It might be hard to imagine, but Digital Marketing Specialists did not exist 10 years ago. In fact, some of today’s fastest growing jobs were not around in the last decade, including SEO Specialist, App Designer, and Esports and Gaming Administrator. Along with rapid advancements in technology, the job market has morphed over recent years, creating new opportunities for those who are prepared.

At Rochester Christian University, our focus has always been on preparing students for career success beyond graduation. So, to keep up with changes in workforce demand, we are offering seven new degree programs beginning in the 2022-23 academic year. These programs are in high-growth fields and include:

• BBA Sports Management: Esports and Gaming Administration – This program prepares graduates with a blend of business fundamentals and sports management knowledge needed to work across industries, while also developing the skills to manage the gaming industry and the growing role of Esports within it.
• BS Digital Marketing – This program gives students the knowledge and skills to incorporate a digital marketing strategy into an organization’s overall marketing efforts. Students will learn how to reach current and potential customers using digital tools, such as search engine optimization (SEO), social media marketing, content marketing and more – connecting the organization’s offerings to the needs of the customer using highly-targeted and results-driven marketing.
• BBA Financial Planning – This program prepares graduates with a blend of business fundamentals and financial planning knowledge needed to serve as expert resources in investing, saving, and money management. Career paths for CFP professionals include Financial Planner, Client Services Advisor and Financial Analyst.
• BBA Human Resource Management – This program blends business fundamentals and human resources knowledge to prepare graduates to serve as experts in training and development, compensation, employment law, benefits management, and risk management.
• BS Public Administration – This program prepares students to work in a variety of operational roles in the public and non-profit sector. Students will learn the fundamentals of federal, state, and local government administration, providing an excellent foundation for work in Public Administration or Public Policy.
• BS Neuroscience – This program helps students understand how the brain is structured, how it works, how it can malfunction, and how it changes throughout the lifespan. Students examine the structure and function of the human brain and nervous system integrating insights from a variety of disciplines, such as biology and psychology. Neuroscience provides students with a broad range of career options, including graduate studies in neuroscience and medical school (especially psychiatric care), research, counseling, therapy, or addiction work.
• BS Health Care Management – This program prepares graduates to become medical and health services managers, also called health care executives or health care administrators. These professionals plan, direct, and coordinate medical and health services. They might manage an entire facility, a specific clinical area or department, or a medical practice.

WAIT A MINUTE…FINANCIAL PLANNING AND HUMAN RESOURCES ARE NOT NEW

True. While digital marketing, esports and gaming, and even health care management are relatively new careers, financial planning, human resources, and neuroscience have been around a long time. Yet, these positions are now in high demand. In fact, the State of Michigan anticipates job growth of 11% for financial managers through 2028, and according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), employment of HR Managers and HR Specialists is projected to grow 9% through 2030. Similarly, public administrative jobs are expected to grow 9% by 2030.¹

In some cases, the traditional roles in these job categories are changing along with technology, which requires new skill sets. In other cases, there is simply a shortage of graduates with these degrees. Either way, new opportunities exist for graduates with these degrees.

THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS

These majors are not only new to Rochester Christian University, but they are also part of an exciting trend in higher education – one that we are proud to be a part of. These new programs are “collaborative majors” provided in partnership with the Lower Cost Models for Independent Colleges Consortium (LCMC). This partnership brings academia, taught on college campuses, together with curricula built by industry experts, such as Google, Unity (software developers), Forever Labs (stem cell research), Igda (International Game Developers Association), and PlayEveryWare (game platform developers), as well as other major universities. Students will have the unique opportunity to learn online with students from other universities, in programs co-designed by leading professionals in their respective fields, while receiving a degree from Rochester Christian University.

Collaborative majors bring together the best of both worlds – the traditional on-campus experience along with virtual instruction from experts in high-demand fields. Students can spend four years at the college they love, get to know the faculty, build relationships and be part of an active student community while taking select online courses from some of the top names in your chosen field and building a portfolio of work. The bottom line: You graduate with the skills you need to start a career in a high-demand field.

GET READY FOR A RESKILLED WORKFORCE

Did you know that the World Economic Forum predicts that half of all employees will require reskilling by 2025 due to major changes in the workplace?² That’s why businesses are eager to partner with universities to create innovative programs that help employees learn these new skills – and perhaps, more importantly, prepare new graduates with the skills they need to fill these gaps.

Are you ready to be in high demand?

Sources:

¹ Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Marketing Managers, on the Internet at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/administrative-services-managers.htm   (visited September 21, 2021).

²https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/10/top-10-work-skills-of-tomorrow-how-long-it-takes-to-learn-them/