After years on the job, many people hit a career plateau. When it happens, it is important to determine what needs to be done to keep their job moving forward.
“Oftentimes, a person needs a bachelor’s degree to be eligible for the next promotion,” said Kacie Gerdrum, Dean of Admissions at Northwest Christian University. “Many people start their education at a university or community college, but life took them in another direction, now circumstances have changed and life has brought them back on the path for a bachelor’s degree.”
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 33% of Americans over the age of 25 have earned a bachelor’s degree and 59% have attended some college or earned an associate’s degree.
“It is important for people who want to complete their bachelor’s degree to know there is a local, convenient option available that will help them to reach their educational and professional goals,” Gerdrum said.
She encourages prospective adult degree students to ask the following questions to evaluate the degree completion programs they are considering:
- Does the program offer credit for your work experience and the academic credits you may have already earned?
- Do you have the opportunity to take classes at your pace based on work and life activities?
- Is the program online or on campus or a hybrid (a combination of both)?
- If the program is online, does the University provide opportunities to be set up for success using the online platform?
- Do you have the opportunity to meet other faculty and fellow students face-to-face to build relationships as you enter and complete your degree?
- What are the academic support services that are available to you as an adult student?
“It is important to find out as much as information as you can about the adult degree programs that you are considering,” Gerdrum said. “Students need to weigh many factors to determine if they are a good fit for the program that they choose, so that going to school is something to look forward to online or on campus.”
NCU’s next adult degree and graduate information fair is Tues., Sept. 19, 2017, at 5:30 PM in the School of Professional Studies on the NCU Campus located at 828 E.11th Ave. in Eugene, Ore.