Entry into higher education administration

[Suz]

Hi, I'm an international student studying outside of the U.S., and I'll be graduating this summer.

I just started looking into Masters in higher education, and while I was reading through student profiles I was greatly attracted to the program.

I wish to apply for the programs this coming fall, but I have some questions since I am both an international student & without professional experience.

As an international student, I'm eager to learn and experience the advanced system of the American higher education, but at the same time I feel that not having experienced an undergraduate life in the U.S. may be a drawback.

Since i'm a permanent resident of the U.S., i believe if I'm able to build my specialty during the masters program, jobsearching after the degree may be less of a problem. (or no?)

My other question is regarding professional work experience.

I was motivated to look in the Masters in higher education because with some retrospect,

I got to know that what I enjoyed the most during my undergraduate years was my leadership role in an international student association to develop the potential of others.

After that experience though, I volunteered at numerous institutions, worked with the government, now interning at a consulting firm to find my career goals,

but without a direct relevance with higher education administration.

Would it be a good idea to try and find some relevant experience for 2~3 months even for a short while before i apply this fall, around october?

Any comments/ advice would be very helpful.

Edited June 1, 2011 by Suz

[studentaffairsgrad]

Hi, I'm an international student studying outside of the U.S., and I'll be graduating this summer.

I just started looking into Masters in higher education, and while I was reading through student profiles I was greatly attracted to the program.

I wish to apply for the programs this coming fall, but I have some questions since I am both an international student & without professional experience.

As an international student, I'm eager to learn and experience the advanced system of the American higher education, but at the same time I feel that not having experienced an undergraduate life in the U.S. may be a drawback.

Since i'm a permanent resident of the U.S., i believe if I'm able to build my specialty during the masters program, jobsearching after the degree may be less of a problem. (or no?)

My other question is regarding professional work experience.

I was motivated to look in the Masters in higher education because with some retrospect,

I got to know that what I enjoyed the most during my undergraduate years was my leadership role in an international student association to develop the potential of others.

After that experience though, I volunteered at numerous institutions, worked with the government, now interning at a consulting firm to find my career goals,

but without a direct relevance with higher education administration.

Would it be a good idea to try and find some relevant experience for 2~3 months even for a short while before i apply this fall, around october?

Any comments/ advice would be very helpful.

Hi Suz! I am entering a grad program in higher education this fall. It is a great area to get into - congrats on finding something that is interesting to you!

I don't think that you didn't experience undergrad life in the U.S. will be a problem. Diversity is valued very highly in this area. Think about it - there are a ton of international students studying in the U.S. I'm sure you have had a ton of unique experiences that those in the U.S. have not. Schools don't want a bunch of students who all have the same background...you bring a lot of uniqueness to the table that others don't, and you will be a great person who can relate to international students (if you want to work in that area...if not, regardless of what area you want to work in, you will most likely come across international students). I think you should really try to emphasize what makes you unique (your international experience), how you will bring a unique perspective to potential schools, and emphasize what you are looking to gain from studying higher ed in the U.S.

You of course will be able to build your specialty during your grad program. Honestly, most people going into this area don't have professional experience in this area, or any at all. I took a year off and worked in an un-related area, and I found that schools found this refreshing - that I had some time to put perspective on my college experience, and had some professional experience. Most of the people you are competing with if you decide to pursue a full-time cohort based program, will have had paraprofessional experience (they might have been resident advisers, been involved in student government, Greek life, etc.) Now, if you decide to pursue a program where you take classes on the weekend, you will be competing more with professional people in higher ed. It sounds to me like you having been involved in an international student association will be sufficient if you are looking to work with international students. The fact that you've volunteered at different institutions is great - make sure you play up what you took away from those experiences.

Most people, in addition to going to school full tine in this area, will gain an assistantship in higher education. In fact, a lot of schools require that you have an assistantship. Assistatnships are great because at a lot of places, they cover the cost of tuition and give you a stipend. They also allow you to pick your specialty and basically do the job you would be doing when you graduate, while you are in school. Job placement for the programs I applied were higher than 95%. You could get an assistantship working with international students, and have two years of professional experience when you graduate.

As far as trying to get professional experience before you apply...I think that would be difficult. Most professional positions require a Master's degree...and the paraprofessional positions require you to be a student at that university. For example, I will be doing an assistantship as a residence hall director in housing. I looked at positions in housing to try to get experience in my year off, but most of those positions (except some way out West) required a Masters. However, I was a resident assistant in housing for two years during my undergrad, which was enough to land acceptance and an assistantship.

To sum it up, assuming that you got decent grades and can do a good interview, I think with your international experience, you could get accepted to a program. I think you could easily land an assistantship working with international students. I only think you would have a problem if you wanted to do an assistantship in something you had absolutely no experience, like housing.

Feel free to message me if you have more questions, or need advice!

[Suz]

Hi Suz! I am entering a grad program in higher education this fall. It is a great area to get into - congrats on finding something that is interesting to you!

I don't think that you didn't experience undergrad life in the U.S. will be a problem. Diversity is valued very highly in this area. Think about it - there are a ton of international students studying in the U.S. I'm sure you have had a ton of unique experiences that those in the U.S. have not. Schools don't want a bunch of students who all have the same background...you bring a lot of uniqueness to the table that others don't, and you will be a great person who can relate to international students (if you want to work in that area...if not, regardless of what area you want to work in, you will most likely come across international students). I think you should really try to emphasize what makes you unique (your international experience), how you will bring a unique perspective to potential schools, and emphasize what you are looking to gain from studying higher ed in the U.S.

You of course will be able to build your specialty during your grad program. Honestly, most people going into this area don't have professional experience in this area, or any at all. I took a year off and worked in an un-related area, and I found that schools found this refreshing - that I had some time to put perspective on my college experience, and had some professional experience. Most of the people you are competing with if you decide to pursue a full-time cohort based program, will have had paraprofessional experience (they might have been resident advisers, been involved in student government, Greek life, etc.) Now, if you decide to pursue a program where you take classes on the weekend, you will be competing more with professional people in higher ed. It sounds to me like you having been involved in an international student association will be sufficient if you are looking to work with international students. The fact that you've volunteered at different institutions is great - make sure you play up what you took away from those experiences.

Most people, in addition to going to school full tine in this area, will gain an assistantship in higher education. In fact, a lot of schools require that you have an assistantship. Assistatnships are great because at a lot of places, they cover the cost of tuition and give you a stipend. They also allow you to pick your specialty and basically do the job you would be doing when you graduate, while you are in school. Job placement for the programs I applied were higher than 95%. You could get an assistantship working with international students, and have two years of professional experience when you graduate.

As far as trying to get professional experience before you apply...I think that would be difficult. Most professional positions require a Master's degree...and the paraprofessional positions require you to be a student at that university. For example, I will be doing an assistantship as a residence hall director in housing. I looked at positions in housing to try to get experience in my year off, but most of those positions (except some way out West) required a Masters. However, I was a resident assistant in housing for two years during my undergrad, which was enough to land acceptance and an assistantship.

To sum it up, assuming that you got decent grades and can do a good interview, I think with your international experience, you could get accepted to a program. I think you could easily land an assistantship working with international students. I only think you would have a problem if you wanted to do an assistantship in something you had absolutely no experience, like housing.

Feel free to message me if you have more questions, or need advice!

Hi studentaffairsgrad, I found your advice very encouraging, and I feel even more motivated to prepare for the application.

I will first try to do my homework first and seek more advice:) Thank you very much!

And congratulations for this years admission! Wish all the best luck for your new school life coming up this fall

Ciao!

[studentaffairsgrad]

Hi studentaffairsgrad, I found your advice very encouraging, and I feel even more motivated to prepare for the application.

I will first try to do my homework first and seek more advice:) Thank you very much!

And congratulations for this years admission! Wish all the best luck for your new school life coming up this fall

Ciao!

Thanks Glad to hear it! Here is a link to NASPA's grad school directory.

http://www.naspa.org...rams/search.cfm

I found it helpful when looking for schools - which is where you will want to start. It gives a synopsis of each program. I would note that some programs will require you to take the GRE, but a lot don't. I didn't want to take the GRE, so I picked a program that didn't require it. Something else to think about when looking for schools - do you want a program that focuses more on the classroom/academics (good if you are wanting to get your PhD in the future) or a school that focuses more on practical work in the field (good if you want to be a practitioner straight out of grad school).

If you want the latter, don't get hung up on rankings. Luckily in this field, when looking for positions straight out of grad school, they care less about your academics, and more about your practical experience. For example, I want to work right out of grad school in housing. While my program isn't the most academically rigorous out there...I was able to gain an assistatnship as a hall director, which is great experience. Essentially when I go to apply for jobs, I will be applying for residence director jobs that I will have done in grad school for 2 years. A huge leg up on the competition. But, if you are really serious about getting your PhD and becoming an academic in the field - you will want to find an academically rigorous program that has ample opportunities to publish research.

I know this is a lot to think about, and I don't want to overload you Just message me if you ever have any questions or need advice. Grad school applications were foreign to me, but luckily I was able to get help from people who had been there before!

[Suz]

Thanks Glad to hear it! Here is a link to NASPA's grad school directory.

http://www.naspa.org...rams/search.cfm

I found it helpful when looking for schools - which is where you will want to start. It gives a synopsis of each program. I would note that some programs will require you to take the GRE, but a lot don't. I didn't want to take the GRE, so I picked a program that didn't require it. Something else to think about when looking for schools - do you want a program that focuses more on the classroom/academics (good if you are wanting to get your PhD in the future) or a school that focuses more on practical work in the field (good if you want to be a practitioner straight out of grad school).

If you want the latter, don't get hung up on rankings. Luckily in this field, when looking for positions straight out of grad school, they care less about your academics, and more about your practical experience. For example, I want to work right out of grad school in housing. While my program isn't the most academically rigorous out there...I was able to gain an assistatnship as a hall director, which is great experience. Essentially when I go to apply for jobs, I will be applying for residence director jobs that I will have done in grad school for 2 years. A huge leg up on the competition. But, if you are really serious about getting your PhD and becoming an academic in the field - you will want to find an academically rigorous program that has ample opportunities to publish research.

I know this is a lot to think about, and I don't want to overload you Just message me if you ever have any questions or need advice. Grad school applications were foreign to me, but luckily I was able to get help from people who had been there before!

Wow! I didn't have an adequate source to look into, and it seems like NASPA will be very helpful

I would like to do a PhD after I get some work experiences and get financially stabilized,

so I will try to look for programs that can offer both adequate job opportunities + training in research.

Thank you very, very much for taking time to share your knowldege!

As I got interested in an area that is very new to me, your advice is giving me great help

I'll surely message you/ post on this thread should i have more questions

Thank you once again,

and wish you good luck on everything!

[ZeChocMoose]

Wow! I didn't have an adequate source to look into, and it seems like NASPA will be very helpful

I would like to do a PhD after I get some work experiences and get financially stabilized,

so I will try to look for programs that can offer both adequate job opportunities + training in research.

Thank you very, very much for taking time to share your knowldege!

As I got interested in an area that is very new to me, your advice is giving me great help

I'll surely message you/ post on this thread should i have more questions

Thank you once again,

and wish you good luck on everything!

If the ultimate goal is to get a PhD in higher ed, you would be best served going to a master's program that emphasizes research methodology and gives you a strong grounding in statistics and research design. The problem with some programs are they are so focused on practical experiences they often overlook that higher ed is a social science discipline and it needs individuals who are able to consume and judge the merits of research studies even if these same people do not find themselves conducting these studies in their professional lives.

My other comment would be that there are a sufficient amount of master's programs that fully fund their students so there is really no reason to go into a sufficient amount of debt for this degree especially when your average starting salary with no professional experience and only a master's degree will be low.

Good luck!

[Suz]

If the ultimate goal is to get a PhD in higher ed, you would be best served going to a master's program that emphasizes research methodology and gives you a strong grounding in statistics and research design. The problem with some programs are they are so focused on practical experiences they often overlook that higher ed is a social science discipline and it needs individuals who are able to consume and judge the merits of research studies even if these same people do not find themselves conducting these studies in their professional lives.

My other comment would be that there are a sufficient amount of master's programs that fully fund their students so there is really no reason to go into a sufficient amount of debt for this degree especially when your average starting salary with no professional experience and only a master's degree will be low.

Good luck!

Hello ZeChocMoose, thank you for your advice! Can I seek some more advice from you, if it won't take too much of your time?

1. Are there any programs that you know of, which provides a good research training experience together with the practical training,

and

2. Do you think it is possible to develop a career after the masters in higher ed and maybe pursue PhD in another specialty, e.g. comparative education?

Thank you. I still have very limited research done, so any advice would be very helpful.

[ZeChocMoose]

Hello ZeChocMoose, thank you for your advice! Can I seek some more advice from you, if it won't take too much of your time?

1. Are there any programs that you know of, which provides a good research training experience together with the practical training,

and

2. Do you think it is possible to develop a career after the masters in higher ed and maybe pursue PhD in another specialty, e.g. comparative education?

Thank you. I still have very limited research done, so any advice would be very helpful.

I'll PM you to answer question 1.

Question 2. Yes, I think it's possible. People with a master's in higher ed don't necessarily pursue a PhD in higher ed. Just from my N of 1 experience, the master's graduates that I have known that have pursued doctoral programs not in higher ed went into counseling psychology, library science, education policy, public policy, and even engineering! I assume they made a coherent argument about how their past academic and professional experiences led them to this particular doctoral program. That being said, my impression of comparative education is that it focuses mainly on the K - 12 system. Are you interesting in bridging K - 12 with higher ed? If you are more interested in K - 12 issues, I don't think you'll be particularly happy in a higher ed master's program.

And for pursuing a career not in the field if you get the master's in it? I suppose that is possible as well I just don't know many people who have done it. Higher ed can be a pretty broad field so if you don't enjoy student affairs, I have seen people transfer to academic affairs, administration, or research/policy work (just to name a few). If you are unsure whether you want to pursue this as a career, I would suggest finding an entry level higher ed job before pursuing the master's degree. That way if you find it isn't what you hope it to be, you can resigned from your position and start making steps to pursue another career path. It gets a bit messier if you have this realization half way through your program.

Edited June 8, 2011 by ZeChocMoose

[studentaffairsgrad]

The problem with some programs are they are so focused on practical experiences they often overlook that higher ed is a social science discipline and it needs individuals who are able to consume and judge the merits of research studies even if these same people do not find themselves conducting these studies in their professional lives.

That is a really good point Moose! I was having a discussion with the faculty member who interviewed me for my program to be, and he mentioned that the one thing about higher education is a lot of students get so caught up in the student affairs aspect of it, they forget it about higher education as a discipline that needs to be studied and researched as a whole. Sometimes I feel I am guilty of this - I get caught up in the world of student affairs - but your comment is a good reminder for me to not be so narrow this fall when I start my program!