The infectious laughter and energy of kids brings joy to many adults. If you’re one of them, why not get paid to play, educate, or supervise little ones? You can develop a successful, fulfilling career working with kids if you choose the right degree path, whether you help children unleash their inner artists or focus on healthy living. We’ve got 5 degree options perfect for anyone who enjoys encouraging kids to reach their full potential, so keep reading!
Working with kids: it’s a great way to keep yourself youthful and high-spirited, not to mention a unique opportunity to guide future generations to success. But working with children also comes with significant responsibility. A bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts, Psychology, Nursing, Social Work, and Library Science will help prepare you to become successful in your field. Learn more about these youth-oriented degrees under the fold.
Love Working with Children? Take One of These Five Important Degrees.
Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.)
The B.F.A. is the US’s gold standard degree for fine artists all across the country. It includes both fine arts like painting, drawing, and sculpting as well as visual arts, acting, creative writing, graphic design, and sometimes, even technical fields like video game design.
As an artist, a B.F.A. paves the way to working with children in schools, local organizations, and tutoring scenarios. Many schools hire B.F.A. graduates to serve as drama or art teachers; others bring these individuals in on a contractual basis for occasional workshops. You’ll get to spend time with kids, helping them to use their imagination and open up their creative minds to become more artistic themselves.
Bachelor of Psychology (B.A. or B.Sc)
A Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) or Bachelor of Science (B.Sc) in Psychology provides you with training on an exhaustive list of psychological concepts. Students learn how the mind works, how we develop psychologically, the role of mental illness and how it develops, and sound evidence-based strategies for helping patients master perception and emotional well-being.
With a B.Sc or a B.A., you can work with kids in a few different ways: becoming a school guidance counselor, working as a therapist, or even serving in an educational facility as a consultant to educators and teachers. Some psychology graduates also work in early childhood education, special-needs facilities, and daycares. Your job is to help children of all ages discover who they are through learning and play.
Bachelor of Nursing (B.N.)
Nurses are the cornerstone of the medical care industry. Next to doctors and surgeons, they are critically important to patient care, especially in areas like pediatrics. A B.N. paves the way for you to step into that role and help sick children regain their wellness, cope with illnesses, or cultivate better long-term health from childhood into adulthood.
Most nurses work with children at least occasionally. If you choose to step into pediatrics or another child-specific area of medicine, you can work with kids every single day. Pediatric nurses handle everything from NICU care for premature or sick infants to holding hands during scary blood draws, ensuring the littlest patients get the very best care. They also educate children and parents during visits.
A Bachelor of Social Work (B.S.W.)
A Bachelor of Social Work (B.S.W.) prepares you to go to work in marginalized communities, hospitals, non-profits, and various other organizations around the United State. This social justice-oriented degree starts with basic sociology sections and then continues by exploring issues like intersectionality, poverty, child welfare, senior health and wellness, correction, and criminal rehabilitation.
The B.S.W. opens up new paths for working with kids in a way that often has real, impactful meaning. For example, some graduates choose to go into juvenile corrections, helping troubled teens turn their lives around. Others go to work with child protective facilities, rescuing abused children and/or facilitating healing to bring families back together in strength. Still others work for schools or hospitals, providing parents and kids with important advocacy and support during times of need.
Bachelor of Library Sciences (B.Lib.)
Library sciences are all about information categorization and management. When you take your B. Lib, you’ll learn how to collect, organize, distribute, and provide access to wide amounts of data in a neat and sensible fashion – but that’s really just the beginning. Library sciences also include topics like literacy, improving literature access to marginalized groups, and the importance of education for a healthy society. Modern B. Lib programs also cover database management, big data analysis, information literacy, and software or cloud-based web integrations.
When you graduate from a B.Lib, you go on to become a librarian. As a librarian, you have the opportunity to work in schools and libraries all across the country – places often frequented by programs. You’ll play an integral role in improving literacy for America’s children while also entertaining, motivating, and exciting them with stories.
Ready to get started onto a fun path filled with busy days guiding children to become the best citizens they can be? Whether you choose to become a social worker, a nurse, or a librarian, you can start your studies right now from home. Online degrees are making it easier than ever to improve your life with education, all without quitting work or sacrificing family time.
