I am an administrator at a small university, and I am looking to move forward with my career in higher education. Although I do not desire to get a degree I do not need, my discussions with upper-level administration have suggested that if I do not have a master's degree, I will not be able to move up. My university offers tuition remission with the Council of Independent Colleges Tuition Exchange Program. The schools in my area (including mine) do not offer the type of program I am looking for. So I am looking at what programs are offered completely online. Additionally, most of the colleges who participate in the exchange are fairly low-tiered institutions.
If I need to get a master's degree in order to move into the kinds of positions I hope to have, does it matter where it is from? I have a bachelor's degree from a top liberal arts college and fear that the discrepancy between the two degrees might be a red flag. I know I could be admitted to a good program, but I want to be able to go part-time so I can work, and having free tuition is too good to pass up (but I would if it's really in my best interest to look elsewhere).
Specifically, does anyone know anything about the MHEA program at Upper Iowa University? It is completely online and seems to fit with my desired career path, but I don't know its reputation. Are there other programs you would suggest looking at, whether in the CIC or not?
My interests include financial aid (obviously), support for first-generation students, and support for underrepresented students. I am interested in policy, not direct service, but obviously working with students is part of any student services job. I love students, but I want to make a bigger impact by influencing policy.
Honestly, if you dismiss the schools in the CIC tuition exchange program as "fairly low-tiered," I don't think you should be looking at Upper Iowa, which is somewhere on the floor beneath the bottom of the barrel among private colleges in Iowa.
A really decent program is the one at Drexel. I have no idea if it's on the CIC exchange or not, but if it is it would be good.
Also, now that I think of it, the CIC tuition exchange program is almost certainly limited to undergraduate tuition for dependents. If you're going to have to pay, for heaven's sake don't pay for Upper Iowa.
