Culinary Arts Careers

If you've ever been complimented on your dedication to food, you might have a promising career in culinary arts.

Learning how to cook is one aspect of any culinary arts college, but there are other career paths culinary arts students may choose pursue outside the kitchen. For example, a sommelier is a wine expert who specializes in pairing a restaurant's dishes with the perfect wine.

If you're a decent cook but also have talents in other areas, you can combine your love of food with your other passions. Writers who attend culinary arts colleges can end up becoming food critics, and people who are master organizers can become event planners.

Attending a culinary arts college opens up a world of possibility for people dedicated to the art of food. See what types of culinary arts careers are out there.

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Medical Billing and Coding Colleges

If you're wondering what sort of career you can have after attending a medical billing and coding college, look no further. This article about medical billing and coding careers has answers for you!

In it, you'll find out how a medical billing and coding college can prepare you to become an insurance adjuster, a billing specialist, and many others.

A medical billing and coding program will also teach you skills that could apply to many types of careers both in and out of the medical field. For example, you'll learn how to manage stress and handle upset customers over the telephone.

Study Tips for College Students

Are you attending an online college and having trouble balancing your classwork with the rest of your life? Are you living on campus and struggling with time management? No matter what your situation, the study tips at Just Colleges will help get you on the right track.

The hardest part of earning an online degree is finding balance and making time. Going to college on-campus can mean getting swept up in social activities. Don't let your schoolwork suffer.

Check out the study tips at Just Colleges and get organized today!

Medical Assisting Programs

Medical assisting is a great way to get your feet wet in the health care industry without committing to years of college. Medical assistants generally work in hospitals and nursing homes, and they assist nurses with basic procedures.

Medical assistants are in demand. They do valuable work and free up doctors and nurses to perform more complex tasks. The greatest thing about being a medical assistant is that you can start work with only a medical assisting certificate or diploma, meaning that you can be out of school and working in less than a year.

See a list of medical assistant programs.

Benefits of Massage Therapy

Massage therapy isn't just some new age practice for hippie quacks. Research suggests that massage therapy has many real-world health benefits, and it is now being incorporated into patients' treatments in many hospitals and clinics.

Why is massage therapy now being recognized as a valuable part of the health care industry? Massage therapy improves circulation, which can be invaluable to diabetics and elderly folks suffering from decreased circulation to the hands and feet.

Massage therapy also stimulates tissue growth and can help people recover from surgery faster and with less pain.

And we all know that stress is the cause of so many illnesses, and nothing is more relaxing than a massage from a well-trained massage therapist.

Read more about the benefits of massage therapy.

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Just Colleges Health Care Channel

If you're pretty sure you're looking for a career in health care, but you're not quite sure which career would suit you best, Just Colleges has launched a new Health Care Channel to put all the information you need in one place.

See career profiles of nurses, x-ray technicians, massage therapists, and many more. Find out what sort of health care degree you'll need for your chosen profession, and find a campus-based or online health care program that matches what you're looking for in a college.

The Just Colleges Health Care Channel is a repository of health care career-related articles. Find out things like what you can do with a cosmetology degree to help cancer patients, and the differences between a medical assistant and nursing assistant.

For more information, check out the Just Colleges Health Care Channel today!

Paralegal Degrees

Paralegals do much of the work that lawyers used to, but with far fewer educational requirements. An exciting career in the legal field can be obtained with only a paralegal certificate or paralegal associate degree.

Though paralegals can't try cases in court or give legal advice, they can compose contracts, file documents, and do research. Paralegals often prepare briefs and interview witnesses for lawyers.

Paralegals and legal secretaries are in demand, and many of today's lawyers wouldn't be able to function without them. Find out more about what paralegals do and paralegal colleges to see if this might be the career you've been searching for.


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Cosmetology Programs

What exactly do students learn in cosmetology programs? Well, there are four main branches of cosmetology: hair, makeup, skin care, and nails. While you'll probably get an education in all of them, the cosmetology classes you take will depend on what sort of career you'd like to have when you graduate.

Cosmetologists work as nail technicians, hair stylists, wig designers, theatrical makeup artists, and estheticians. And those are just a few of the possibilities.

To become a cosmetologist, you must graduate from a cosmetology program and pass a state licensing exam.


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X-Ray Technicians

What's the hardest thing about being an x-ray technician?

Some say it's memorizing the names of all the bones in the human skeleton. Others say it's learning how to operate the equipment. Still others say it's taking continuing education courses to renew certification every two years.

The real answer is none of the above. Get the real scoop on what's it's like to have a career as an x-ray technician.

If you think you can handle it, check out the x-ray technician schools directory while you're there to see what programs are available near you.

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Advantages of Career Schools

What makes career schools more appealing than traditional schools to so many students?

• Career schools don't make you take as many general requirement classes. The focus is on classroom and hands-on learning you can apply to a real-world job when you graduate.

• Careers schools take less time to finish. Many career schools go year-round and have accelerated programs to get you working as soon as possible.

• Career schools give you something to put on your resume before you graduate through internships, externships, and real-world learning experiences.
  

Read more about the advantages of earning a degree from an accredited career school.

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Online MBA Programs

For a working professional, an Executive MBA program (EMBA) might seem like the only reasonable choice. Executive MBA programs are designed so that professionals can take classes around their work schedules, and many employers include EMBA degree programs in their tuition reimbursement programs.

There are some misconceptions about Executive MBA programs. For example, an Executive MBA program is usually not a part-time program, but rather a compressed program. The learning is accelerated so students can receive their degrees sooner rather than later, but it is a complete program with all the rich content students expect from other types of MBA programs.

What else do you need to know about Executive MBA programs?

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MBA Programs

What does it take to get into an MBA program? Do you need a certain number of years in the business world before you can apply? What other requirements do you need to meet to become an MBA candidate?

Whatever you may have heard, business school is changing for the better. MBA programs now focus on things like hands-on learning and interdisciplinary approaches to problem solving. This new approach also teaches you to look past the bottom line and aim for long-term goals and customer satisfaction.

Take a look at how MBA programs have changed and get answers to common questions about business school.


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MBA Program Admissions Essays

Nervous about applying to an MBA program because of the essay you'll have to write? The essay part of the application is the scariest for many potential students because it's the most personal part.

Use this to your advantage. The essay exists for you to speak directly to the admissions board. If your undergraduate grades weren't the best, write your essay about the personal struggle you had to overcome that semester. Been out of school for awhile? Talk about your accomplishments in the meantime.

No matter what you write about in your essay, make sure you're selling your personality and playing up your strengths without being dishonest. And don't forget to get help with that MBA program admissions essay.

Fashion Design

If you're totally obsessed with Project Runway or you spend hours altering your own clothes, you might be harboring a secret: You want to become a fashion designer!

Earning a degree in fashion design sounds risky. It's an artistic field, and how many jobs are really available to fresh young designers straight out of school?

You'd be surprised at exactly how many different types of career paths there are in the fashion industry and how many different fashion design degree programs are available. Many employers prefer to hire people who have graduated from a career school where the learning is more hands-on. Check out these fashion design colleges to see what they have to offer.

Turns out that your secret dreams of becoming a fashion designer might not be so far-fetched after all.

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Film and Video Production Degrees and Careers

Have you ever secretly dreamed of being the person who sat in the director's chair? A degree in film and video production just might be the thing that gets you there.

Besides directing, careers in film and video production include producer, sound engineer, broadcaster, camera person, and editor. Whether you want to run the entire show from behind the scenes, or become a specialist in an area like sound, a degree in film and video production will give you the technical training and experience you need to enter your dream career.

Many people think that to be involved in film production, you have to move to New York or Los Angeles. But because films and television shows are filmed in locations all over the country, you may be able to work without leaving home. And local television stations and news networks always need people in the neighborhood, so film and video production careers can be found virtually everywhere.

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Online degrees for teachers

Online colleges can be the perfect solution for a busy teacher who wants to earn a master of education degree, but doesn't want to trade running her own classroom to go back to school.

Many states require that a teacher continue her own education to renew certification, so many elect coursework that will count toward an advanced degree as well as allow them to keep on the latest in pedagogical theory. There are many advantages to earning an advanced degree online. For a teacher who already holds a bachelor's degree, a master's degree in education can be a way to achieve a higher pay grade. Or for a teacher who would like to move into school administration, a master's degree is often a required credential.

While attending classes on campus might seem impossible to a teacher who's already in school from morning to night, online master's degree programs are designed to fit into teachers' busy schedules. See what online master of education degree programs are available to you.

Financial Aid Quiz

Test your college financial aid savvy with this quiz:

True or false:

1. We're in the middle of a recession, so there's less government money available for college.

2. If my parents set up a college fund for me when I was a kid, I won't qualify for financial aid now.

3. I'm a pretty average student, so I won't qualify for any scholarships or grants.

Check your answers in this article about college financial aid myths.

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The Value of Online Degree Programs

Dr. Pamela Pease, the president of Jones International University, and Brian Meuller, the CEO of the University of Phoenix Online, gave an recent interview about the value of online colleges. They both discuss the benefits and drawbacks for different types of students enrolled in online degree programs.

They both readily admit that online degree programs might not be right for all students, like those seeking extracurricular activities and a campus environment. However, for adults already invested in careers and looking to make a step forward, online colleges might be the ticket to success.

Regional accreditation is important in determining the value of an online degree, they say. They also discuss how networking with teachers and peers happens in an online learning environment with small teacher-student ratios to help students get ahead in the real world.

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Online College Demos

Maybe you've got work or family commitments and have been considering an online college as a way to earn a degree without rearranging your entire life. Maybe you like the idea of taking accelerated classes, or maybe you don't want to pack up and move to attend school. Whatever your reason, attending an online college can be a real lifesaver for professionals, stay-at-home parents, and folks living in rural areas.

Most online colleges pride themselves in creating virtual environments in which students can feel connected to each other and their professors, even at 3:00 a.m. But if using e-learning technology scares you a little, you can check out demos of the platforms that online colleges use to deliver course material and provide interactive classroom experiences.

Check out these online college demos to get a feel for the learning environment to see if it's right for you.

Online College Reviews

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It's hard to tell what attending an online college is going to be like before you enroll. Sure, your admissions counselor will tell you all about the requirements and the technology. But how do you know if your teachers are going to top-notch professionals or faceless slackers?

By reading online college reviews before you commit, you can get a pretty good idea of whether the coursework is challenging enough and whether the professors care about your success.

Online college reviews by current and former students give you the kind of insider information you need to make an educated decision about where you'll spend your tuition money. Don't sign up for an online degree program blindly--see what real people have to say first.

Why do employers like online colleges?

Employers have embraced online degree programs as a legitimate way for an employee to gain new skills and credentials. Company tuition reimbursement plans will usually foot the bill for an online degree program just like it was an on-campus program.

If you're one of the millions of people considering using an online degree program to get a promotion or a raise at work, there are many reasons why employers love this new technology.

Besides never having to miss a day of work or rearrange your schedule, an online degree program mimics a corporate environment in many ways. It beefs up your e-communication skills, improves your technical writing, and teaches you how to effectively use interactive software to communicate with peers.

Here's an interesting article that explains these and other reasons why online degree programs are helping people get ahead at work.

Online College Degree Programs and Accreditation

Considering an online college degree program? Imagine this: You sign up for an online college degree program, thinking that this will be your ticket to success. You study hard, ace all your tests and assignments, and receive an associates degree after two years of hard work. You make your first resume and proudly list your online degree.

When the calls don't come pouring in, you wonder what went wrong. Finally you land an interview and are offered a job in your field. The day before, you get a phone call from human resources, telling you that the job offer has been rescinded. You call the person who interviewed you, wondering if there was some kind of mistake.

The woman who interviewed you explains, "I'm very sorry, I really wanted to hire you. But when we looked into your credentials, we discovered that your online program is not accredited."

Stunned, you realize you now have $40,000 in debt and no viable job prospects.

Don't let this happen to you. Check the accreditation of your online college degree program before you sign up.


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Online Colleges

Do you feel like you're ready to make a big career change, but you're not sure how? If you've been stuck in a rut doing the same thing for your whole adult life, it can be hard to imagine entering a completely new field. That's where online colleges come in.

Designed for working adults, online colleges are for students who want to learn at their own pace and without having to relocate or commute to go to school. Online colleges are also perfect for busy moms and dads who take care of children during the day.

Whether you're looking for an accelerated program or a college that seamlessly integrates the latest technology into the learning environment, online colleges have something for for everyone. Read more about different online colleges and how to find the one that's right for you.

Paying for College

Going back to school can be a big financial risk. Should you quit your job to take full-time classes, or should you keep your job and take online college classes at night? Should you take out a ton of loans and hope you'll be able to make payments after you graduate?

While no one can tell you how best to financially plan for your education, there are ways to make it cheaper that you may not have considered. In addition to traditional loans and scholarships, you can pay for college (or at least cut costs) in many ways.

For example, an accelerated degree program (getting a four-year degree in three years) might be tougher in terms of course load, but can save students a ton of money in the long run. Some students have also found sponsors or taken advantage of loan forgiveness programs after graduation.

Check out more non-traditional ways to pay for college.

Healthcare administration

When you go to the hospital, who's really in charge of your care? Your first instinct might be to say, "My doctor, of course!" But even your doctor has to answer to someone, and your care is managed by the healthcare administrators supervising the various departments of your hospital.

You never see them, but healthcare administrators are the behind-the-scenes people responsible for setting hospital policies, managing budgets, and coordinating care. The nurse who inserts your IV or brings you water in the middle of the night didn't just show up on her own (although good nurses can seem like angels). She was scheduled and assigned to your care by someone in charge.

If you love the idea of supervising a team of people in the exciting and growing field of health care, check out these online MBA programs in healthcare administration.