<p>My daughter is in the process of getting her BS in Early Childhood but also has an interest in working on college campuses as a Dean or Director of Student Life. What major could she pursue for this position ? Does anyone know about colleges that offer such a major?</p>
<p>Social work, psychology, sociology, communications come to mind. Much more important, however, would be becoming involved with campus activities offered through the Dean of Students Office (or whatever it’s called at her school), networking with people currently in those sorts of positions, and becoming an RA in the dorms.</p>
<p>IIRC, Springfield College in Massachusetts may have a graduate degree in the field.</p>
<p>I think a grad degree in higher ed leadership would work. I will say that such degrees, it seems to me, a very theory oriented and the best deans, again just my opinion based on 17 years FT as a CommCollege teacher, so I’ve seen and worked with plenty, are deans with practical real world management experience and classroom teaching experience. </p>
<p>However, since so many schools are pumping out people with higher ed leadership type degree, jobs in higher ed administration are being filled by people with just the degree and virtually no RW exp. </p>
<p>That recently happened at the school I work at. The dean ended up offending everyone in her department, she had no people skills and had a God complex, and eventually got reassigned to a lesser role. They are interviewing for her position again right now and have purposely crafted the job description to make sure the next person they hire has RW mgmt experience AND classroom teaching experience. </p>
<p>The deans handle the department budgets, deal with registration and enrollment mgmt issues and evaluate teachers. Thus, RW business experience makes sense.</p>
<p>I would strongly suggest working on a campus for a few years in the Dean of Student Life’s office, or in admissions. Both of these offices often hire recent college grads for entry level jobs…especially if it’s the school your daughter is attending. After a few years working in the field, it will be much easier to get into a grad program…and a job on the campus of the grad school. </p>
<p>Has she been a resident assistant or held any positions like that?</p>
<p>I know OP asked about majors…but…if you poll a bunch of schools…you’ll find many undergrad majors for the Deans of Student Life.</p>
<p>A grad degree is usually required for these types of jobs (this is my field) and typically the degree is in Higher Education Administration, Student Affairs, Student Personnel Administration. In the institutions where I’ve worked, typically the positions are master’s required (yes, even entry level). Most people have graduate assistant positions while in school; mine had a 20 hour per week graduate assistant requirement, and this is typical of most programs. Sometimes, and again this is rare, you can get entry level positions without a master’s, but I’ve worked at 4 schools and never seen this happen- even the Resident Directors have had an MA. An RD is typically the very entry level position in Student Affairs, if you go the Res Life route. Admissions usually hires recent grads, but they are not considered Student Affairs (more like enrollment management, varies by school).</p>
<p>Every school has a different structure to their Student Affairs division, but typically the Dean of Students isn’t in a teaching role. They are supervising the departments, such as Residential Life, Student Activities, Orientation Programs, Academic Advising, Leadership Development…all of the departments outside of the academic departments. There are academic deans, but they are in a completely different role.</p>
<p>It would be many positions into one’s career that someone would reach the dean level, and often these folks have a doctorate in Higher Education Administration, or Leadership. </p>
<p>I was a teacher for two years before going back to school full time to get my master’s and I still consider myself to primarily be an educator. I was an involved student leader as an undergrad and decided this was the field I wanted to pursue after I didn’t like teaching.</p>
<p>These jobs have long hours and many weekend commitments. Someone is supervising all of the campus activities, attending open houses and coordinating events, and it’s the Student Affairs staff. It’s actually a pretty high burn out field, but it is really fun, very dynamic, and never dull, if you like it. It is however, not high paying.</p>
<p>There are tons of schools with programs in this field. Check out the American College Personnel Association site, they are the umbrella organization for Student Affairs professionals, I’m sure they have a list there of schools offering degrees.</p>
<p>To be Dean of Student Life, one must at have at least a masters degree. Educational Leadership would be an appropriate grad degree. Work experience in a student services area would be the career path to the job. Working in admissions, residence life, financial aid, etc would be good starting points. Large U’s have more opportunities for relevant work experience that would lead to a dean’s job (way) down the road.</p>
<p>I know OP asked about majors…but…if you poll a bunch of schools…you’ll find many undergrad majors for the Deans of Student Life. Here are just a couple, from a couple of different schools:</p>
<p>Dean of Students @ University of Wisconsin:</p>
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<p>Educational background for one of the assistant deans, Kevin Helmkamp (I wonder if he knows his entire resume, including references, can be found online with a Google search!)
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<p>My son will be starting a Grad program in this exact area in June. The program title is “Student Affairs Practice in Higher Ed.” His undergrad degree is in Economics. He was a RA and involved in other areas of student life and loved it. He has a friend in the same type of program at UCLA, he is at UVA. He just returned tonight from internship interviews in various departments such as admissions, sorrority /fraternity life, resident life. I’m not sure how many people he talked to. It will take him one year full time for a masters.</p>