12 Unique Degree and Certificate Programs You Never Knew Existed
Jul, 28 2021
The Maricopa Community Colleges offer more than 900 degree and certificate programs for students to choose from. In addition to our traditional majors, there are some pretty unconventional ones in the mix too! We put together a list of 12 unique majors for your consideration:
The Cannabis Industry Education program offers educational training for Cannabis industry entrepreneurs and workforce employees. The program features courses like “Introduction to the Cannabis Industry” and “Cannabis Industry Regulatory Environment,” covering industry history, product descriptions, marketing, dispensary business planning, state-specific industry regulatory environment laws, and more.
The Center for Cannabis Business Training offers high-quality cannabis training and instruction for business owners and professionals of cannabis and CBD dispensaries. The training programs include Budtender Training, CBD Hemp Product Training, Cannabis 101, and an Introduction to Cultivation course. Upon completing these programs, students are prepared for careers in various areas of the cannabis industry.
Career Opportunities:
- Dispensary Manager - Annual Median Wage $62,500
- Grow Manager - Annual Median Wage $65,000
- Extraction Technician - Annual Median Wage $37,440
- Budtender - Mean Hourly Wage $15.00
Mortuary Science is the study of deceased bodies, specifically preparing students for careers as embalmers, funeral directors, or morticians. Students earning an Associate in Applied Science (AAS) in Mortuary Science develop extensive knowledge on funeral operations such as embalming procedures or funeral director duties.
Career Opportunities:
- Embalmers - Annual Median Wage $50,520
- Funeral Home Managers - Annual Median Wage $91,530
- Morticians, Undertakers, and Funeral Arrangers - Annual Median Wage $59,000
There are 55 commercially operating nuclear power plants in the United States, including Palo Verde Generating Station in Arizona, which is considered the largest nuclear power plant in the country. The AAS in Nuclear Power Technology program provides students trade-related classroom training required by the U.S. Department of Labor in various nuclear power plant maintenance disciplines.
Career Opportunities:
- Electrical and Electronics Installers and Repairers - Annual Median Wage $62, 020
- Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Powerhouse, Substation, and Relay - Annual Median Wage $83,150
- Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers - Annual Median Wage $50,590
- Industrial Machinery Mechanics, and Millwrights - Annual Median Wage $54,920
The AppleCare Technician Program prepares students to earn the AppleCare iPhone Certification and AppleCare Mac Certification credentials, demonstrating their knowledge and expertise in servicing Apple products.
Career Opportunities:
Students who complete the AppleCare Technician program will be highly qualified to obtain employment assisting consumers with Apple products and services.
- Computer Support Specialist - Annual Median Wage $55,510
The AAS in Corrections and Detention program is designed to prepare students interested in a career in corrections, detention, or juvenile corrections. Students in this program develop an understanding of best practices in the corrections industry, including working with different types of inmates or juveniles and demonstrating ethical behavior in criminal justice functions. The program can also offer individuals opportunities for advancement within their field.
Career Opportunities:
- Correctional Officers and Jailers - Annual Median Wage $52,340
- Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondary - Annual Median Wage $68,980
- First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers - Annual Median Wage $67,600
The Certificate of Completion (CCL) in Cross-Platform App Development provides courses that give students a strong foundation for employment in entry-level coding, programming, and software development positions, emphasizing Android mobile app creation. This program also equips students with the knowledge to take the Microsoft Technology Associate (MTA) Software Development Fundamentals C# certification, preparing them even more thoroughly for employment as entry-level programmers or software developers with expertise in web apps.
Career Opportunities:
- Software Developers and Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers - Annual Median Wage $114,270
- Web Developers and Digital Interface Designers - Annual Median Wage $85,490
The AAS in Industrial Design Technology prepares students for careers designing a variety of innovative, high-tech products. Students gain a well-rounded knowledge of the broad scope of industrial design, which prepares them to work with companies in areas ranging from medical devices and consumer products to aerospace and automotive manufacturing.
Career Opportunities:
- Commercial and Industrial Designers - Annual Median Wage $70,540
The CCL in Victimology is a program designed for students interested in pursuing careers focused on crisis intervention, community services, and victim rights. In addition, this program can act as a pathway to the AAS in Administration Justice degree.
Career Opportunities:
- Detectives and Criminal Investigators - Annual Median Wage $89,300
- First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives - Annual Median Wage $97,180
- Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers - Annual Median Wage $70,000
The CCL in Court Reporting: Judicial program prepares students with the knowledge and skills required for court reporting, including work for the government, courts, corporations, freelance reporting agencies, and closed captioning industries. Students in this program will also have hands-on experiences, including a judicial internship, real-time machine shorthand, speed development, transcription, and overview in video application.
Career Opportunities:
- Court Reporters and Simultaneous Captioners - Annual Median Wage $66,710
The Certificate of Competency (CCT) for Apprentice Meat Cutter teaches students proper safety and maintenance skills to work in the meat cutting industry and equipping them with knowledge of all cuts of meat to work in a retail environment. Students get hands-on practice filling customer orders, breaking down and processing various types of meat, maintaining merchandise in a retail meat case, and more.
Career Opportunities:
- Butchers and Meat Cutters - Annual Median Wage $34,630
- Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers - Annual Median Wage $30,800
- Slaughterers and Meat Packers - Annual Median Wage $31,210
Create your custom wardrobe by learning advanced sewing techniques with the CCL in Apparel Construction. Students will develop abilities to select appropriate materials and notions for specific items of apparel, such as a tailored jacket or shirt that is suited to an individual's taste and lifestyle needs.
Career Opportunities:
- Tailors, Dressmakers, and Custom Sewers - Annual Median Wage $36,040
Students who complete the CCL in Deaf Studies program will gain the necessary skills to help various groups of people within the deaf community communicate. The program will provide students with intermediate sign language skills and a working knowledge of the cultures and communities within Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and DeafBlind populations helping enhance their ability to provide appropriate services.
Career Opportunities:
- Interpreters and Translators - Annual Median Wage $58,140