Higher education administrators are professionals who provide leadership and manage day-to-day direction in colleges, universities and the higher education system. They set standards and goals for the institutions they oversee and establish the policies and procedures needed to accomplish them. Some are responsible for direct supervision of staff and faculty and others are responsible for relations and communication with students, parents and the community.
Typically, a higher education administrator needs a graduate certificate, master's or a doctoral degree from an accredited institution and possibly other certification to be hired. Those with basic certification or master's degrees pursue mid- or entry-level positions in administrative roles while those with doctoral degrees pursue research or higher-level administrative roles. You can pursue Master of Science, Master of Arts and Master of Education degrees as well as Doctor of Philosophy or Doctor of Education degrees.
Someone seeking a master's or doctoral degree in this field will study a range of subjects depending on his focus. They can include but are not limited to higher education economics and finance, policy and planning, curriculum, faculty and labor relations, higher education law, student services, leadership, data analysis, community relations, politics in education, counseling, research on higher education and institutions, marketing and promotion, evaluation, accountability and philosophy in the field.
The job outlook for professionals with higher education administration degrees is generally positive. As the number of students pursuing post-secondary education is projected to grow between 2008 and 2018, so will the number of post-secondary education administrative positions. In addition, the U.S. Department of Labor expects many retirements in this field and fewer people who are qualified to replace vacated positions. Expected growth is about 2 percent. According to 2008-09 statistics, higher education administrators made between about $55,000 per year in salary and $158,000. Benefits for these administrators is also excellent, as they can generally expect between about four and five weeks of vacation annually, generous health and pension packages and opportunities for free tuition for themselves and immediate family members.