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
June 10, 2019Get to Know the NU Veteran and Military Community Center!
Plenty of colleges and universities have a Veterans center – a place where Veterans and active duty service members can use a computer, contact the VA office or find out a bit more about GI benefits. But there is at least one thing that separates the NU Veteran and Military Community Center at Spectrum Campus ...
- June 3, 2019
What Is Forensic Serology?
Forensic serology is the detection, identification, classification, and study of various bodily fluids, including blood, semen, saliva, and urine, and their relationship to a crime scene, with forensic serologists also involved in DNA analysis and bloodstain pattern analysis. Serology and DNA analysis are closely aligned: serology identifies what type of fluid is present, while DNA analysis matches those fluids to a specific individual, two steps that are typically handled by the same forensic team and taught as a single discipline.
May 20, 2019The Introverted Writer: Benefits of Online Writing Degrees
Your personality type affects your learning style and preferences. For instance, by their very nature, online degrees are an appealing education option for those who may consider themselves more introverted than outgoing. Online learning allows you to set your own pace and find the space that is most conducive to your learning preferences. In addition, ...
- May 13, 2019
Ask an Expert: Will Psychology Be Replaced by Neuroscience?
When you have a question, it’s always best to turn to a subject matter expert for answers. In our blog series, Ask An Expert, National University staff and faculty members take turns answering challenging questions in their areas of expertise. This time we ask psychology professor, Brian Tilley, “Will psychology be replaced by neuroscience?”
April 29, 2019Which Computer Science Career Is Right for Me?
Choosing the right computer science career depends on whether you prefer building products, analyzing data, defending systems, designing infrastructure, or working with hardware, each orientation maps to a distinct cluster of roles with different daily work and skill requirements. Software developers and full-stack engineers suit those who enjoy creative problem-solving through building applications and user interfaces; data scientists and machine learning engineers suit those drawn to mathematics, statistics, and training AI systems to make autonomous decisions; cybersecurity analysts suit those who thrive on adversarial thinking, risk management, and defending digital infrastructure from attack; cloud architects and systems analysts suit those who prefer designing and optimizing the infrastructure that applications run on; and computer hardware engineers suit those interested in the physical components, microchips, circuit boards, and embedded systems, that underlie all software.
April 25, 2019Ask an Expert: How Has Computer Science Impacted Games?
Computer science is the foundational engine of modern video games, transforming them from simple 2D pixelated screens into photorealistic virtual worlds, sophisticated AI systems, and global multiplayer ecosystems. Four domains of computer science have driven the most significant advances: graphics and rendering, where algorithms such as ray tracing simulate real-time light interaction to produce photorealistic visuals, and procedural generation creates infinite open-world content algorithmically; artificial intelligence, where NPCs now use pathfinding algorithms, decision trees, and machine learning to adapt dynamically to player behavior rather than following fixed loops; networking, where server-client architecture and latency-compensation algorithms allow millions of players to interact in MMOs and competitive global servers simultaneously; and game engines, where platforms such as Unity and Unreal Engine abstract complex memory management and compiler optimization into accessible development tools.
April 18, 2019What Is an MPA Degree? [Updated 2026]
A Master of Public Administration (MPA) is a professional graduate degree that prepares leaders for management, policy, and executive roles in government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and public-facing private sector firms. Relative to other professional degrees, the MPA is interdisciplinary by design, drawing on economics, finance, management, political science, and psychology to equip graduates with the tools to navigate complex public systems and bring stakeholders together around shared goals. Core coursework typically covers public finance, policy analysis, research methods, ethics, and organizational management.
April 11, 2019Why Is Early Childhood Education Important?
Early childhood education is important because the first five years of life represent the most rapid and consequential period of brain development, the window during which foundational neural pathways for learning, emotional regulation, and social behavior are established. Neuroscience research shows that 90% of brain development occurs before age five, making high-quality early learning experiences during this period disproportionately influential on a child's long-term cognitive, social, and physical outcomes.
April 8, 2019What Can I Do With a Behavioral Analysis Degree?
A behavioral analysis degree is the primary educational pathway to becoming a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA), teaching the principles of Applied Behavior Analysis and preparing graduates to design and implement evidence-based interventions that improve socially significant behaviors in clinical, educational, and organizational settings. The pathway to BCBA certification requires a bachelor's degree in a behavioral science, followed by a master's degree in ABA or a closely related field with ABAI-verified coursework, 1,500 to 2,000 hours of supervised fieldwork, and passing the BACB examination.
April 4, 2019Hot Careers: Getting A Computer Networks and Cybersecurity Bachelor’s Degree
Protecting data. Organizing information. Keeping employees connected. Today’s workplace relies on technology more than ever before. This also means we rely heavily on the professionals who keep our systems safe and operational. The U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects that, as a whole, the need for computer and information technology (IT) ...
April 1, 2019Getting a Marketing MBA Online
Think about all the companies and brands you love. You likely know about them because of some form of marketing. Marketing is a diverse and growing field in itself, and many people interested in pursuing a master of business administration (MBA) intend to focus on this area of specialty. Marketing consists of many moving parts, ...
March 21, 2019Transitioning Out of the Military — Military-Friendly Colleges Online
About 350,000 men and women will leave the military this year. Some will leave on a Friday and want to start working toward a degree on Monday. Others want to take a few classes to supplement what they learned in service, and others just want to figure out what to do next. But for almost ...
March 14, 2019Ask an Expert: Who Invented Psychology?
Turning to a subject matter expert is the best way to get answers to difficult questions. In our blog series, Ask An Expert, National University faculty take turns answering challenging questions in their areas of expertise. In this post, we find out who invented psychology from Dr. Maureen O’Hara, professor of psychology and academic program ...
March 11, 2019MPA vs. MBA: Which is Right For You?
An MBA and an MPA are both advanced leadership degrees, but they serve fundamentally different sectors: the MBA prepares graduates to maximize profit and performance in the private sector through financial markets, corporate strategy, and market competition, while the MPA trains graduates to manage societal impact and policy in government agencies, nonprofits, and NGOs through public budgeting, policy analysis, and civic governance.
March 4, 2019Cybersecurity Classes You Can Take For Career Advancement
Cybercrime is on the rise. According to Symantec’s 2019 Internet Security Report, in 2018 these growing online threats included: An average of 4,800 websites compromised each month by formjacking attacks — crimes in which JavaScript code is used to steal personal information from website checkout pages. A 12 percent increase in ransomware attacks against enterprises, ...
February 16, 2019Ask an Expert: Why Is Computer Forensics Important?
Computer forensics, also called digital forensics, is the scientifically and legally defensible process of identifying, preserving, analyzing, and presenting digital evidence from computers, mobile devices, networks, and storage media, and its importance has grown alongside the digitization of virtually every aspect of human activity that can generate evidence relevant to legal proceedings.
February 15, 2019Ask an Expert: Why Is Criminal Justice Important?
Criminal justice is essential because it maintains social order, protects citizens from harm, and ensures accountability under the law, balancing public safety with civil liberties through a structured framework designed to prevent crime, adjudicate offenders fairly, and rehabilitate individuals for successful reintegration into society.
February 10, 2019What Can I Do With a Master’s in Public Administration?
A Master of Public Administration (MPA) is a professional graduate degree that prepares leaders for management, policy, and executive roles across government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and public-serving private sector firms, often described as the MBA for the public sector for its emphasis on organizational management, public finance, policy analysis, and administrative ethics. Programs typically take one to two years to complete, with concentrations available in public finance, urban management, emergency management, and nonprofit leadership, and core coursework covering microeconomics, policy analysis and evaluation, public management, research methods, and ethics.