Card458

Bureau of Labor

Bureau of Labor Statistics:

I researched information on Postsecondary Education Administrators in the Occupational Outlook Handbook available on the Bureau of Labor Statistics at the U.S. Department of Labor website, and found a lot of information that will be able to help me further me career in this area.

The first thing I found useful was the tab “How to become one” on the webpage. This tab was able to explain how to become a postsecondary education administrator by breaking down the goal into sections like Education, Work Experience, Advancement, and Important Qualities. The education section told me that a bachelor’s degree is acceptable for entry-level positions, but normally a master’s or higher degree is required for this type of position. This discouraged me a little because under the education section it states, “Provosts and deans often must have a Ph.D. Some provosts and deans begin their career as professors and later move into administration. These administrators have doctorates in the field in which they taught, such as English or chemistry. Other provosts and deans have a Ph.D. in higher education or a related field.” At this time I am not interested in returning to school for my Ph.D., because I already have a great deal of debt from student loans, and I would like to take some time off to enjoy life, and rekindle relationships that I have been distant from because of homework and class schedules. However, the website implied that Education Administrators with advanced degrees can be promoted to higher level positions within their department or the college. This was helpful to learn, because I may not be able to get a Dean or Provost Position, but I can still be promoted to an executive position without obtaining my Ph.D.

Another useful tip I’ve received from this website is that employers often require candidates for some positions, particularly for registrars and academic deans, to have some experience. Knowing this...