While it may be tempting to pursue medicine after binge-watching fifteen seasons of Grey’s Anatomy, now may be a good time to seriously ask yourself, how much do I truly know about what it means to study for this career?
If the answer is not much, there is no need to panic. This article will provide you with the course details of nursing, as well as several other popular programs. It can be stressful to decide on an academic route without knowing what the program entails, but the following list has been created with the intent to help lighten that load.
Whether you’re a senior in high school considering your options, or a sophomore in college contemplating a change in majors, this article is definitely for you.
- Nursing
This program prepares graduates to care for individuals and populations in various settings. The underlying mission of nursing schools is to equip students with the means to address the determinants of health, advocate for comprehensive policy, and contribute to quality and accessible healthcare.
Nursing education focuses on biological, social, and behavioural sciences, and consists of both in-class and clinical experiences. The demand for nursing is consistently high and the average annual salary ranges from $45,000 – $85,000.
The typical careers for nursing students include working as a registered nurse (RN) or as a nurse practitioner (NP).
- Computer science
Computer science is a popular major and a field whose demand is increasingly growing as technology evolves. This discipline focuses on cloud technology, software development, programming and coding. In addition to shaping students’ technical skills, this program also prioritizes critical thinking and communication skills. The list of career options for computer science majors include but are not limited to software programmer, website designer, telecommunications expert and network administrator. The starting salary for this field is $62,000.
- Accounting
This program aims to equip students for entry level positions in both Public and Private domains of accounting. Students learn basic accounting, auditing, taxing, financial planning and consulting skills, placing them in the ideal position to pursue any of these specific fields following graduation.
This is another highly demanded job, with an average starting salary of $53,000 and the possibility of earning $73,000 mid-career. As an accounting graduate you can work as a Public Accountant, Corporate Accountant, Tax examiner or Revenue Agent.
- Mechanical engineering
Mechanical engineering is one of the broadest branches of engineering. It focuses on teaching about the generation of heat and mechanical power, and the design and use of machines.
This program focuses on the studies of physical and material science, and develops in students a solid understanding of thermodynamics, mechanics, energy, and other related concepts. Due to the broad nature of this program, there are a number of associated careers; mechanical engineers go on to design and analyze manufacturing plants, heating and cooling systems, and medical devices, to name a few.
The average starting salary for a mechanical engineer graduate is $62,000.
- Political Science
This program focuses on analyzing political systems and political behaviour. It is one of the broadest liberal arts disciplines, with multiple specializations including public policy, national politics, international relations, and political theory.
In addition to analyzing systems of governance in terms of their effectiveness, political science also teaches students how to improve these systems by advocating for new or modified policies. Graduates from this program can pursue a career as a lawyer, political consultant, lobbyist or town planner, to name a few.
The average starting salary in this field is $49,000, which can increase to be approximately $69,000 mid-career.