Education Administrators, Postsecondary
Under the title Education Administrators, Postsecondary, workers plan, direct, or coordinate student instruction, administration, and services, as well as other research and educational activities, at postsecondary institutions, including universities, colleges, and junior and community colleges. O*NET rates it as extensive preparation, which usually means graduate school and often five years or more of related experience. It leans on reading comprehension, critical thinking, and writing. One core duty is to design or use assessments to monitor student learning outcomes. The strongest interest signal is Social (5.6 of 7), then Enterprising (5.3) and Conventional, which gives it the code SEC. If you want helping, teaching or caring for people, keep it on your list. If you need hands-on work with tools, machines or the physical world, it may feel thin.
What they do
Plan, direct, or coordinate student instruction, administration, and services, as well as other research and educational activities, at postsecondary institutions, including universities, colleges, and junior and community colleges.
Main tasks
- Design or use assessments to monitor student learning outcomes.
- Recruit, hire, train, and terminate departmental personnel.
- Direct, coordinate, and evaluate the activities of personnel, including support staff engaged in administering academic institutions, departments, or alumni organizations.
- Advise students on issues such as course selection, progress toward graduation, and career decisions.
- Plan, administer, and control budgets, maintain financial records, and produce financial reports.
- Formulate strategic plans for the institution.
Skills
- Reading Comprehension
- Critical Thinking
- Writing
- Time Management
- Speaking
- Monitoring
Who this career fits
May suit you if
- You get energy from helping other people move forward.
- You like taking the lead and making the call.
- You are prepared for graduate-level study and a long training path.
- You are comfortable relying on reading comprehension and critical thinking.
May not suit you if
- You find a full day of dealing with people draining.
- You want to work with your hands for most of the day. Realistic rates 1.0 out of 7 here.
- You want to be working in the field within the next few years.
Interest profile
O*NET rates each occupation from 1 to 7 on six interest types. The code SEC takes the three highest, and Social comes first here.
Preparation
Extensive preparation. Many jobs here need graduate study, and people often spend five years or more building specialist experience.
Most-reported requirement in the O*NET survey: Master's Degree. This reflects what workers reported most often and is not a legal minimum. Licensing rules can differ by state or industry, so confirm what applies where you plan to work.
Also called
- Academic Affairs Vice President (Academic Affairs VP)
- Academic Dean
- Admissions Director
- College President
- Dean
Related careers
Is this your direction?
See how your interests line up with SEC and 906 other careers.
This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.