Great College Programs for Students Who Want to Impact People’s Lives

Professions like the medical field, ministry, therapy, education, and social work are all great places to start if you’re thinking about going to school for a degree that will help you to make a difference in the world. The good news is that there are many programs out there at all levels that can help prepare you to work in a field where you’ll make change in people’s lives. From direct patient care, wherein you could literally save a life, to behavioral analysis where your skills could make a difference in a child’s ability to learn, the opportunities are nearly endless for anyone who wants to serve others. It’s a big world out there and none of us live entirely alone. If you want to become part of the solution to making change or even a tiny difference in someone’s life, here are a few great college programs to look into.

Nursing

If you love helping people at their bedside, interacting closely with patients, or even have a special interest in point-of-care ultrasound technology (like The Vave’s ultrasound device, which was designed to create a disruptive technology that is truly affordable and accessible), you might be a great candidate for nursing school. Depending on your prior experience and goals, the education requirements for an online course or in person certificate program will be different. Whether you hope to become a licensed nursing assistant or go all the way with a practitioner’s program or Master’s degree in nursing, there are endless opportunities to make a difference in the field of nursing.

The Covid-19 pandemic has made clear just how essential nurses are. Career choices could include becoming a school nurse, teaching an online program for nurses, working in a pediatrician’s office, becoming a direct care provider, surgical and intensive care or emergency nursing, and more. By choosing a nursing career, you’ll have the opportunity to help people of all ages in a variety of ways.

Behavior Analysis

If you’re someone interested in education, children, or people with special needs, a degree for behavior disorders could be the right answer for you. By becoming a behavior consultant, you’ll be able to work with people on the autism spectrum to help with behavioral challenges. Behavioral analysts work on teams in the field of psychology in a variety of areas. From treating addiction and substance abuse to helping people with behavioral disorders improve their quality of lives, enrolling for online BCBA masters programs would be a great way to make a difference.

If this might interest you, look into the University of Cincinnati or another BCBA master’s degree program. The University of Cincinnati online Master’s of Education with Foundations in Behavior Analysis program is focused on providing students with the core skills to serve individuals with behavioral and learning challenges across multiple settings including clinics, schools, residential facilities, and in-home. Behavioral analysis relies upon the best available scientific knowledge to describe, understand, predict, and change behavior.

Therapy

Therapists, psychologists, and psychiatrists work hard to help people from all walks of life. With a primary focus on mental wellness, great candidates for psychology programs are those who can listen well and want to see others succeed. If you’re interested in becoming a life coach, family therapist, addiction counselor, or couples therapist, a master’s degree in therapy might be right for you. For those who are working on undergraduate degrees, there are still programs that might lead to jobs in the helping fields. Consider using a general psychology degree to work as a direct support provider, in a nonprofit agency, and as a staff member of a group home for people with developmental disabilities. Not only could you make a difference in their life, but they will make a positive change in yours.

Social Work and Child Advocacy

A master’s degree in social work would put you in the position of helping children and families in times of crisis. From work with governmental departments to non-profits and foster care agencies, the ways you could make a difference in the lives you touch are limitless.

At the end of the day, there are countless ways in which you could touch people’s lives. The reality is that you don’t need a Master of Arts or a degree at all to change the course of someone’s life. With an education in critical care nursing, behavior analysis, education, educational psychology, or so many other choices, you could take your willingness to help to a new level. Take some time to think about the type of help you’d like to offer others and do some research on what it will take to achieve that goal. In the long run, you’ll thank yourself for choosing a rewarding career and will quickly find that others will appreciate it, too.