It is through the efforts of engineers that such modern miracles as flexible skyscrapers, space travel, and microchips are possible. While those in engineering careers are not always those with the visions, they are the ones who give life to the visions. What Is Engineering?
Individuals in engineering careers have an intimate understanding of reality. They take ideas and apply natural, physical, economic, and social laws to concepts to determine if and how a thing can be created. Within the broad heading of an engineering career, there are many diverse fields to occupy. With training in engineering while in school, careers in fields such as environmental engineering, chemical engineering, aerospace engineering, nuclear engineering, industrial engineering, or civil engineering, are possible. What is the Job Outlook for Engineers?
The engineering field is a stable one. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, overall engineering employment growth is projected to grow by 11% during the next decade. However, computer- and environmental-engineering specialties should see even more significant growth during the same period. What Can I Learn in Engineering School?
Engineering school curriculums generally focus on mathematics as well as physical sciences such as chemistry, physics, and geometry. Computer application and design courses are also typically important. Depending upon the specialization you choose, your engineering school coursework might include some liberal arts and humanities courses as well. Most entry-level engineering positions require at least a bachelor’s degree and management positions will likely require an advanced degree in engineering. Online degree programs are available for both of these degrees. About the Author
Craig Friesen is a freelance writer living in Abbotsford, British Columbia. He has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Religious Studies from University of Manitoba and a Master of Divinity degree from Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary in Indiana.

Paula sits down to begin studying in her dorm room. Noise from the hallway makes it difficult for her to focus on her term paper. Paula slumps in defeat, thinking she will be up half the night trying to complete her paper. Across town, Tim sits down at his computer, logs into his online school site and spends a productive evening studying and learning in the peace and quiet of his own home. What Are the Study Benefits of Online Schools?
As illustrated above, using online learning through one of the various online programs to get your degree can help avoid some of the common distractions faced by serious students. Dormitory life can be exciting and demanding, particularly for freshmen students. Distractions such as pressure to participate in dorm events or socialize can adversely affect your grades. By pursuing an online degree, these temptations can be tempered. What Am I Missing in Pursuing an Online Degree?
There is no need for you to miss anything by using distance learning to attain your online degree. Most colleges provide numerous services to their online learning students. For example, instant messaging programs allow for the formulation of study groups online. Imagine the time you could save by not having to bus across town to make your next study group meeting. In addition, consider the possible luxury of having more access to your instructor and the convenience of submitting assignments and papers via email. Online schools have taken distance learning to a very high level of quality and efficiency. These are important factors to consider when choosing between an online school and an on-campus program to earn your degree. About the Author
Craig Friesen is a freelance writer living in Abbotsford, British Columbia. He has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Religious Studies from University of Manitoba and a Master of Divinity degree from Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary in Indiana.

If you want to learn how to succeed in business and entrepreneurship, pay attention to Apple CEO Steve Jobs. In a recent interview, Steve Jobs says, “My job is to not be easy on people. My job is to take these great people we have and to push them and make them even better, coming up with more aggressive visions of how it could be.” If you are interested in a career in business, entrepreneurship or marketing, examine Jobs’ impressive resume. Jobs’s Key to Business Success: Smart Innovation
As CEO, Jobs introduced a line of innovations that raised the value of Apple’s stock from a paltry $3.30 a share in 1997 to $94 a share just ten years later. Among these innovations:

• iTunes: Network television and music are now available online
• iPod: The portable music player made stocks sky-rocket
• The Mac Store: Combining computer sales with one-on-one interaction has lead to more than $1 billion in sales
• MacBook: If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em. Die-hard PC users are converted by the thousands when the MacBook incorporated the Pentium processor

Staging a Revolution: Marketing the Mac Image
Jobs emphasized the importance of aesthetics when marketing a product to the public. Robert Cringely, writing for Inc.com on America’s 25 most fascinating entrepreneurs, noted Jobs’s skill in product design: “He has the best taste in product design and the greatest skill at making the rest of us want to buy stuff we don’t strictly need of any American industrialist, ever.” Could You Be the Next Steve Jobs? Try an Online degree in Business or Marketing
If you’re interested in entrepreneurship, an online degree in business or marketing can help you get the skills you need. Online degree programs in business typically cover economics, administration and project management. If you think you have the charisma to be the next Steve Jobs, many online degrees offer specializations in business and information technology. If you want to learn more about the technical side of business, look at the many computer courses offered by technician schools.
About the Author
Elizabeth Buckner is a freelance writer and current Fulbright grantee to Morocco, where she is conducting research on language education and the growth of English. She holds a B.A. in Sociology/Anthropology and Education from Swarthmore College.

When forensic scientists are called to the scene of a crime, they never know what they might find. Each scene is different, and each one tests all the skills the crime scene investigator has to offer. The job might sometimes be strange, and often it can be difficult, but it is certainly never boring — and the satisfaction of figuring out what happened and catching the bad guy can make even the most difficult days feel worthwhile for the crime scene investigator.
Becoming a Crime Scene Investigator
The most common path to becoming a crime scene investigator is earning a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice or forensic science. A strong background in mathematics, chemistry, and physics can provide an excellent stepping stone to the online degree programs you choose.
Crime scene investigators should also have excellent reasoning skills, the ability to write their findings clearly and accurately, and top-notch communication for those times when their findings must be presented to judges and juries. Since the world of forensic science changes rapidly, on-the-job training continues throughout your career.
Online Degrees Can Help You Tackle Crime
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, job opportunities for crime scene investigators are expected to increase by 20 percent between 2008 and 2018, or much faster than the average for all occupations. Though the median annual salary for forensic scientists is $51,480, years of experience can up the income to $84,000 at the high end of the scale.
Online degree programs are available for those who want to make a difference in the criminal justice system. If there is a particular area of forensic science you choose to specialize in, such as DNA analysis or firearms, look for online schools that offer additional courses to provide you with the knowledge and skills you need to make the most of your career as a crime scene investigator.

About the Author
Shannon Dauphin is a researcher, novelist, occasional editor, and full-time journalist. Her most important job, however, is being Mom to the coolest kids she has ever met.

Do you have the special touch in the kitchen that makes your friends and family beg for another dinner at your place? Do you bake cakes like nobody else in the neighborhood? Do you fire up a mean grill and create your own recipes that have friends sighing in delight? A career in the culinary arts might be where you hang your chef’s hat!
Online Degree Programs to Unlock Your Pantry
Earning your degree in culinary arts can lead to numerous career paths, all of which have the potential to feed your love of cooking. Many culinary professionals begin with a vocational training program that lasts a minimum of two years. Those who intend to move up into the management side of the culinary world often take business courses that result in an associate’s or bachelor’s degree.
Work in the industry matters, too. Take every opportunity you have to work in a kitchen, no matter how small your role might seem. The more experience you have behind the whisk, the easier it will be for you to move up the culinary ladder.
Culinary Career Paths Start with Online Schools
What can you do with a culinary career? There are several different possibilities on the menu. Here are just a few that might tempt you:

• Restaurant Manager
• Caterer
• Pastry Chef
• Baker
• Personal Chef
• Executive Chef
• Saucier

Online degree programs can also lead to other job opportunities, like cooking instructor, prep cook, or baker, or a degree might pave the way for you to own your own restaurant. The job outlook is sweet for those in the culinary business. Though the Bureau of Labor Statistics expects job growth of only about 6 percent through 2018, the high rate of turnover in the business means more opportunities for truly dedicated culinary experts. At a median annual salary of $47,210, the income for those in the culinary world can be sweet, too.
Are you ready to turn your cooking skills into a budding career? Online degree programs in culinary arts and hospitality are the door to the kitchen!
 

The Smurfs were a favorite childhood cartoon for many around the world. Cartoon characters like Papa Smurf, Smurfette, and Smurf others could incite laughter within minutes. Today, those characters are being used for an additional purpose–to raise consciousness and money for African relief.

Smurf Cartoon Shows an Ugly Reality

A past Smurf episode doesn’t include many laughs. In fact, it is intended to shock people into helping UNICEF rebuild parts of war torn Africa. The episode is actually a twenty-second service message showing the grizzly carpet-bombing of the Smurf village in wartime. Smurfette is left for dead and Baby Smurf is orphaned. Officials at UNICEF say that the cartoon is being shown after 9 p.m. in Belgium so that children won’t be exposed to these disturbing scenes. The cartoon has worked. People have gone to the UNICEF website and contribute money for their projects in Africa.

Cartoon Network Provides Ample Work for Animation Studios

Cartoon advertisements are a new, niche market for animation artists. There is enough work to keep a few commercial animation studios in business. The bulk of animation production is for feature films and cartoon series. Cable channels like the Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, and Fox Kids pay big dollars for animated cartoon series, and major animation studios such as Disney and Pixar crank out a majority of the animated feature films. 

Cultivate Your Talent by Attending Animation School

Along with the fresh opportunities in cartooning and feature films come new jobs. The successful animation studios are looking for people with talent and cultivated design skills. Talent is generally a natural gift, but the cultivation generally happens at animation school, where students hitch their native ability to state-of-the-art software. If you have the calling, an animation degree–from either campus schools or accredited online universities–can prepare you for this highly competitive field.
  About the Author
Kirk Bangstad is an artist manager and singer working in Chicago, IL. His previous experience includes consulting for technology companies in the Silicon Valley and serving as a field director and publicist for a statewide political campaign. Kirk holds a B.A. in government from Harvard University.

Are you looking for a job that gives you the opportunity to help others, and the chance to make a great paycheck while you do it? Look no further than online schools of nursing. Not only do registered nurses have the ability to improve or even save lives, they can find deep satisfaction, every single day, in a job well done.
Registered Nurses Enjoy Job Security
If you’re looking for job security, becoming a nurse could be your ideal career path. Nurses are in constant demand in hospitals, clinics, home health organizations, and even places you might not immediately expect, such as schools and college athletic departments.
Nurses can also specialize in many different areas of medicine and can change their specialization with the help of continuing education. From working with children to the elderly, handling traumas in an emergency department, or assisting during life-saving operations, registered nurses are everywhere. They are the true face of the health care profession.
The Nursing Shortage
According to a report from the Washington Post, about a third of the nursing workforce is aged 50 or older, and about 55 percent have expressed an interest in retiring over the next 10 years. Peter Buerhaus, an economist and professor at Vanderbilt University, predicts a shortage of at least 300,000 nurses in the coming years.
That spells trouble for the health care profession, and the only way to alleviate that issue is with more registered nurses. Those who pursue nursing degree programs now can be poised to help fill that nursing void in the future.
Pay for a Registered Nurse
In 2009, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a median yearly income of $63,750 for registered nurses. Depending on where a nurse works and the specialization they choose, the income could be much higher. Advanced practice nurses or nurses with a master’s degree may make six figures. Look into online degree programs to start on the path of golden nursing opportunities.

About the Author
Shannon Dauphin is a freelance writer and novelist based near Nashville, Tennessee.

There was a time when vehicles were easy to repair. The parts and the way they went together were very straightforward. Every vehicle was sold with a manual and repair kit that helped you take care of the simple problems that could arise while out on the road.
But that was then, and this is now. Today’s vehicles are sophisticated machines filled with computer technology and thousands of parts. These modern road rockets require the top-notch skills of a mechanic who has been trained to handle a wide variety of engines and the problems that can happen under an equally wide variety of circumstances.
What it takes to become a mechanic
Working as a mechanic–otherwise known as an automotive service technician–used to require years of training under a seasoned mechanic. Today, the sophisticated engines require a deep knowledge of evolving technologies, computer science and engineering, in addition to the vast knowledge of tools and automotive parts required to understand, pinpoint, and fix the problems with engines of all types.
Vocational training programs for automotive repair can cover a wide range of topics, and can take anywhere from six months to a year to earn a certificate. However, advanced programs can take several years and award a degree. Online degree programs are often helpful to those who want to begin with an entry-level position and work their way up as their knowledge grows. Complex specialities, such as transmission repair, require further schooling to obtain the necessary knowledge.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, job opportunities for mechanics are expected to grow by 5 percent from 2008 to 2018. The mean annual wage of an automobile mechanic in 2009 was $37,880. Those who ranked in the lower ten percent made an average of $19,840, while those in the upper ten percent made an average of $59,920. Those who served in an automotive specialty might make even more.

When you begin your search for online schools, you will probably hear a great deal about accreditation. Understanding what it means to be accredited can help you make the best informed choice about the online degree programs you want to take.
What is Accreditation?
Accreditation is an assurance that a school or degree program meets the high-quality standards of the accrediting body. In order for a school to earn accreditation, the independent accrediting body will review the school’s courses, curriculum, recruiting practices and admissions procedures, faculty, course content and more. If the school meets the rigorous standards of quality, it will be accredited.
Why Accreditation Matters
There are a few reasons why accreditation matters:

• Financial aid. Federal grants–and sometimes state grants–are awarded only for enrollment in an accredited college or program. This means that if you choose to go with a school that has not earned accreditation, you might be paying much more out of pocket.
• Transfer of credits. If you choose to change schools halfway through your degree program, only courses from an accredited school will transfer to another accredited school. If your initial educational choice was not accredited, you might lose all the time and money you put into that education when you choose to transfer.
• Employment. Finally, many employers look to accreditation as a stamp of approval for your degree. Without a degree from an accredited school, you might not get that new job or big promotion.

Accredited Online Schools: How to Tell
If an online school is accredited, it should clearly state that on its website or hard copy literature. It should also state where the accreditation was awarded. Keep in mind that an online school might offer several online degree programs, but not all of them must be accredited. You might need to check into each degree program that interests you to determine whether the program itself is eligible for accreditation.

Jobs that are both stable and well-paid are hard to come by. But becoming a plumber can help you land one of those jobs. In fact, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, plumbers enjoy one of the highest-paying occupations in the construction industry.
What kind of work can a plumber do?
Working as a plumber involves much more than fixing pipes in houses. In fact, there are a wide variety of career paths plumbers can take. Some examples include working for the government, laying pipe for new infrastructure or replacing the existing materials. A plumber might work with companies to fit new steam heating systems or safety sprinklers, or be asked to completely remodel a residential bathroom. From working with big business to running your own business, numerous possibilities await for those who choose to become a plumber.
Education for a plumber
Plumbers often get their start through both classroom education and on-the-job training. Training through online schools can help you earn the knowledge and experience you need to move into an apprenticeship. Classroom training can teach you everything from math and applied sciences to local building codes and laws. After spending a few years under the direction of an experienced plumber, you can then move into handling jobs of your own. Some states require plumbers to be licensed.
What is the average plumber salary?
According to the BLS, employment for plumbers was expected to experience 16 percent growth from 2008 to 2018. The demand for retrofitting and new construction codes is behind the push for more jobs. In 2009, the mean annual wage for a plumber was $49,870.
Online schools can lead to a plumbing career
Choosing to earn your education through online schools can allow you to juggle work, home and family obligations while earning your diploma, certificate or degree. A plumbing career could be your ticket to job security, and online degree programs can help you get there.