<p>What types of degrees (or minors or certificates) could I get, or look for, if I wanted to work as a college administrator, maybe an academic specialist or even a future dean (or something close to that)??</p>
<p>In nearly every academic institution, if you want to be a dean, you need to have a PhD. A dean of an academic entity (such as college of Engineering or Liberal Arts and Sciences) has a PhD. in a discipline of that college. In addition, you would need to get a faculty tenure-track job, earn tenure, and then either serve as department chair or have another leadership position. Those sorts of deans sometimes go on to become provost (the chief academic officer) or president. </p>
<p>If you're talking about becoming a dean of admissions or some sort of student services, you don't become a faculty member first. In some institutions, you would need a PhD and/or a masters in some sort of education administration field, or possibly have had a lot of relevant experience.</p>
<p>"If you're talking about becoming a dean of admissions"</p>
<p>Yea, that's what I meant. Definitely not considered dean of the entire school just yet. </p>
<p>You said all this experience is necessary, but how do I go about getting into that experience? What types of degrees or programs should I be looking into.</p>
<p>There are a lot of paths that lead people into higher ed.</p>
<p>momfromme is right; you should have a PhD in something (a discipline you're interested in) to get a job as a dean or provost. Faculty expect the head academic administrator in their unit to have that credential, and rightfully so. They'll also want the person to have experience as a faculty member.</p>
<p>It's different in other areas. You can get a Masters or PhD in Higher Education; there are about 80 doctoral-level programs in the country that focus on this; more if you just consider master's level. But it's not a pre-requisite--many people work in higher ed without a graduate credential, or one specific to this field.</p>
<p>Some of the people in my grad program got their start in admissions or in student life, which tend to have entry-level jobs that don't require a particular degree. Some people demonstrate that interest early by working a a student tour guide or an RA, and that may help them get that first job. </p>
<p>I think a lot of undergrad majors offer suitable preparation for a future life in higher ed. Whatever your major, I'd recommend taking courses that include things like public policy, economics, sociology, etc.</p>