Benefits of a Career in Student Affairs

The personal rewards of a career in student affairs are numerous. Here are just a few:

The Ability to Make a Difference

As a student affairs practitioner, you will have the opportunity to help students during a critical time in their development. You'll see the results of your work in the lives of individuals and the community, and build mentoring relationships with students that can last a lifetime.

A Wide Range of Choices

Student affairs offers a broad range of career possibilities. It also attracts people with many different interests. If you like business or technology, for example, you might consider a career in financial aid or admissions. If you've been active in student government or greek life, you might enjoy coordinating student activities. Or, if you like to study human behavior, career counseling or residence life might be right for you.

You can consider a career in student affairs no matter what your undergraduate major is or was. Many professionals who enter the field have a background in psychology, sociology, education, or human development. But having a major in another field  – from political science to art to physics – is also useful when working in an academic setting.

Your possibilities expand even more when you consider the variety of workplaces available to you as a student affairs professional. You can choose a campus based on its geographic location, its student population, or any other requirement that's important to your life plans and career goals. All colleges and universities – large or small, public or private, two-year or four-year, rural or urban – need professionals trained in student affairs.

An Exciting Work Environment

Student affairs professionals rarely have a boring day at the office. They perform many different types of tasks – advising groups, chairing meetings, coordinating events, overseeing budgets, and working with a range of students, staff, and faculty. The campus environment continually offers new challenges and requires new strategies to deal with them. On top of that, working with students generates its own kind of energy and excitement.

Access to the Profession

There are numerous entry-level positions available each year in the nation's 4,000+ colleges and universities. Because of the need for student affairs professionals on campus, your services will be in demand.

Potential for Advancement

A master's degree in college student affairs is your ticket to enter the profession. Through assistantships and internships, you'll have the opportunity to gain valuable experience while you attend graduate school.

Once you enter the profession, the possibilities for career growth are limitless. New student affairs professionals who demonstrate talent can move quickly from entry level positions to roles of increasing responsibility.

Some student affairs professionals take advantage of the opportunity to pursue a doctoral degree, which gives them even more options, including becoming a director, a faculty member in a student affairs graduate program, a dean of students, or even a vice president for student affairs.

Fringe Benefits

Colleges and universities often offer an attractive benefits package. One of the greatest advantages is the opportunity for additional education – some schools provide tuition remission for employees and their family members. Student affairs professionals also enjoy comprehensive medical benefits, retirement plans, generous vacation time, and access to all of the cultural, recreational, and social opportunities that a college campus has to offer.