Putting College Degree to Work With Career Advancement
October 15, 2026 | by Heidi Wells, Global Campus | min read
The latest data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics continue to show the economic payoff of earning a college degree. Workers with higher education had the lowest unemployment rates and highest earnings, according to the bureau's monthly population survey.
The report states that each level of education completed may help workers develop more skills, gain access to higher paying occupations, and signal they are able to follow through on important tasks that employers value, such as planning ahead and meeting deadlines. The report of 2025 data was last updated in September 2026.
Online Options
The University of Arkansas offers many degrees – bachelor's, master's, specialist and doctoral – delivered online to give working professionals the flexibility they need to advance their careers. According to a 2024 survey of U of A students in online programs, 81% were employed full time. Half of them were parenting and 70% owned their own homes.
Higher education teaches both knowledge and content in many areas. Many programs also include soft skills such as leadership, problem solving, communication, teamwork and critical thinking.
Ashley Acord, M.S.O.M. 2022, wanted to move from technical roles to managerial positions and she needed education she could fit into her working life. Earning a Master of Science in Operations Management from the College of Engineering has put her career on the rise. She is working as a senior manager for Walmart Inc. in part because of soft skills she honed, including making effective presentations and leading teams.
Here are some other stories of graduates and the strides they have made since completing degrees:
Educational Administrators
The educational leadership program offered by the U of A's College of Education and Health Professions provides many examples. The master's, specialist and doctoral degrees are all focused on teaching leadership skills that prepare a teacher to move into an administrative position. Graduates often say they wanted to have a greater impact on students by looking beyond a single classroom to entire schools and districts.
U of A graduate Kirby Gibson shows the door to her room at Hermitage Elementary School.
- Kirby Gibson, M.Ed. 2025, moved from a classroom teacher's position to district English as a Second Language coordinator, Gifted and Talented coordinator and testing coordinator in Hermitage, Arkansas. In her new roles, she is using what she learned through the IMPACT Arkansas Principal Fellows Program to assist teachers.
- Hope Caruthers,Ed. 2025, also went from classroom teacher to administrative position, from kindergarten to preschool director in Monticello, Arkansas. She is proud of the progress her district is making to prepare children for school. Caruthers is also a graduate of the IMPACT Arkansas program.
Bryce Bennett, Ed.D. 2025, received a promotion in the summer after completing his doctorate in educational leadership. Bennett joined the Conway School District as director of programs and accountability in the superintendent's office in 2024 and was promoted to assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction.
Bachelor's Degree Completers
Some U of A graduates enter the working world and decide later they want a college degree to help them advance in their careers. The following two are among many students who transfer to a U of A online program after earning an associate's degree at a community college.
- Mandy Armstrong, B.S. 2025, earned her bachelor's in Human Development and Family Sciences offered by the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences. A mother of three, Armstrong wanted to put her passion for helping children in need to work. After graduating, she began a new position as a trauma screening specialist for the Texarkana Children's Advocacy Center.
- Austin Kersey, B.S.N. 2022, knew he needed a bachelor's degree to fulfill his dream of becoming director of nursing at a long-term care facility. The El Dorado resident was promoted when he earned his bachelor's online from the Eleanor Mann School of Nursing at the U of A. Added bonus: he's a huge Razorback fan and now has a U of A diploma to hang on his wall.
Heidi Wells
Content Strategist
Heidi Wells is the content strategist for the Global Campus at the University of Arkansas and editor of The Online Learner. Her writing spans more than 30 years as a communicator at the U of A and a reporter and editor at Arkansas newspapers. Wells earned two degrees from the U of A: a master's in 2013 and a bachelor's in 1988.
Wells can be reached at heidiw@uark.edu or 479-575-7239.
Online Degree Programs
University of Arkansas ONLINE programs are designed by academic departments on the Fayetteville campus to offer you another path to earning a degree from a top-tier public research university. Online programs give you the flexibility to balance family, work and school responsibilities. You do not have to put your life on hold while working toward a better one.
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