By Anita Ginsburg
If you like helping others, picking a degree can be a tricky task. You want something rewarding and you want to be an influence in other people’s lives. Thankfully, there are a variety of degrees that can help you do that.
Physical Therapy
Physical therapy is a great career if you like working one-on-one with people. As a physical therapist, you would work every day to help patients prevent and manage their physical condition. Physical therapists develop plans and use scientifically proven treatment techniques to help their clients improve movement, reduce pain, restore physical functioning, and prevent disabilities.
Psychology
A degree in psychology can launch you into a variety of human service jobs where the main focus is helping people. With a degree in psychology you can explore a career in social work, counseling, human resources, business, and more.
Education
If you have a passion for helping people learn, a degree in education may be for you. With an education degree, not only will you be well suited for a position as a teacher in primary or higher education, but you can also explore a career as a librarian, school administrator, school counselor, writer or editor, or in business administration.
Gerontology
If you’re interested in the well-being of aging adults, then a career in gerontology may be for you. Gerontologists study the social, psychological, cognitive, and biological aspects of aging. An advanced degree in gerontology can be used in a variety of ways. You can become a researcher or you can work directly with older adults. Consider obtaining an online master’s in aging gerontology degree.
Criminal Justice
Like a degree in psychology or education, a criminal justice degree can be very diverse. With a degree in criminal justice, you can pursue a job in law enforcement, but that’s not you’re only option. Criminal justice majors also pursue careers as probation officers, forensic science technicians, correctional officers, fish and game wardens, and security guards, just to start.
Nursing
It’s considered one of the most people-oriented professions out there: Nursing. Nurses are always under high demand in the workforce. But, becoming a nurse doesn’t just mean working in a hospital or nursing home. With a degree in nursing, you have options. You can work in a physician’s office, as a case manager, school nurse, or diabetes educator, and more.
As you can see, there are a number of degrees that allow for you to experience a rewarding career changing people’s lives. We have covered six in this article, but there are many more that we are not able to mention here.