Expand Your Horizons

FUELING CAREER AMBITIONS

In today’s increasingly competitive professional landscape, it’s important to stand out in your field. One way to accomplish that is by obtaining a post-graduate degree.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the average earnings of adults 25 and over with a master’s degree increase by more than $10,000 per year compared to those with just a bachelor’s degree.

“Perhaps most importantly, though, graduate education helps students acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to solve the complex problems that are part of today’s world and our global economy,” says Gail M. Jensen, dean of the Graduate School and College of Professional Studies at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska.

As dean, Jensen helps oversee more than 40 master’s-level programs, from a Master of Arts in Ministry to health-related programs focused on biomedical sciences and pharmacology. Creighton, a private, Jesuit, Catholic university, also offers doctoral programs, including a Doctorate of Education in interdisciplinary leadership.

When seeking an advanced degree, Jensen says it’s important to consider the big picture.

“You want a diverse faculty made up of teacher-scholars, not just researchers, who have real-world, professional experience,” she says. “At Creighton, we strive not only to provide graduate-level learning experiences that help our students with disciplinary depth, but also to foster in them the ability to take that broader view that is so critical to thoughtful leadership.”

EMPOWERING OUR STATE OF MINDS

The University of New Mexico is a city within a city—offering unparalleled educational opportunities, world-class arts and technology, and comprehensive medical care. It’s the University for New Mexico, molding students into collaborators, researchers, innovators, and educators on a culturally vibrant campus in the heart of Albuquerque.

UNM is an information hub— sharing knowledge and creating new research alongside others. Others, like some of the most technologically advanced laboratory partners in the world. UNM finds answers, creates jobs, and develops solutions that seek to improve the lives of people everywhere.

As a Highest Research Activity doctoral university, designated by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, UNM does more than practice what they teach, they revolutionize collaboration. UNM’s Innovation Academy unites students from around the globe with respected faculty to solve real problems through interdisciplinary programs and hands-on experiences.

"It is critical that we continue breaking down the barriers that discourage interdisciplinary research because society's biggest problems, humanity’s most challenging health issues, and our planet’s most difficult environmental threats are best solved at the intersections of multiple disciplines,” says UNM’s President Garnett S. Stokes.

Health is also top of mind—UNM Hospital serves as the state’s only Level 1 trauma center and the UNM Comprehensive Cancer Center is the only center in the state to be designated by the National Cancer Institute. Ranking high in rural medicine, family medicine, and nursing/midwifery, the school is committed to improving health locally and beyond.

“There is no end to how we can imagine ourselves, individually or as a university, if we act with intention to realize a positive and far-reaching impact. When we are aligned in purpose, and that purpose drives our actions, we can innovate, solve problems, and create opportunities,” says Stokes.

Define your future in this incredible place, where learning is driven by innovation.

DISCOVERING THE SCIENCE OF BUSINESS

Oklahoma State University’s Spears School of Business considers its Ph.D. in Business for Executives program to be an intensive education of the “science of business.”

“Our program is very different [from other MBA or master’s programs] in that a Ph.D. in Business for Executives candidate applies the scientific method to try to find statistical support for his or her hypotheses about business,” says Toby Joplin, director of executive doctoral programs at the Spears School of Business. “We are teaching our executive students how to better make data-driven, evidence-based decisions in their organizations.” Over three years, executives continue to work full time while completing the 18-course, 60-credithour, AACSB-accredited Ph.D. program. The program requires an annual commitment of four days a month for 10 months in on-site residencies, which are then supplemented by online classes the rest of the year. The program’s courses address not only organizational issues but also creativity, innovation, and a comprehensive spectrum of research methods.

Overseeing the Ph.D. program are researchers and instructors from the Spears School of Business faculty, as well as global scholars who are leaders in their respective fields of research. Ph.D. candidates are not only applying existing best practices but also developing new practices for the future.

Since its inception in 2012 and its first graduating class in 2014, the Ph.D. in Business for Executives program has conferred 41 degrees. A limited number of students are admitted to the program each August, and requirements include extensive management experience and a master’s degree or higher from an accredited college or university.

TEACHING THE NEXT GENERATION

Laying the foundation for a successful future begins in childhood, so it’s crucial to have well-trained and passionate school teachers.

As the fifth-largest school district in the country, Nevada’s Clark County School District encompasses more than 350 schools and is responsible for educating more than 320,000 students enrolled in grades K–12—nearly 75 percent of all students in the state.

The school district’s success is exemplified by the success of its graduates. With a graduation rate of more than 83 percent, the class of 2017 had 56 National AP Scholars and an impressive $228 million earned by recipients of Merit Scholarship awards.

To help guide these students’ futures, the Clark County School District employs more than 42,000 full-time, part-time, and temporary teachers and licensed staff members, as well as substitute teachers—and they’re looking for more people to join the team. The school district is actively recruiting for administrative, support, and substitute positions, and will work with qualified candidates to achieve necessary teaching credentials through its Alternative Routes to Licensure program.

The 10-week ARL program includes a teacher preparation boot camp and 20 days of field experience in a district classroom. Upon completion, candidates are invited to apply for a provisional teaching license and are eligible to be hired as a Clark County School District teacher and receive a full salary and benefits.

By Susan B. Barnes