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[elizabethmjohnson]

I have been working as a university recruiter for a few months now. I love it, and I would definitely enjoy moving up in the university, but I am just wondering if anyone can tell me about how much of a role "academic incest" plays in the administrative side of things. I am from the town in which I work, as is my husband, and I would like to stay in academe, but moving is non-negotiable. Our family comes first, and I want my future kids to grow up around both sets of grandparents and their cousins.

As a staff member, I get a huge discount on a master's program, and I am wondering which degree would be most beneficial to me. I received my undergrad from the university in which I work, and I have considered our master's program in higher education administration, but I am wondering how far I can actually move up in administration with 2 degrees from the same university. Is this a big deal? If it is, I will probably consider getting my M.B.A. because it is more marketable outside of academe.

I would also consider getting an Ed.D. in Higher Education Administration, but again, with all three degrees from the same university, would I even have a chance of moving up? Any advice would be much appreciated.

Elizabeth

[zharkov]

Some people might have issues with a person with three degrees from the same institution, although two from the same institution does not strike me as much of an issue.  So ask around at Hometown U. to get the feel of that question.  Cultures differ. 

If you want to stay in higher ed, a master's in that field would seem to make the most sense, unless you know you'd want to move into the business side of things, then the MBA would be more useful.  (Especially if the MBA program is AACSB accredited.  Think twice and three times before beginning one that isn't.) 

Being geographically limited will hinder your career in higher ed.  But that is a trade off that some of us make.

[simplesimon]

Three degrees from the same institution?   This is a bad idea for a variety of reasons that I will not go into here.   Two degrees are fine—particularly if they are from a very good school.  There is no point in denying the hierarchical nature of higher education and the role prestige can play in one’s career prospects.  I respect and applaud your decision to put your family first, but you must recognize that doing so is a choice and choices have consequences.  Placing geography (for your family) first will certainly compromise your career—especially if you live in something other than a major urban area and do not have many schools from which to choose.  Make peace with your choice. 

When you see people who have ascended the career ladder take a moment to think about the many compromises they have made along the way.  You might not want to trade places with them.  Many of those individuals have been separated from children and spouses for years!  Many have given up chances for happy stable unions.  Many have chosen to live in less than desirable locations . . .

As for what degree you should get, that depends on exactly what kind(s) of position(s) you want to have in the years ahead.  I confess that I have a bias for people with degrees in academic subjects (math, biology, history, physics, literature, etc.) rather than areas like Higher Education Administration but that is neither here nor there.  Once you identify the kinds of jobs you want in the years a head conduct some informational interviews to learn about the typical educational backgrounds for people in those positions.  Good luck.

[elizabethmjohnson]

Thank you so much for such quick replies.

I completely understand the sacrifices I may be making, but to me it is worth it. My sister-in-law is getting her Ph.D. in English at an excellent institution, and though my brother is a lawyer and can move with her anywhere she goes, she doesn't necessarily like the idea of being at the geographic mercy of whoever will hire her. She doesn't even know if she will be hired, and if she isn't, she's considering working at one of the private high schools in her urban area. If that's the case, it will be wonderful that she still gets to teach, but all those years spent on a Ph.D. and no tenure-track position in sight will just seem like such a shame. I don't want to be in that kind of situation.

The advice that my sister-in-law has given me is that if I want to go all the way through a Ph.D. program, I most definitely won't want to get my degrees all at one institution, and I will want to travel for it because of all the work I will have put in. So she recommends not even going for the Ph.D. or Ed.D. if I'm not wanting to move. I just didn't know if this was so true in the administrative track. Do you all see it the same way?

I don't necessarily want to be the Chancellor of the university, but I do want to move up enough to be challenged and to make a good living for my family. The reason this is at the forefront of my mind is that after a year in this job, like I said earlier, I can enroll in a master's program at a discounted rate. I just graduated this May and was lucky to get a job, let alone a job that I love in higher ed. admin. I will want to move up eventually, of course, and if having two degrees from the same university will hinder me from getting to a good point, I want to get the graduate degree that will most help me outside of higher ed. if I have to move away from the field, which in my mind is the M.B.A. This is especially true since my university has a very strong business school (ranked in the top 30). Zharkov, the degree is AACSB accredited - I just checked. I am at the early stages of my career, and while I truly WANT to stay in higher ed., I can't pigeonhole myself with the higher ed. admin degree if it's not even going to help me in academe that much because I'm "inbred".

That being said, do you all think getting the M.B.A. would hurt me in comparison to others with the M.A. in higher ed. admin, or is simply having the graduate degree what matters? Furthermore, like I said earlier, I would consider getting my Ed.D., but that seems to be a bad idea from what you all have told me. I could try to get one of my degrees from the (smaller, much less prestigious) other schools in the area, or (shudder) online, but I don't think that would help me, do y'all? I also kind of doubt that they even have such programs.

Thanks for all of your input!

[brixton]

It really depends on the culture of your school and the branch of administration that you're interested in.  MBA works in development, but not so much in academic advising.  Some schools put a large emphasis on a professionalized staff with specific degrees.  Others hire from within and care little about advanced degrees.  I'd start talking to the people who are in positions that you're interested in in nonthreatening, informational interview type settings.  If this is the school you're committed to, find out what it's looking for and then start working towards it.

[gekko]

I posted in another forum a while back about the many reasons not to get an MBA, although if you're considering "a degree in something," this would definitely be the best choice, especially if well ranked and at a discount. Part of the reason for this is because almost all MBA programs are becoming outrageously expensive, even at state schools. California, for example, has virtually no difference in tuition (and in some programs exactly zero difference) for in state tuition, meaning that a UC (or even Cal State) MBA can cost 100k. One thing is absolutely certain: A higher ed admin M.A. would have absolutely no value outside of an academic setting. I'd go with the MBA.

[morefromles]

I could try to get one of my degrees from the (smaller, much less prestigious) other schools in the area, or (shudder) online, but I don't think that would help me, do y'all? I also kind of doubt that they even have such programs.

The new VP of instruction at my CA cc got her Ed.D. from a "low-residency" program.  She had to go to the site for a few days each semester, I believe, and other wise did the work online.  I don't know how such programs are regarded at your institution, but if you google "low residency" and "academic administration" or something similar you'll probably find some listings.

[yellowtractor]

I could try to get one of my degrees from the (smaller, much less prestigious) other schools in the area, or (shudder) online, but I don't think that would help me, do y'all? I also kind of doubt that they even have such programs.

The new VP of instruction at my CA cc got her Ed.D. from a "low-residency" program.  She had to go to the site for a few days each semester, I believe, and other wise did the work online.  I don't know how such programs are regarded at your institution, but if you google "low residency" and "academic administration" or something similar you'll probably find some listings.

"Low-residency" programs are very, very different from on-line programs.  It would be good to understand the distinction before embarking on either.

[sciencephd]

Given only a few months on the job I suggest sitting tight and growing into the job that you have. In a year you may have a completely different outlook.

[anthroid]

Given only a few months on the job I suggest sitting tight and growing into the job that you have. In a year you may have a completely different outlook.

I think this is right.  Certainly you would not be credible as an academic administrator--without academic degrees, and, more specifically, without substantial teaching experience (which you wouldn't be able to get with M.Ed.s and Ed.D.s, unless you're teaching in the education school), you could not be department chair, dean, or vice-president on the academic side of the house.  However, you might have a shot at student services jobs; degrees in human services (counseling, social work, or some such thing) might be helpful there.

All of of this being said, I have two pieces of advice:  one, think very carefully about getting advanced degrees.  You don't seem to have a real zeal for the subject matter; you just seem to want to advance in some kind of (as yet unformulated) career.  That's fine, of course--you just graduated from college.  But having a stronger and more defined ambition will serve you well and will help you direct any additional degree work that you do.  Getting a few years' work experience will help you with that plan.

Second, change your moniker to a less identifiable one.  You can choose a different posting name with no trouble.

[obprof]

An MBA would be useful for you outside of academe... but it will also be helpful for jobs within the university that involve managing payroll, HR, financial services, etc. It's extremely versatile.

A top-30 MBA program would definitely be a good investment, given the discount that you're getting. I would double-check, though, to make sure that you are eligible for it (professional Master's don't always get the same discount as other programs).

That said, you will get a lot more out of the program if you have a few years experience, preferably with authority over a reasonably-sized budget and hiring/firing.