Benefits of Working in Higher Education
There are several reasons why people pursue a career in higher education and student affairs. ACPA has a website that provides an explanation on principles of good practice for student affairs practitioners.
QuintCareers:
- Convenience
- Educational Benefits
- Time Off
- Child Care
- Transportation
- Housing
- Retirement
- The Ability to Make a Difference
- A Wide Range of Choices
- An Exciting Work Environment
- Access to the Profession
- Potential for Advancement
- Fringe Benefits
Most entry-level positions in higher education and student affairs positions require at least a bachelor's degree. A master's degree in higher education, student affairs, counseling, social work, or related field is often recommended for higher-paying positions with supervisory responsibilities. A master's degree in higher education will prepare you for student learning and development theories, student characteristics and effects of college on students, individual and group strategies (interventions) in higher education, organization and administration of student affairs, and assessment, research, and evaluation. A doctoral degree or equivalent is recommended for senior-level positions, such as Associate Dean of Students and Vice President of Student Affairs.
Applicants should have the necessary professional competencies to be competitive for positions in their field. Since higher education and student affairs is such a broad field, it is recommended to research the specified ethics and responsibilities in that particular functional area.
Salary
Salaries in higher education and student affairs are often lower than in the private sector. Since most higher education institutions have non-profit status, the salaries are similar to what you will find in the nonprofit sector. Depending on the cost of living in the region, typical full-time, entry-level positions pay $25,000-$55,000, mid-level positions pay $45,000-75,000, and senior-level positions pay more than $75,000. The higher-range usually refer to colleges located in metropolitan areas with a high cost-of-living.
Functional Areas
According to the Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (CAS), below is a listing of common functional areas in higher education and student affairs:
- Academic Advising Programs
- Adult Learner Programs and Services
- Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drug Programs
- Assessment Services
- Auxiliary Services Functional Areas
- Campus Activities Programs
- Campus Information and Visitor Services
- Campus Police and Security Programs
- Campus Religious and Spiritual Programs
- Career Services
- Clinical Health Services
- College Honor Societies
- College Unions
- Commuter and Off-Campus Living Programs
- Conference and Event Programs
- Counseling Services
- Dining Service Programs
- Disability Resources and Services
- Education Abroad Programs
- Fraternity and Sorority Advising Programs
- Graduate and Professional Student Programs and Services
- Health Promotion Services
- Housing and Residential Life Programs
- International Student Programs and Services
- Internship Programs
- Learning Assistance Programs
- Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Programs and Services
- Master’s Level Student Affairs Professional Preparation Programs
- Multicultural Student Programs and Services
- Orientation Programs
- Parent and Family Programs
- Recreational Sports Programs
- Registrar Programs and Services
- Service-Learning Programs
- Sexual Assault and Relationship Violence Prevention Programs
- Student Conduct Programs
- Student Leadership Programs
- Transfer Student Programs and Services
- TRIO and Other Educational Opportunity Programs
- Undergraduate Admissions Programs and Services
- Undergraduate Research Programs
- Veterans and Military Programs and Services
- Women Student Programs and Services
The two largest professional associations for student affairs practitioners are ACPA: College Student Educators International and NASPA: Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education. You can also access other higher education and student affairs professional associations at StudentAffairs.com.
If your primary interest is educational research, I highly recommend joining the AERA: American Educational Research Association and ASHE: Association for the Study of Higher Education. Many higher education professionals have advanced degrees in related fields, such as psychology, sociology, history, social work, and public policy. Some graduate programs allow you to pursue a dual degree in higher education and another field.
If your primary interest is educational research, I highly recommend joining the AERA: American Educational Research Association and ASHE: Association for the Study of Higher Education. Many higher education professionals have advanced degrees in related fields, such as psychology, sociology, history, social work, and public policy. Some graduate programs allow you to pursue a dual degree in higher education and another field.
Employment Listings
Most higher education and student affairs positions are posted on the career websites of college and university. If you want to access a national database of job listings, I recommend the following websites:
- Academic360
- ACPA Career Central
- Chronicle of Higher Education
- Fritzwire (an excellent resource for policy and research positions)
- HigherEdJobs.com
- HigherEdPolicyJobs.org (an excellent resource for policy and research positions)
- Higher Education Recruitment Consortium (HERC)
- StudentAffairs.com
Note: If you are seeking employment at a nonprofit organization, association,
or foundation that specializes in higher education issues, you may want to browse job listings on Idealist.org. Examples of well-known higher education foundations and nonprofits include:
Continuing Education
- American Council on Education
- ACPA: College Student Educators International
- Association of American Colleges and Universities
- Jobs for the Future
- Institute for Higher Education Policy
- Lumina Foundation
- National College Access Network
- NASPA: Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education
- Posse Foundation
- Teagle Foundation
Continuing Education
Many higher education professionals obtain their news through two renowned newsletters, the Chronicle of Higher Education and InsideHigherEd. In recent years, Education Dive and The Hechinger Report have become a good supplemental resource for higher education news. If you work in a specific niche area (e.g. law or public policy), make sure to include their industry newsletters in your reading list.
For entry-level workers, I recommend these guidebooks and reference books to keep up with the latest updates in higher education and student affairs (this list of publications was lasted updated in October 2019).
For entry-level workers, I recommend these guidebooks and reference books to keep up with the latest updates in higher education and student affairs (this list of publications was lasted updated in October 2019).
- American Higher Education in the Twenty-First Century: Social, Political, and Economic Challenges (4th Ed.)
- Beginning Your Journey: A Guide for New Professionals in Student Affairs (4th Ed.)
- Careers in Student Affairs: A Holistic Guide to Professional Development in Higher Education
- Contested Issues in Student Affairs: Diverse Perspectives and Respectful Dialogue
- Contested Issues in Troubled Times: Student Affairs Dialogues on Equity, Civility, and Safety
- Creating Multicultural Change on Campus
- Debunking the Myth of Job Fit in Higher Education and Student Affairs
- Helping Skills for Working with College Students
- How College Affects Students: 21st Century Evidence that Higher Education Works (3rd Ed.)
- Job One: Experiences of New Professionals in Student Affairs (2nd Ed.)
- Linking Theory to Practice: Case Studies for Working with College Students (4th Ed.)
- Multicultural Competence in Student Affairs: Advancing Social Justice and Inclusion (2nd Ed.)
- Rentz's Student Affairs Practice in Higher Education (5th Edition)
- Restoring the Promise: Higher Education in America
- Student Development in College: Theory, Research, and Practice (3rd. Ed.)
- Student Engagement in Higher Education: Theoretical Perspectives and Practical Approaches for Diverse Populations (2nd Ed.)
- Student Services: A Handbook for the Profession (6th Ed.)
- Student Success: Creating Conditions That Matter
- The Handbook of Student Affairs Administration (4th Ed.)
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