Back to School: The Benefits of an Affordable Online Degree in Higher Ed

Are you considering going back to school? It’s not an easy decision, but no matter where you are in life, Grace will go with you. Grace College’s affordable online degree in Higher Education allows you to complete your education from home, in your time. Why should you go for it? There are many benefits to a degree in higher ed, and we want to guide you through a first-hand look at them!

About 19 million students were enrolled at colleges and universities for the 2020 fall semester according to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). If you’ve attended college, you know what your educational experience was like. However, you might not know how many professionals work in the higher education field and what their job responsibilities are. And you might be surprised to find out that pursuing an affordable online degree in higher education is the best way to understand how to fill an important role at a university — a role like a career counselor or an academic advisor.

Overview of Christian, Online Higher Education

Higher education is a vast, diverse, and constantly changing space. There are always new developments happening in different parts of American higher education. It’s easy to be confused about what it takes to keep a college or university running smoothly and what is distinct about a Christian, online institution.

The Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU) consists of approximately 180 fully accredited colleges and universities in North America. Grace College is one of six CCCU members in Indiana. This organization includes schools that have a “board approved institutional mission or purpose statement that is Christ-centered and rooted in the historic Christian faith.” This group represents a small but significant portion of the Christian institutions throughout the United States.

More and more colleges and universities are offering online courses and degree programs. The online classroom makes education available to students across the world as long as they have an Internet connection. The intuitive and convenient mode of online learning replicates the invaluable interaction and collaboration of a classroom environment. Coursework can be completed whenever and wherever it’s convenient for the student. Oftentimes, finding affordable online degrees is a good route for people balancing work and personal responsibilities.

Job Duties of Higher Education Professionals

Becoming a higher education professional is a great career option for those wanting to work in a large and growing field while also focusing on having a positive impact on others. While there are a variety of jobs that can be done by higher education professionals, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics identifies “postsecondary education administrators” as people who oversee student services, academics, and faculty research at colleges and universities. Job duties depend on the area of the college they manage, such as admissions, the office of the registrar, or student affairs.

A master’s degree may be required for postsecondary education administrators (an affordable online degree in higher education at Grace is a good way to go!). As of 2019, the median annual salary for such positions was $95,410, and the number of jobs was 190,500. The following are three examples of the job responsibilities of higher education professionals.

Admissions

One of the major operations of any institution is deciding who is admitted to the school. Admissions counselors are the gatekeepers of the university and determine who fills the available spaces at the school. They might also work in preparing promotional materials to market the school to potential students. Admissions counselors may be assigned a region of the country for recruiting high school students. They work with financial aid experts to determine if applicants can afford tuition.

Registrar

The registrar’s office is charged with the maintenance and upkeep of student records. Employees help schedule and register students for classes. They prepare transcripts and student data for a variety of applications. They are also responsible for compiling academic records for the institution, including grade point averages and acceptance rate. Most importantly, they ensure that students meet graduation requirements.

Student Affairs

Much of what institutions do for students goes beyond the classroom, and student affairs administrators are responsible for helping manage operations like housing, intramurals, advising, and other activities. They may assist in planning and scheduling various events and services meant to serve the student body.

Rewarding Careers in Higher Education

The Master’s of Higher Education is for you if you are serious about creating impact in a higher education career. Students completing this affordable online degree will graduate with a biblically sound and balanced view of the field, a current awareness of the trends in higher education, and a sharpened perception of the world acquired through assessment, evaluation, and research. This is the only Higher Education Masters Programs offered exclusively online, taught by professors who all have terminal degrees and extensive experience in the field.