Many Career Options With A Degree In Science!
April 13, 2010 by Natasha Bright
Filed under Online Colleges
You hear every American, from the President himself to the everyday citizen, talking about things this country needs. Among them is a new utility infrastructure, green technology, smart telephones, miniature computers and even growing food more efficiently. All this will take skilled manpower, in which the U.S. is enduring a shortage. It’s reaching critical proportions. People who work in these areas fall into a vastly broad category called STEM (for science, technology, engineering and math), and the federal government is creating programs, grants and new scholarships to counter this. For those already working, looking to enter these fields, online college classes may be the way to go.
These programs keep online colleges exceedingly busy. They are not only helping young students obtain their first Bachelor’s degree, but also seasoned scientists and engineers needing to advance to their Masters and Ph.Ds. At its core, STEM is a field of perpetual study. It’s also so broad view, it can use clearer definition. First though, one should define the four divisions, i.e. science, engineering, math and tech. According to the Bureau, they are:
(1) Natural Science Occupations – What the government is primarily looking for falls into three main subdivisions: Life scientists, physical scientists and natural scientist technicians. They are 13% (752,000) of all STEM personnel. Specialists include agricultural and food scientists, biological scientists, conservation, environmentalists and geophysicists, astronomers and medical scientists. There is also a major need for technicians to assist scientists in conducting experiments through reporting the results. If you need more information about online college classes, look on the internet.
(2) Engineering – The second largest group at 2.2 million (approximately 37%). Almost every product used today is due to some form of engineering. The number of specialties is as broad as the number of people in the field. They include agricultural, biomedical, chemical, civil (the largest category), electrical/electronics and mechanical engineers among others. There are also drafters and technicians, who assist the engineers in designing and then testing the products they help produce.
(3) Technology – The largest group at approximately 2.9 million (almost 50%), these people are the main work force of the field, and the fed primarily reserves this category for those in computer and information tech. These people make computers function. Some workers create new software, others design computer systems, some just work on databases. Others teach people how to use computers and while others keep them running in proper order. It should be noted though this area also does design and development of the machines.
(4) Mathematicians – The smallest of the groups at barely 57,000 (less than 1%), they focus on mathematics almost exclusively. Mathematicians include actuaries, pure mathematicians, operations research analysts and statisticians. Practical mathematicians work on anything from figuring out your insurance premium to setting odds for casinos. There is an abundance of information about on line degree programs on the web.
According to the BLS, STEM workers earned about 70 percent more than the national average. This is due to an extremely strong demand for workers. Side perks, such as insurance, investment and retirement packages, not forgetting continued educational subsidies, can be considerable. Depending on the specialty, growth is expected to range anywhere from 10% to 31%. It’s truly a field with an incredible future.
For those interested in entering into any one of the many careers available in these fields, online college classes might just be the way to start. Getting a science bachelor degree with online college degree programs while maintaining your current job and helping to support your family means a smooth transition to a better career path.