11 Graduate Degrees at WVU for Career Changers

The only constant that seems to define life as a post-graduate is change itself.

Interests, long-term goals, career aspirations — they are all up in the air. Your interests as a high school senior – when you chose your intended course of study and well, in many cases your career path for the foreseeable future – are often vastly different from the college senior that walks across the stage at graduation four years later.

But the good news is it’s never too late to chase your daydreams, and an advanced degree could be exactly what you need to make the career change you’ve always imagined.

The following graduate programs don’t require a specific undergraduate degree, only your dedication, your passion, and your drive to ultimately do what you love.

1. Business Data Analytics

For those seeking a career change, one of the first steps is figuring out what’s most in demand and what will provide the greatest opportunity for work in the field upon graduation.

If you’re interested in big data and the rewards that come with a career in technology: WVU’s master’s program in Business Data Analytics might be for you.

By the end of this year-long online program, graduates will be armed with all the tools necessary to become a trail blazer in big data, including data mining, decision sciences and analytics, and ethics and data collection.

Note: Applicants must have a strong analytical background.

2. Sport Management

Sport management professionals seek to change the perspective of sports in society. Rather than viewing them as purely a spectacle, instructors, managers, and athletes alike dig deeper to see what positive effects sports can have on both the participants and their surrounding communities.

With a master’s in Sport Management from WVU, career changers can chase their dream job of working for a professional sports team or contributing to a university athletic department in fields such as athletic training, event management, marketing, or resource management.

3. Safety Management

Despite the variety of career backgrounds safety management professionals may come from, they all share the common mission of creating and maintaining a healthy, ethical, and efficient work environment.

WVU’s program will prepare graduates to identify potential hazards in the workplace, create and implement procedures to protect workers, investigate workplace accidents, and lead safety training in their respective fields. With an MS in Safety Management from WVU, graduates can build a bridge to a career in construction, transportation, manufacturing, or emergency management.

Note: This program requires 60+ hours of math and science from an accredited undergraduate degree.

4. Special Education

The College of Education and Human Services at WVU is committed to providing an all-encompassing master’s program that prepares its graduates to educate and advocate for students in need. The MA in Special Education has a number of concentrations to choose from depending on the student’s area of interest, including early childhood education, severe/multiple disabilities, and applied behavioral analysis.

The program also offers the opportunity to complete field/clinical experiences in locations – and subject areas – that are close to home. Students gain the necessary experience for post-graduate career goals and get the opportunity to make an impact in their own community's quality of education.

5. History

We cannot properly build a brighter future for our society without first understanding the leaders, the struggles, and the stories of our past.

With an MA in History from West Virginia University, you’ll play an integral role in shaping the future of your local community through your work as a museum curator, a conservation officer, or an educator. The Department of History even has a unique partnership with the National Park Service, providing valuable opportunities for students to gain real-world experience through its highly-regarded internship programs.

6. Legal Studies

A master’s degree in Legal Studies from West Virginia University will prepare students to achieve their professional and personal goals of working as an advocate, in conjunction with the legal system.

With a strong foundation in local outreach, service learning, and applied research, graduates go on to become social workers, probation officers, and resources for children, veterans, and other people in need that must work within the legal system to attain certain personal and societal outcomes.

7. Forensic and Fraud Examination

WVU's graduate program in Forensic and Fraud Examination will teach students how to spot fraud, organized crime, and more specific acts like money laundering or financing of illegal activities through private channels. They’ll also learn how to use that information to conduct interviews with suspects and ultimately bring the case to court.  

8. Business Cybersecurity Management

Cybersecurity professionals are the first line of digital defense in both government and the private sector. These trained specialists combat serious crimes that take place every day in every country, like intellectual property theft, credit card fraud, pirated content, data theft, malware, and ransomware.

The growing threat of cyber crimes has prompted the Bureau of Labor Statistics to recognize the industry as one of the fastest growing professions in the workforce, with 18 percent growth – per year.

With an MS in Business Cybersecurity Management, career changers can make their dream of becoming a computer systems analyst, a security management specialist, or an information security analyst a reality.

9. Music Industry

WVU’s MA in Music Industry seeks to define music’s real-world imprints on society as seen through culture, politics, and technology. Students will complete a capstone project that encompasses all learned knowledge and prepares them to contribute immediately after graduation as a producer, manager, or artist.

Students will explore three different facets of the music industry: Music Industry Foundations, Music Commerce Management and Operations, and Music Production Methods and Technology.

10. Public Administration

WVU's graduate degree in Public Administration prepares students to serve their community and their country. The program gives the graduate the leadership and management skills needed to solve complex issues involving health and wellness, economic planning, sustainable community development, national parks, and historic landmark preservations, to name a few.

MPA alumni have been employed post-graduation by organizations such as Deloitte, FBI, West Virginia Office of the Governor, and West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission.

11. Literacy Education (Reading Specialist Certification)

Literacy education, as a discipline, is a field of study that equips educators with the practical knowledge and the strategic tools to effectively teach students how to read, write, listen, speak, research, and observe in order to positively impact the future generation of literacy-rich and confident leaders.

By pursuing a Master of Arts in Literacy Education and by attaching a Reading Specialist Certificate to that advanced field of study, you’ll position yourself as a leader in the field of education and more importantly, equip yourself as a service-oriented changemaker that’s ready to enact positive change in the lives of students and communities.

Changing careers? Connect with WVU today!

We hope that this blog post has been helpful in outlining some of the career paths that are available to you as consider making a career change.

You can read more blog posts about our graduate programs for career changers here and here.

Check out our digital resource — Make the Change: A Comprehensive Guide to Graduate Programs for Career Changers — and let us help you and you navigate the process of changing career fields!