Working adults who enroll in an online bachelor completion program often do so to move up the corporate ladder and into management. Degree programs that focus on applied workplace leadership skills can open the door to promotion and a higher salary, allowing a graduate to take their career to the next level.
Attaining those skills involves learning to guide, inspire and support a team, pulling them together to achieve a common goal. Effective applied workplace leadership is not simple to achieve. It requires a focus on developing “soft skills” such as communication, critical thinking, skilled guidance, decision-making, and empathy.
For non-traditional students who continue working while earning their degree, an online bachelor completion program that focuses on applied workplace leadership gives them the flexibility they need to earn a degree while maintaining their current job.
Why Complete a Bachelor’s Degree?
Before deciding what major to focus on, working adults should first understand the value of earning a college degree. The return on the effort put into an online bachelor completion program is high. It can serve as motivation for those still on the fence.
Many working adults understand the value of a bachelor’s degree from their own experience. They’ve seen that those who earn promotions and make higher salaries often have college degrees. Statistics support their observations. College graduates make, on average, about $1.2 million more over the course of their careers than those without a college degree, according to the Association of Public and Land Grant Universities.
College graduates are half as likely as those without a degree to become unemployed. “The evidence that a college degree significantly improves one’s employment prospects and earnings potential is overwhelming,” the association wrote.
The association lists other benefits that show a bachelor’s degree can open the door to upward mobility:
- Bachelor degree holders enjoy a substantial earnings premium, with median earnings on an annual basis about 84 percent higher for college degree holders (about $36,000).
- The earning gap continues to grow. The 2021 median annual income for college degree holders between the ages of 22 and 27 reached $45,760, while high school graduates of the same age earned $30,000.
- Over the past decade, all net job growth has gone to people with a bachelor’s degree or graduate degree.
The convenience and quality of online bachelor degree completion programs allows more working adults than ever to earn a degree and reap the benefits.
Why Focus on Applied Workplace Leadership?
Earning a degree in applied workplace leadership can amplify the benefits of earning a college degree by helping professionals hone their leadership skills. Graduates from an online bachelor completion program that focuses on applied workplace leadership prepare themselves for success in management positions.
They also signal to their employer or hiring managers that they are serious about developing the skills needed for leadership. These include instilling a sense of purpose and enthusiasm in others, fostering ethical behavior, creating an innovative and diverse workplace culture, and learning how to properly set and assess expectations and goals for employees.
A professional with that skillset is immediately a serious contender for management positions. Becoming a manager also translates into financial rewards. According to federal data, many management occupations command median annual salaries in the six figures. Most offer salaries higher than the $52,000 median salary for all bachelor degree holders.
Jobs in management attainable for those with a bachelor’s degree include administrative services manager, facilities manager, compensation and benefits manager, computer and information systems managers, construction managers, and human resources managers.
NMU Global Campus Online Bachelor’s Degree Completion
NMU Global campus designed its online bachelor’s degree completion programs for non-traditional students and returning adults who completed an associate degree in any field, although an associate degree is not required. NMU offers students a generous credit transfer policy, allowing them to finish their college degree more quickly. Accelerated courses also allow students to finish quickly.
Aspiring leaders who choose to concentrate on applied workplace leadership develop skills that employers value in leadership positions, including department management, team leadership, and project management. Courses in the program include:
- Effective Communication in the Workplace
- Ethical Leadership in the Workplace
- Assessment in the Workplace
- Leadership in Diverse Workplaces
- Systems Thinking in Workplace Leadership
Returning adults who enroll in an online bachelor’s degree completion program take an important step toward improving their career, both immediately and in the future. A focus on leadership can make the benefits of earning a degree even greater.
