Using a Degree to Help Your Community, Others, and Yourself
Wednesday, January 15, 2014
There are many degrees today that focus on helping other people, and of these degrees there are two that lead to professions that are continuing to grow in popularity and employment. These are the fields of Human Development and Family Studies and Psychology.
If you have aspirations to help other people, if you are looking for a connection and involvement with your community, or if you want a career centered around families, social work, childcare or early education, then a Human Development and Family Studies degree may be the right choice for you. Human Development and Family Studies offers a unique degree that prepares you for a career in a number of fields through hands-on experiences working with individuals, families, and groups of all ages. You can gain an in-depth understanding of human development at all levels that benefit individuals and their communities as a whole.
According to the Bureau of Labor, employment of social workers is projected to grow 19 percent through 2022, and employment of kindergarten and elementary school teachers is projected to grow 12 percent through 2022 . A HDFS degree will equip you with the professional skills and experience that make you uniquely qualified to succeed in a range of career paths in social work, child development, education, psychology, marriage and family therapy, and student affairs. A Human Development and Family Studies degree will help you to pursue many helping professions. Professional preparation in HDFS results in outstanding success in rates of employment. Health and Human Services continues to rank highly among growth industries nationally.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTSimilar to a degree in Human Development and Family Studies is a degree in Psychology. If you are looking to help people, but do not want to focus specifically on families or child development, then a Psychology degree may be an equally opportunistic option. According to the bureau of Labor Statistics employment in the field of Psychology will grow 12 percent by the year 2022. In addition to opening private practices, Psychology degrees lead to a wide range or professions including positions in the fields of communications, case work, counseling, sales, marketing, as well as personnel, and management positions. A Psychology degree prepares you for careers that may involve analytical skills, writing skills, and research skills. These skills can be used in a wide variety of work settings. Human services (counseling, social work), business, law, criminal justice (probation officer, corrections officer), health and recreation, and education are some examples.
Students setting the example
Two students who understand the importance of helping others are pursuing degrees in Human Development and Family Studies and Psychology are at The University of Rhode Island Feinstein Providence Campus.
Crystal Celani, who is attending school while busy with a recent home-purchase, became interested in URI Providence while working with an adult who suffered from a traumatic brain injury. Her patient was working on a degree from URI Providence at the time and the experience led Crystal to pursue her degree there as well. "I assisted her with getting to and from school, financial aid, advising, and more. I enjoyed the Providence campus and really liked everyone I came into contact with. I decided to apply to URI Providence since I had such good experiences there with the person I supported."
Tanya Oliveira is a busy mother who returned to school and is earning a dual degree in Human Development and Family Studies and Psychology. She worked in human services for fifteen years and enjoys assisting people in need. She hopes to continue her education by pursuing her Masters Degree after graduating. The University of Rhode Island Providence Campus offers a nurturing, flexible and convenient environment for anyone looking to earn a degree. As a working adult with a child Tanya likes the environment of the Providence Campus and is happy with her choice to begin a new chapter in her life. "I like the diversity. This campus has a feeling of unity. I feel at home here. I was able to get up the motivation to come back to school while working and caring for my child on my own and earn a dual degree, which makes me proud."
The University of Rhode Island Feinstein Providence Campus is located at 80 Washington St. Providence, RI 02903. Visit www.uri.edu/prov or call today to meet with an advisor at (401)-277-5162.
This article was written By Michael Gravison; Graduate Student in Communication Studies at the University of Rhode Island Feinstein Providence Campus. This column is part of an ongoing sponsored content series with The University of Rhode Island Feinstein Providence Campus.
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