With countless career options to consider today, there are some paths that stand out – not only for the personal satisfaction and financial benefit they provide, but for the profound impact they can have on society. They go beyond the traditional notions of success to make powerful changes in our world.
Here, we explore just five careers that make a difference, and the pathways into them - whether you’re upskilling or specialising in your profession, or taking a new direction altogether.
(Links to courses below offer overviews; please always click on course handbook links for further important details.)
Lawyer
Embarking on a career in law is not just about understanding legislation; it's about wielding the power to enact change, defend justice, and champion the rights of individuals. Studying law empowers you with the knowledge and skills to make a lasting impact in the world. There are many different specialities you can undertake in law, including environmental law, children’s law, First People’s law and many more depending on your interests.
UNE’s Law School is Australia’s largest outside a capital city, and the most experienced distance provider of legal education. It offers world-class expertise, and access to practical skill development via significant research challenges and real-world legal experience, to support your career development in a wide range of fields.
UNE’s undergraduate degrees include the Bachelor of Laws (4 Years) and the Bachelor of Laws (3 Years) for those looking to start their move into the profession. For those with existing law qualifications, a Master of Laws will broaden knowledge and enhance independent critical thinking and research skills.
UNE finds double degree combinations are very popular for those wishing to turbo-charge their careers - these include law/business and law/criminology.
Special and Inclusive Educator
Education is widely considered an impactful career: teachers shape the minds of our future leaders. However, traditional teacher-training courses tend to focus on neurotypical students and don’t provide the content to support teachers when they have students that don’t fit that mould. As our understanding of the human brain and child development increases, so does the need to have teachers who can support students with different learning needs from the typical student.
Despite the rapid emergence of assistive technology tools, professionals who can develop teaching techniques to engage and improve the social and academic development of their students will be highly sought-after in the special education sector.
UNE recognises this growing niche and has crafted courses accordingly. If you are looking for initial teacher education, our Bachelor of Special and Inclusive Education (Primary) is accredited by the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) and provides students with a National Primary Specialisation as mandated by the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL), in English/literacy in the inclusive classroom.
If you already have your teaching qualification and want to be better able to support your students, UNE offers a range of postgraduate neuroscience and education courses including a 1.5-year Master of Neuroscience and Education. This degree allows you to gain a specialised understanding of the specific neurobiological processes that underlie different kinds of behaviour within educational settings.
Software Engineer
In our increasingly dynamic digital era, the impact you can have as a software engineer cannot be understated. Every workplace in the world needs people who are creative and forward-thinking when it comes to information systems, data movement, and data protection. The future growth prediction for this industry is strong: Jobs and Skills Australia projects a 22% increase in demand for IT professionals in Australia over the next 10 years. There are many paths to becoming a software engineer and this career is perfect for problem-solving, innovative individuals.
UNE offers a range of different courses in information technology and computer science at different levels depending on your other qualifications and experience. Most of our degrees have a range of different majors, from cybersecurity to software development, meaning you’re able to tailor your education to suit your interests.
If your passion lies in computing and information technology, UNE offers a Bachelor of Information Technology or a Bachelor of Computer Science that will help develop your foundational knowledge of programming, software development, and cybersecurity. If you are an industry professional looking to upskill, our Master of Cybersecurity and Computing is the perfect course for you to develop your problem-solving skills to design effective computing and cybersecurity solutions.
Environmental Consultant
In an age when concerns about climate change, pollution, ecosystems and land management are growing, having a strong grasp of the environment is needed now more than ever. Environmental consultants play many different roles, including evaluating the impact of new developments on threatened species, managing projects to help , and evaluating how ecosystems recover after natural disasters. This line of work is ideal for those who care about the environment and like to develop problem-solving strategies to make a positive difference for others.
UNE is positioned at the heart of regional NSW and provides students with access to dynamic, research-led opportunities, including our industry-leading SMART farms and laboratories. Our environmental courses have a strong practical focus on earth science and GIS, which allows the development of contemporary real-world skills and translating theoretical knowledge into practice.
Career opportunities in environmental science are diverse, and the Australian Government’s Job Outlook has projected strong growth in the field.
If you are looking to transition into working with the environment, UNE offers a range of courses suited to your skill level depending on your previous qualifications. The Bachelor of GeoScience is the course for you if you wish to build your theoretical knowledge and practical skill set of how the earth works. It allows you to complete all your theoretical coursework online – the only one of its kind in Australia.
If you are looking to upskill and transition into this field of work, UNE’s one-year Graduate Certificate in Environmental Science is the course for you. With five different programs to choose from (general, catchment ecology and management, natural resource management, spatial landscape assessment, and vegetation ecology), UNE offers tailored education to meet your needs and interests.
Succession Planner
Do you have a background in law, financial planning, communication or facilitation? Do you understand the importance of, and want to assist with, people safeguarding their assets and planning for ownership transitions? A principled business planner can make a profound impact on the future of a business, and potentially the family at the heart of that business. With Australia’s aging population, there is an increasing demand for people with this skill set.
UNE’s Graduate Diploma in Transition and Succession Planning can help you move into a career or build on existing skills in intergenerational transition and succession in family and business settings, including but not limited to family farming businesses. This course allows you to focus on your own interests whether that be the legal, business, or behaviour-oriented side of this career.
Find out more
To find out more about any of these or other courses, and how they can fit your career aspirations, the UNE Future Students Team is available Monday-Friday, 8.30am-5pm, via phone, chat, or email.
All of these courses can be studied online*, meaning study can be done at a time that suits your individual schedule. While many Australian universities offer online study now, UNE has been delivering expert distance education for longer than any other, and is the only Australian public university to receive 5 stars for overall experience 18 years in a row.
* Most environmental courses have mandatory intensive schools to develop practical skills in addition to theoretical knowledge. For details on intensive schools go here.
