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Articles by NU Editorial Contributors
February 6, 2025What is an MEd Degree? Understanding the Master of Education [Updated 2026]
A Master of Education (MEd) is a professional graduate degree designed for educators and education professionals seeking to deepen their expertise, advance into leadership roles, or specialize in areas such as curriculum and instruction, educational technology, special education, or school counseling. Programs typically take one to two years full-time, or two to four years part-time, and are available in flexible formats including fully online, making them accessible to working teachers. The average total cost of an MEd degree is approximately $44,640, and most programs are structured around practical application rather than original research, distinguishing them from more research-oriented degrees like the MA in Education or EdD.
February 4, 2025What Are the Types of Forensic Science? [Updated 2026]
Forensic science is the application of scientific principles to legal investigations, collecting, analyzing, and interpreting physical, biological, chemical, and digital evidence to support the justice system. The American Academy of Forensic Sciences (AAFS) organizes the field into recognized sections, with major branches spanning pathology/biology, criminalistics, toxicology, questioned documents, digital and multimedia sciences, anthropology, odontology, and forensic psychiatry and behavioral science.
January 31, 2025PhD in Education vs. EdD: How to Choose
Nurses are organized into credential levels based on education and licensure, from Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) who assist with basic daily living activities after a brief state-approved training program, to Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs/LVNs) who perform clinical tasks after approximately one year of schooling, to Registered Nurses (RNs) who coordinate care and administer complex treatments after completing an ADN or BSN, to Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs), including Nurse Practitioners, Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists, Certified Nurse Midwives, and Clinical Nurse Specialists, who hold master's or doctoral degrees and can diagnose, order tests, and in most states prescribe medication.
January 30, 2025How to Become a Psychiatrist
Becoming a psychiatrist takes approximately 12 years after high school and follows a structured path: four years of undergraduate education, four years of medical school to earn an MD or DO degree, and a four-year psychiatry residency. The American Psychiatric Association defines a psychiatrist as a medical doctor who specializes in mental health, including substance use disorders, a designation that sets psychiatrists apart from psychologists and therapists, as psychiatrists are licensed to prescribe medication.
January 24, 2025Certification Programs in Psychology: Your Complete Guide
Psychology certification programs span four broad tiers, each serving a different career stage and education level. At the entry level, certifications such as Mental Health First Aid and the Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) credential open roles for bachelor's-level graduates, in 2024, 144,500 psychiatric technicians were employed in the U.S., and social and human service assistant roles are among the most accessible entry points for psychology undergraduates with targeted certifications.
January 8, 2025School Psychologist vs. School Counselor: What’s the Difference?
School counselors and school psychologists both support student wellbeing, but they differ significantly in scope, specialization, and training. School counselors serve the entire student population, advising on academic planning, career guidance, college preparation, and social-emotional development, while school psychologists provide more intensive, specialized services for students with complex mental health, behavioral, or learning needs, including psychological assessment, IEP development, and crisis intervention. BLS May 2024 data shows school psychologists earn a median of $91,990 annually compared to $65,140 for school counselors, a 41% salary premium that reflects the additional education and clinical training the school psychology path requires.
January 3, 2025How to Become a School Counselor: A Step-by-Step Guide
Becoming a school counselor is a multi-stage process that typically takes six to eight years after high school: four years for a bachelor's degree in any field, followed by a master's degree in school counseling requiring 48 to 60 credit hours and 600 to 1,000 hours of supervised practicum and internship experience in K–12 settings. Most states require candidates to complete a CACREP-accredited master's program, pass a state background check, and obtain state-specific certification or licensure before practicing, with California, for example, requiring the Pupil Personnel Services (PPS) credential.
December 27, 2024Digital Media Careers: What Can You Do with a Digital Media Degree?
A digital media degree prepares graduates for careers at the intersection of communication, technology, and design, spanning roles in social media management, UX/UI design, graphic design, web development, video production, content strategy, digital marketing, and multimedia animation. According to BLS projections, employment in digital design and multimedia art is expected to grow 13% through 2032, faster than the average for all occupations, while employment across media and communication occupations overall is projected to grow 7%, reflecting steady demand for professionals who can combine creative and technical skills.
December 11, 2024Information Technology vs. Information Systems: Which Path to Choose?
Information Technology (IT) and Information Systems (IS) are closely related but serve distinct functions in organizations: IT focuses on the design, implementation, and maintenance of the technical infrastructure, hardware, software, networks, and cybersecurity, while IS integrates that technology with people, processes, and business strategy to help organizations collect, manage, and act on information effectively. A practical distinction: IT professionals tend to focus on solving technical problems and keeping systems running, while IS professionals apply both technical and business acumen to analyze how technology can improve organizational decision-making and operations.
December 4, 2024What Can You Do with a Master’s in Marketing?
A Master's in Marketing, offered as an MS in Marketing, MBA with a marketing concentration, or specialized MS in digital marketing or marketing analytics, prepares graduates for leadership and specialized roles in brand management, consumer insights, marketing analytics, digital strategy, and product management. The degree provides a competitive advantage for roles that require both creative and quantitative fluency: marketing analytics, data-driven campaign strategy, and consumer behavior research are among the fastest-growing specializations, reflecting the increasing demand for marketers who can translate data into business decisions.
November 16, 2024What Can You Do With a Master’s in English? [Updated]
A Master's in English is a versatile graduate degree that sharpens critical thinking, advanced research, and persuasive communication skills, typically preparing graduates for careers in teaching, publishing, technical writing, content strategy, law, and corporate communications, or serving as the primary stepping stone toward a PhD in English or related humanities fields.
October 26, 2024Qualities of a Good Teacher: The 14 Qualities That Top Our List
Good teachers combine strong interpersonal qualities, empathy, patience, and the ability to build genuine rapport, with high-impact instructional skills such as clear communication, subject matter expertise, and adaptability. According to research, effective teachers do three core things: establish caring relationships with students, challenge students to think and communicate their ideas, and convey subject matter accurately and clearly.
October 25, 2024What Makes a Great Leader: The Psychology of Leadership
Great leadership is not defined by authority or title but by the ability to inspire others toward a shared vision while building the trust, communication, and conditions that allow teams to perform at their best. Research consistently identifies emotional intelligence as the foundational leadership competency, the capacity to understand and manage one's own emotions while accurately reading and responding to the emotions of others.
October 18, 2024Master’s in Finance vs. MBA: Which Should You Choose?
A Master of Science in Finance (MSF) and an MBA both qualify graduates for high-earning finance careers, but serve different career stages and purposes. The MSF is a specialized, technically intensive degree designed for recent graduates or early-career professionals pursuing roles in financial analysis, investment banking, corporate finance, or quantitative trading, with a curriculum heavy in financial modeling, valuation, and econometrics. The MBA is a broad management degree suited for mid-career professionals who want to move into leadership, change industries, or build executive networks, with finance as one concentration among many.
October 11, 2024How to Become an Online Therapist
Becoming an online therapist requires the same education, clinical training, and licensure as traditional in-person therapy, there is no separate online-only pathway. The foundation is a master's degree in a mental health field such as counseling, social work, or clinical mental health counseling, followed by 2,000 to 4,000 hours of post-graduate supervised clinical experience and passing a national licensing exam such as the NCE before applying for state licensure.
October 4, 2024How to Prepare for Nursing School: Tips and Advice
Preparing for nursing school before your program begins significantly improves your chances of success, because nursing programs move quickly, demand high performance from day one, and often require passing dosage calculation exams with near-perfect scores to remain enrolled.
September 27, 2024What Can You Do with a Master’s in Healthcare Administration?
A Master of Healthcare Administration (MHA) prepares graduates to lead hospitals, health systems, clinics, and healthcare organizations, combining expertise in healthcare finance, operations management, policy, regulatory compliance, and health informatics to fill leadership roles that require both clinical context and business acumen. Data shows the median annual wage for medical and health services managers was $117,960 in May 2024, with employment projected to grow 23% from 2024 to 2034, significantly faster than the national average, generating over 61,000 annual openings.
September 20, 2024Master of Arts or Master of Science Degree: Choose Your Path
A Master of Arts (MA) and Master of Science (MS) are both one-to-two-year postgraduate degrees with equivalent academic standing, the primary difference is curriculum emphasis rather than prestige. An MA focuses on humanities, arts, and social sciences, with coursework emphasizing qualitative analysis, theoretical exploration, and critical thinking, and capstone requirements typically involving a comprehensive exam, internship, or theoretical thesis. An MS focuses on STEM, healthcare, and technical fields, with coursework emphasizing quantitative research, laboratory work, and applied scientific methods, and capstone requirements typically involving data-driven research or a practical project.