Ask An Advisor: How Do I Choose Which Program To Study?

Ask An Advisor: How Do I Choose Which Program To Study?

As an advisor I am often asked “which certificate or degree program should I work on?” There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question, as the best program for you will depend on your individual interests and circumstances. What are you passionate about? What are your talents? What type of career will take care of your financial needs? What are your long-term goals? What do you want to do with your life?

It’s important to explore all of your options and to make sure you are educated about the types of careers available to you. There is no single right or wrong choice when it comes to choosing a college program. The best way to figure out what you're interested in and what will make you happy is to do some research. Choosing the right program can be overwhelming, but we are here to help. Here are some of the resources that are available.

Fields of Interest

If you have a general idea of the type of a career you are interested in, you can review our Degrees and Certificates pages for all of the programs that we offer. Programs are grouped into similar programs - referred to as Fields of Interest. For example, you know you want to do a business type of degree but haven’t decided on a specific program. You can review the “Business, Entrepreneurialism, and Management” Field of Interest and see all of the certificate and degree programs that are business related. This may help you narrow down your choices. You may see some interesting options that you had not considered before.

Counseling and Career Services

Another great way to research is to review the many resources available on the Counseling and Career Services site.  Here, you will find various links for career and personality assessments. You will also find links to do career research. You may also schedule an appointment for individual career counseling for personalized guidance in making a career choice. 

Career Exploration and Success Courses

Rio’s Counseling Faculty teach career exploration and success courses under the CPD prefix and also a new FYE prefix. Please see the full list of classes. These classes are geared to help you explore your career choices and be successful in your educational journey.  An example of one of these courses is CPD102AB “Career Exploration.” FYE101 and FYE103 are new college success courses. Students starting at Rio Salado in Fall 2022 (and beyond) will be required to take one of these courses.

Academic Advisement

Once you have decided on a program, your advisor can help put your choices into a semester-by-semester plan so you can see what you will need to take and when you will complete your program. To find your advisor, log into your RioLearn page and look at the right-hand column. There, you can view your advisor's email, phone number, and an appointment schedule. If you have not yet been assigned an advisor, call (480) 517-8580 or email academic.advisement@riosalado.edu.

David Hall is the Director for the Academic Advisement Department at Rio Salado College. He can be reached at david.hall@riosalado.edu.