What everyone ought to know about choosing an educational program

This is the third post in our 7-part series College search 101. The first two posts looked at how to figure out what to do with the rest of your life and the relationship between education and earnings.

Now, we’ll look at the different types of educational programs that exist.

What type of program is best . . .?

Choosing the wrong type of program can complicate your quest for a good job and more money.

Do you need education to help you figure out what to do with your life?

If so, a liberal arts program at a traditional college or university might be your best choice, but traditional academic programs don’t meet everyone’s needs.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m the proud product of some small state college in a beautiful little town in the middle of nowhere. I’m just saying that traditional academic programs aren’t for everyone.

Career and trade programs

Where academic programs are often broad in their scope, career and trade programs are more focused. Their primary goal is to help students master a set of skills required for competence in a very specific field.

These programs can often be completed quicker than traditional academic programs. They include subjects like:

• Healthcare
• Dental Assisting
• Massage Therapy
• Paralegal Studies
• Computer Technology
• Cosmetology
• Culinary Arts 

Career and trade programs are designed to help someone qualify for and secure a very specific type of job.

Licensure programs

Some fields require that their professionals have a specific type of license to perform their job functions:

• Pilots
• Truck drivers
• Real estate professionals
• Pharmacy technicians

These types of programs are often considered a subset of the career and trade group.

Specialty programs

Believe it or not, there is a school out there for just about every type of education. Specialty schools are the way to go for less-common career types.

Consider the following:

• R. I. Merrill Institute of Bootmaking, Vernal, Utah
• Barnett Bicycle Institute, Colorado Springs, Colorado
• Aroma Apothecary Healing Arts Academy, Austin, Texas

If there’s something you want to learn, I guarantee that there’s someone willing to teach you.

Professional programs

Some professions require advanced types of degrees. Professionals in these fields, and others, are usually required to get education beyond a traditional 4-year degree:

• Medicine
• Law
• Optometry
• Pharmacy
• Accounting
• Religious Ministry
• Education 

Continuing education

Continuing education comes in all shapes and sizes.

Many professions, like teaching, require that their members continue their education throughout their career.

Other people turn to continuing education programs to supplement their professional knowledge or personal interests.

Non-degree seeking educational programs are very important to the ongoing education of society.

What’s best for you?

While, traditional academic programs make great learning environments for a large number of people, they’re not for everyone. 

Choosing the right type of program is the most important thing you can do to get a better job and make more money.

The next post in this series will look at how to choose the best type of college for the program you’ve selected.

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