When I grow up, I want to travel — professionally

So you love to travel, but you doubt that being a full-time travel blogger will give you the stability you need to pay the bills.

If visiting places like spiritual retreat resort the Shambhala Mountain Center or exploring the Ritz Carlton Hotel sounds like something you would like to incorporate into your learning experience — you can.

The Department of Human Dimensions of Natural Resources offers a nine-month graduate degree in tourism management.

So you can take your love for nature, travel, organic farming, kayaking — and yes, the Ritz Carlton — and turn it into a career.

But, if all you want to do is spend your time on the slopes, the Department of Human Dimensions of Natural Resources can accommodate that too with a graduate certificate in ski area management. Expect to pay $699 for 12 online credits.

Sprouting in seed technology

Surely you know the fruits and veggies you buy at the store were once growing on a farm. And you also know that they had to be planted. To be planted, they once had to be seeds. And seeds is an entire profession.

Department of Soil and Crop Sciences offers an online program called seed technology training. The online 7-credit program prepares students for professional certification exams and a career in seed technology in private and public organizations.

And for those who want to dig deeper into soil science, it is possible with a graduate degree in soil science.

Going off the grid, going organic

If you’ve ever dreamt of living the self-sustainable life on an organic farm —now you can. That’s right, a minor program in organic agriculture. It’s an interdisciplinary program where you’ll get an overview of agribusiness management, soil fertility and, most importantly, how to grow crops.

Psyched about work place organization

You’ve heard about the psychology major. You probably have a friend or two studying psychology. But did you know this: According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the mean annual wage for industrial-organizational psychologists is $90,070. It just so happens that the psychology program at CSU offers the industrial-organizational specialization.

Organizational-industrial psychologists look at the organizational structure of companies and how it affects employees. In other words, they look at people’s behavior in the work place.

And if you’re really into analyzing what goes on in the work place, CSU’s six-month non-credit certificate in ergonomics might be for you.

Ergonomics deals with people’s interaction with elements in a system and how it affects their work experience. Ergonomists work to optimize system performance, according to the International Ergonomics Association.

The certificate provides a fundamental understanding of the field.

Collegian Reporter Eleonora Yurkevich can be reached at news@collegian.com.