The SNU Adult Education Blog

Think back to elementary school, high school, or even your prior college experiences. You might not be able to remember much about the daily lessons, or even recall the names of all your teachers. But you almost certainly remember the friends you made. Friendships make life worthwhile. They make digging into challenging material feel easier. And they give you an incentive to keep going when you encounter one of life’s seemingly endless difficulties. Your classmates are important in your online degree program too. Not only can they serve as cheerleaders and empathetic ears, but they will also one day become your professional network. Networking begins long before you graduate, so get to know the people who will one day become your colleagues.  They may help you find a job, hire you, get you a speaking gig, or keep you abreast of critical industry shifts. 

An exceptional education can prepare you for a great career, and even arm you with skills you’ll use in your family or personal life. School prepares you for the real world, but it’s also a unique universe all its own. The right mindset is a key ingredient in the recipe for student success. If you want to thrive when you return to school, you must be prepared to tackle your classes head-on, even if you’re juggling numerous other responsibilities. 

The dawn of a new decade presents the ideal opportunity to take stock of where you’ve been and where you’re going. You spend much of your life at work, so your job is a good place to begin your assessment. If you’re seeking an opportunity to increase your salary, a Master of Business Administration (MBA) is a sound investment. A Wall Street Journal survey found that 75 percent of MBA graduates switch careers, and that doing so can double their salary. An MBA sets you apart from an increasingly crowded and competitive applicant pool. There’s no real limit on what you can do with an MBA, because this specialized training can open doors in just about every field. 

As healthcare spending increases and more baby boomers age into retirement, there are a wealth of healthcare positions available. Professionals with a desire to serve others, make a difference in the world, and put their skills to use in the healthcare field have virtually unlimited opportunities to grow their careers and work into leadership roles.

Whether you lead a team in retail, a small business or a large firm, strong managerial skills are vital. Being a good manager can mean increased employee retention, less stress in the workplace, and even better customer experience.  Both first-time managers and those who have been at it for a long time can work to improve their skills and how they interact with those working under them.

About 5 percent of current college students are veterans. If you’re considering joining their ranks, you should know that the right college for veterans can shape a brighter, more meaningful future and permanently increase your earning potential. Yet many veterans find the transition to college daunting and worry that they will be poorly equipped for higher learning. You may be recovering from physical injuries and psychological trauma, or feel adrift without the military giving shape and purpose to your life. Perhaps you worry that you won’t understand other students, or they won’t understand you. 

Going back to school for your degree can be an amazing investment in your future and help you develop professionally. Many students in Northeast Oklahoma choose SNU-Tulsa as the location to earn their degree, and successfully graduate, even when other options haven't been successful in the past. Here are some ways that SNU-Tulsa helps students succeed on their path to graduation.

Adult students have a unique approach to education, as they see it as an investment in their future with a specific and measurable outcome. “I put in this much, and I hope to receive this much in return.” When considering an Organizational Leadership degree, you may be wondering how it will apply to future career opportunities and how it will help you grow as an individual. 

Online master’s degree programs are highly convenient, enabling students to attend class without fighting traffic, navigating a massive campus, or even getting dressed up. This can improve accessibility for people with disabilities, busy jobs, and demanding families, as well as those in educational deserts with limited options. Even for students with access to an assortment of great institutions and relatively open schedules, online learning may offer a faster and lower stress way to get a degree. Yet some are reluctant to consider this option because of myths surrounding online master’s degree programs. 

If you’re fascinated by human behavior, passionate about mental health advocacy, or interested in improving people’s lives and emotional well-being, a master’s in counseling psychology could launch you into a great career. In most states, including Oklahoma, therapists, licensed professional counselors, and other independent mental health practitioners need a master’s degree before the state will license them to practice on their own. To complete licensure requirements, you will also have to work a certain number of hours under a clinical supervisor and pass your state’s licensing tests.