Nursing The United States has a nursing shortage that is expected to increase as baby boomers age and health care needs continue to grow.

Growth areas include nursing positions in physician offices, home-health settings and long-term care facilities. "High acuity nurses - critical care units, emergency rooms, operating rooms, and geriatric nurses - are other specialties that are areas of particular need.

Medical Equipment and Supplies Distribution This nationally unique UAB business program is placing students on a career track forecasting exponential growth in the coming years.

The Health Industry Distributors Association (HIDA) estimates 67 percent growth in the health care industry over the next decade as the country's baby boomers age, leading to a total of more than 70 million Americans aged 65 or older by 2030.  For 2009 alone, health care industry leaders attending HIDA's October MedSurg Conference in Chicago predicted growth of 6.8 percent.  The industry's growth estimates come as the country's retail industry is forecasting negative growth for the same time period.

Forensic Accounting a career in forensic accounting and information technology (IT) auditing is not only recession-proof but recession-flourishing.

There is range of opportunities available to forensic accountants, whether with a fraud investigation or examination firm, as a litigation support staffer at a law firm or as part of a corporation's internal auditing office. Specific employers offer different responsibilities in investigating the life cycle of fraud that starts with prevention and continues into detection, auditing or investigation, evidence gathering and legal implementation.

Federal, Public Sector Careers working for the government may be one of the safest careers to have during a recession.

The UAB MPA program offers courses in budgeting, recruitment, hiring and firing, legal issues, information management and technology, including mapping using Geographic Information System technology and e-governance, where students learn how government can provide online services for greater efficiency.

Careers in Laboratory Science While information technology was instrumental in driving economic progress in the late 20th century, the new century is viewed by many as the Bio-Century

UAB's School of Health Professions' newest career offering is a course of study to train students in biotechnology, with an eye toward meeting the work-force needs of the burgeoning biotechnology industry.

Physical Therapy Physical therapy will remain a hot job even as the economy takes a downturn. The aging population of America and new venues for PT are driving the demand, say experts.