Five Cool Majors Worth Considering

While it's not possible to highlight all your career options in this issue of CollegeBound, we spotlight five possible majors that just may suit your skills, interests and opportunities for ministry.

Jobs may be a dime a dozen, but a fulfilling career is a priceless commodity. As with the tricky endeavor of choosing the college you'll attend, there are so many possibilities when it comes to deciding what you plan to do for a living. Although an intimidating quest, never fear; everyone eventually finds his or her niche; college is usually the place where that happens. So whether you track down the perfect major right away or have to try a few on for size, we've got five very cool options for you to consider in the meantime.

1) MUSIC AND PERFORMING ARTS
For anyone who's ever used a hairbrush as a microphone while belting out a favorite song or daydreamed about seeing his or her name in Broadway lights, the road to accomplishing one's dreams is usually a bit more difficult. While not impossible, a college degree doesn't necessarily ensure success. Just ask the majority of aspiring musicians who wait tables in Nashville. For those who want to polish their skills for the bright lights of stardom, work on the business side of the industry or strive to use music for ministry in a local church, there are several options for optimum training.

Probably most familiar to contemporary Christian music fans is the college where Jars of Clay met: Greenville College, located in Greenville, Illinois. Whether you're striving to follow in Jars of Clay's footsteps as a musician or want to work behind the scenes as a producer, engineer, concert promoter or music publisher, Greenville College has classes and practical seminars to help pave the way. An excellent job-placement program is also an attractive feature the college offers, which makes telling your parents that a music career is a smart and feasible choice. More details about what the school offers is available online at greenville.edu.

Creative types also might find scholastic solace in the city known for music—Nashville, Tennessee. At Belmont University, performers and non-performers can learn the ropes of a career in the music industry just a few blocks from Nashville's legendary Music Row. As one of the first schools in America to offer a commercial music program, students have a wide range of programs to choose from, including music theory, composition, piano, instrumental, vocal, church music, as well as a program for those interested in music business. More information can be found at belmont.edu.

If none of these options seem like a good fit, know there are plenty of other options available, such as Anderson College in Anderson, Ind., (anderson-college.edu) and a non-traditional approach to music for the more ministry-minded student with Christ for the Nations Institute's School of Worship (cfni.org).

2) MASS MEDIA
Ever dream of penning a Pulitzer-prize winning novel? Reporting the highlights of a local baseball game on the radio? Does reporting a behind-the-scenes exposé sound appealing? Whether you're interested in the medium of print, radio or television broadcast, a degree in Journalism, Broadcasting or a broader study in Communications may be the ticket. Always practical (because good communication skills can be utilized in any profession), you'll hone your writing skills, become a better speaker and probably learn plenty about the growth of new electronic mediums, such as the Internet.

Several Christian colleges offer a very progressive approach to communications coursework including Northwestern College in St. Paul, Minnesota. With a goal "to prepare students for leadership in ministries or careers in communication-related fields," the school's communications programs integrate theoretical knowledge, hands-on skill and the development of a Christ-centered worldview. Also equipped with its own radio ministry, students can gain a variety of practical broadcasting experience. Majors in broadcasting and electronic media, as well as a broader communications major in which students can choose a specific area of concentration (journalism, public relations, speech and theater, communication studies and computer mediated communication) are available. Click here for details.

If Minnesota's weather is too chilly for your liking, another great option for Communications enthusiasts is Evangel University in Springfield, Missouri. With advantages such as a great teacher/student ratio for more one-on-one training and practical off-campus opportunities for students to gain valuable communications experience, Evangel has much to offer. With courses prepping students in everything from advertising to public speaking, there's a wide variety of majors that can lead to exciting career options in the future. Click here for more information about their programs.

Other schools with media programs to check out include:
Regent University in Virginia Beach, Va., and Azusa Pacific University in Azusa, California.

3) EDUCATION
Look in the classified ads section of your local newspaper, and you'll quickly see the demand for teachers is high. Whether instructing the kindergarten set or teaching English as a second language in a foreign country, it's a tough profession requiring a special person with a lot of patience, intelligence and a strong desire to help people. Before you're scared off by how daunting that sounds, teachers also have the potential to be powerful influences in people's lives—a fringe benefit that's far better than a six-figure salary and a lucrative 401K.

To excel in your own classroom in the future, excellent college training and a good student-teaching program is essential. Offering a variety of different educational programs ranging from early childhood to secondary education is Pennsylvania's Grove College. If you want to teach in public, private or a Christian school, professors at Grove College strive to make teachers effective in any and every environment. Secondary specification fields include a broad range of options, including biology; chemistry; English (also with communications); foreign language (French and Spanish); mathematics; music; physics; and social sciences, along with the interdisciplinary fields of General Science (with biology, chemistry and physics).

On the opposite side of the U.S. is another school with a thriving education program in Portland, Oregon. At Warner Pacific College, there are several majors pertaining to the field of education—for general teachers, aspiring music teachers and people who want to work in the field of Christian education. With a goal of "providing students from diverse backgrounds an education that prepares them for the spiritual, moral, social, vocational and technological challenges of the 21st century," the school equips students for a successful life in and out of the classroom. Another option worth checking out for a savvy approach to teacher education is Rhode Island's Providence College.

4) MISSIONS
As in the field of education, serving as a missionary seldom allows you to have material riches. For many people who choose to dedicate their lives to serving others, the dividends are far greater than a profitable 401K and a nice house in the suburbs.

It may seem silly to some to earn a college education just to be a missionary. After all, doesn't it just take a willingness to serve, to reach out and help someone in need or to share the gospel? Those things aren't enough when it comes to ministering in a foreign country or even in an urban setting. The kind of training a missions program provides is a knowledge about the culture in which you'll be serving and the biblical foundation that will help you share your faith more effectively. Practical experience is usually a fundamental part of your educational experience, too. At Bethany College of Missions in Minneapolis, Minn., your entire junior year is dedicated to working alongside veteran missions or church organizations to hone your skills in a cross-cultural setting. The school offers three different tracts of ministry opportunity including Christian service, Bethany Urban Development and a practicum for missions leadership training with lots of "hands-on" learning opportunities.

Another program with a very practical approach to ministry is at The University of Mobile in Mobile, Alabama. One night each semester, about 85 students from the university join together to plan a special yearly missions project called "The Urban Plunge." The two-day trip gives students an opportunity to serve in many capacities of inner-city ministry by volunteering in Habitat for Humanity projects, working in AIDS hospitals, serving in food banks, hanging with kids in children's homes and performing yardwork and construction for the elderly and disabled. With the experience of "The Urban Plunge," students typically come home empowered to reach out in their respective communities and are prepared for a life of servanthood.

5) PASTORAL/THEOLOGY
If you feel God's calling to preach the sermons in church on Sunday mornings, want to lead a youth ministry or have a desire to dig deep into the linguistic origins of the Bible, a degree in the pastoral or theological field may be the most useful and fulfilling.

As with any major, the options for where you can get your training from are endless. At Grace Bible College in Grand Rapids, Mich., students can specialize in religious studies, pastoral ministry, youth ministry and even have the option of participating in a five-year Bachelor of Theology program.

For those who enjoy life on the East Coast, your pastoral or theological studies also could be completed at Lancaster Bible College & Graduate School in Pennsylvania. Several pastoral programs, such as church planting or pre-seminary training are available. If a one-year study of the Bible sounds appealing, certification for that is available, along with specialized programs for women in ministry and aspiring youth pastors.

Additional pastoral programs worth checking out are the wide variety of options at North Central University in Minneapolis, Minn., and Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, Illinois. Look for other missions-oriented programs at Calvary Bible College in Kansas City, Mo. and Asbury College in Wilmore, Kentucky.