against AI-generated content. According to recent reports, social networks are now the main media channel for audiences aged 16 to 34 for online brand research, with social scrolling outpacing traditional text-based search as the primary discovery engine for younger adults. Hootsuite's 2026 Social Trends report found that nearly a third of consumers say they are less likely to choose a brand that uses AI-generated ads, making human-led storytelling a critical differentiator even as AI tools become standard for research, analytics, and content optimization.
March 3, 2026BA vs. BS Degree: What’s the Difference?
A Bachelor of Arts (BA) and a Bachelor of Science (BS) are both four-year undergraduate degrees requiring approximately 120 credit hours, but they differ in curriculum focus, skill emphasis, and career alignment. A BA emphasizes a liberal arts education, with more flexibility in electives and general education requirements across humanities, social sciences, and arts, developing critical thinking, communication, and adaptability. A BS concentrates on technical, analytical, and scientific coursework in mathematics, laboratory sciences, and applied fields, developing quantitative and research skills suited to STEM, healthcare, and data-intensive careers.
March 3, 2026What Is a Military-Friendly College?
A military-friendly college is an institution that actively supports veterans, active-duty service members, and military families through dedicated resources, flexible policies, and financial benefits that account for the unique challenges of military education. Key indicators of genuine military-friendliness include participation in the Post-9/11 GI Bill, Yellow Ribbon Program, and DoD Tuition Assistance; evaluation of the Joint Services Transcript (JST) to award college credit for military training and experience; a dedicated Veteran Resource Center staffed by advisors familiar with military culture; and flexible enrollment policies that accommodate deployments, permanent changes of station, and variable schedules.
February 27, 2026What is an MBA degree? What Does MBA Stand For?
A Master of Business Administration (MBA) is a graduate-level degree that develops advanced skills in management, leadership, strategy, finance, marketing, and operations, designed primarily for working professionals seeking to accelerate into senior leadership roles or transition into new industries. Programs typically take one and a half to two years full-time, with part-time, online, and Executive MBA (EMBA) formats available for those balancing work and study. The MBA has been the most popular graduate degree in the United States since 2010, with leadership, strategic thinking, and problem-solving cited as the top three skills alumni report gaining from the program.
February 24, 2026What Is a DNAP? Understanding the Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice
A Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice (DNAP) is the terminal clinical doctoral degree in nurse anesthesia, the highest practice degree available for Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs). Unlike research-focused doctoral degrees such as the PhD or DNS, the DNAP focuses on advanced clinical practice, pharmacology, anatomy, physiology, and healthcare leadership, preparing graduates to administer anesthesia independently across surgical, obstetric, and critical care settings.
February 20, 2026What Is an Accredited University? Understanding Accreditation
An accredited university is an institution of higher education that has been reviewed by an independent, authorized agency and determined to meet established standards of academic quality, institutional integrity, and financial stability. Accreditation affects far more than reputation: federal financial aid, including grants and loans through FAFSA, is available only to students attending institutions accredited by agencies recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, and credits earned at accredited institutions are more widely accepted in transfer by other colleges and graduate programs.
February 17, 2026What Is Speculative Fiction?
Speculative fiction is an umbrella genre encompassing any narrative that departs from strict realism, exploring hypothetical concepts, futuristic technologies, supernatural elements, alternate histories, and imagined societies through the central question "what if?" The genre organizes into six primary subgenres: science fiction, which explores imagined scientific and technological advances and societal change; fantasy, which features magic, supernatural creatures, and invented worlds with their own internal logic; dystopian and utopian fiction, which examines oppressive or idealized imagined societies; horror, which uses supernatural or psychological threat to unsettle and frighten; alternate history, which reimagines the consequences of different historical outcomes; and magical realism, which introduces one or two unexplained supernatural elements into an otherwise realistic world.
February 12, 2026Common White-Collar Crimes: Understanding Their Impact
White-collar crime is a category of generally non-violent offenses committed by business and government professionals, including public corruption, healthcare fraud, mortgage fraud, securities fraud, and money laundering, that rely on deceit, concealment, or violation of trust rather than physical force, according to the FBI's definition. The term was first coined by criminologist Edwin Sutherland in 1939 and has since expanded to cover a broad range of financially motivated schemes.
February 10, 2026Primary vs. Secondary Sources: What’s the Difference?
Primary sources are original, firsthand evidence or raw data created during the time an event happened, or a study was conducted. This includes diaries, letters, photographs, interviews, speeches, artifacts, datasets, and original research articles. Secondary sources are created afterward to analyze, interpret, synthesize, or summarize primary material, such as textbooks, biographies, encyclopedias, and review articles.
February 6, 2026Marketing & SEO Jobs: Growth Trends and Insights
The marketing and SEO job market is undergoing a significant structural shift, driven by the rise of Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) and AI-driven search, which require professionals to optimize content not just for traditional search engine rankings but for citation and visibility within AI-generated answers and conversational search interfaces.
February 6, 2026What is the Best Degree for Mental Health Professionals?
There is no single best degree for mental health work, the right choice depends on whether your goal is providing therapy, conducting research, working within systems, or prescribing medication. The five primary pathways are: a Master of Social Work (MSW), which qualifies graduates for LCSW licensure and offers the broadest career flexibility across hospitals, schools, communities, and policy settings; a master's in counseling (MA or MS), which prepares graduates for LPC or LMHC licensure with a focused clinical emphasis; a master's in Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) for relational and family-focused practice; a doctoral degree (PhD or PsyD) for independent licensed practice, psychological assessment, and academic roles; and an MD or DO in psychiatry for professionals who want to prescribe medication and treat mental health from a medical model.