What does a Higher Education Administrator do?
Higher education administrators plan, coordinate, and evaluate the programs and daily operations of colleges, universities, and conservatories. Depending on the office, they may oversee academic affairs, student services, admissions, enrollment, finance, advancement, research, human resources, facilities, or institutional strategy while supporting students, faculty, staff, and institutional goals.
At a Glance
There's far more than a single path to becoming a higher education administrator. Some begin their careers while still undergraduates or immediately after graduating by interning or doing student work with administrative departments at their own institution. As administrators move up the ladder, their level of responsibility grows exponentially.
Undergraduate students with an interest in academic administration should start building their resumes early by seeking out internships and opportunities at their own institution. For mid-career professionals, LinkedIn, Indeed, Glassdoor, and similar websites are excellent resources for finding jobs in higher education.
Written communication; departmental planning; personnel management; budgeting; record-keeping; Microsoft Office; Google apps; leadership; collaboration; networking
Institutions of higher education function only through the participation of a diverse group of administrators, faculty, and other staff, all of whom have their own goals to pursue. That's why teamwork, communication skills, and the ability to compromise are critical to succeeding in this field.
A higher education administrator might work a regular nine-to-five schedule and spend almost every day in the office, or have an irregular itinerary complicated by travel, performance, or teaching. For most, a large portion of each day is spent participating in (and sometimes leading) intra- and interdepartmental meetings.
