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Nontraditional Careers

Many people can benefit from careers in nontraditional fields, which offer:

  • Interesting and rewarding employment opportunities
  • Higher wages and better benefits
  • Opportunities for advancement
  • Increased job satisfaction


What is a Nontraditional Career?

A nontraditional career is one in which there is a gender imbalance (where less than 25% of the workers are either males or females). For example, in New York State, men are less than 25% of registered nurses; women are less than 25% of police officers.

Why is this important?

The purpose of identifying nontraditional options is to foster interest in and access to these careers with the goal of opening up these professions to the under-represented gender.

For Women

Some of the nontraditional career paths at SUNY Schenectady for women include:

  • Aviation Science 
  • Computer Science
  • Craft Beer Brewing
  • Criminal Justice
  • Culinary Arts
  • Music Audio Technology
  • Nanoscale Materials Technology

For Men

Some of the nontraditional career paths at SUNY Schenectady for men include:

  • Accounting
  • Early Childhood Education
  • Community Health Worker
  • Health Studies and Nursing
  • Paralegal
  • Teacher Education Transfer
  • Teaching Assistant


SUNY Schenectady provides a variety of services designed to assist students in reaching their educational and career goals, including exploring nontraditional career options. For additional information or to schedule an appointment, please contact the Office of Career Services.