At a Crossroads...2 Master's?

[anel21]

Hey y'all!

I'll try to get straight to the point. I have a Master's in School Counseling but I want to pursue a degree in College and Student Affairs. As I look through programs, I'm realizing more and more that I may end up with two master degrees....so my question is:

Should I apply to PhD or EDD programs straight out or should I try for a Master's program and work my way up?

I currently work at a high school so I have some experience with colleges and I do leisure research. Obviously there is a lot more to Student Affairs than that, but is that base knowledge enough to at least apply?

Thanks for the help in advance!

[SummoningSquare]

I think it's worth asking what the Student Affairs degree is going to accomplish for you. It is not uncommon for people to get jobs in Student Affairs without Student Affairs/Higher Ed Admin degrees, especially when they already have Master's degrees in an education field. On the other hand, a Student Affairs/Higher Ed Admin degree does not exactly open a lot of other doors.

Have you looked into certificate programs? Just googling "certificate student affairs" leads me to several graduate certification programs in the field. These would cost less time and money than a full Master's. Since you already have a Master's in an education field, you already have the base credential Student Affairs jobs will want you to have, and a graduate certificate would fill in your missing higher ed background.

[hesadork]

What are your ultimate career goals? That will inform the "right" choice here.