Two New Degrees to Match Employment Needs at University of Phoenix

This summer the University of Phoenix expanded its School of Advanced Studies (SAS) with two new online degree offerings. Proactive online schools do that often, but these particular degrees are designed to meet specific needs in the job market. That's an unusual example of an educational institution responding to potential needs of future students by developing the faculty and course content for new, accredited degrees.

The school is now offering a Doctor of Philosophy degree (PhD) in nursing. This particular academic option is one of the nursing administration degrees that is meant for nurses who currently hold a master's degree and wish to move into the fields of research, administration or education.

The need for nursing instructors is particularly acute. According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, U.S. nursing schools had to turn away nearly 50,000 qualified applicants from either RN to BSN or RN to MS degree programs. Two thirds of the schools that responded to the survey cited lack of faculty as a principal reason for cutting off enrollment.

Nurses who have achieved their RN status through some means other than a college degree program are seeking out higher education credentials in increasing numbers. Graduates from the University of Phoenix PhD in Nursing program will be available for teaching programs in a few years.

The other degree introduced by UOP is for Educational Specialist (Ed.S.). This position is a streamlined addition to the education administration degrees currently available through the University of Phoenix and other schools. There are master's and doctoral programs in curriculum development, in educational leadership and in management. This degree combines coursework in curriculum and instruction with classes in management and educational administration.

This degree is meant for individuals currently working in the field at the K-12 level, teachers who already hold a bachelor's or master's degree in classroom teaching. While the degree is termed "educational specialist" it really introduces a hybrid curriculum that provides a graduate from the program with multiple skills. Educational Specialists will be qualified to work in curriculum and instruction development or in a general administrative role. The degree provides flexible qualifications for a number of management roles in school administration.