Academic Advisors: How to Become One
If you were to ask a group of academic advisors about how they arrived at their current job, there's a good chance you would get several different answers about the paths and steps that each person took.
That said, there are still ways that you can develop a baseline understanding of the preparation that is necessary to become one.
The Best Adult Colleges and Careers Guide has gathered data to provide you with insight into the type of education that's commonly required for academic advisors to land a job. This page contains information, sourced from real job postings, that describes the experience levels and specific skills that employers of academic advisors expect candidates to have. In the end, this information will help you create an education or professional development plan that aligns with your career aspirations.
Keep reading to learn more about career steps for academic advisors.
What Education & Experience is Needed for Academic Advisors?
Do academic advisors need a degree? What kind of experience do academic advisors typically need? Thanks to data sourced from Lightcast™ from real job postings, we can get some clarity on those questions, as well as the level of education that is commonly required for academic advisors to secure jobs.
Education Level Required in Job Postings for Academic Advisors
Jobs Postings for Academic Advisors By Education
- Bachelor's degree: 69,460 (39%)
- Master's degree: 37,284 (21%)
- No Education Listed: 33,310 (19%)
- High School or GED: 31,496 (18%)
- Ph.D. or professional degree: 5,169 (3%)
A bachelor's degree is the level of education sought the most by employers of academic advisors. According to job data, a bachelor's degree was required for 39% of positions. In 21% of job listings a master's degree was required and in 19% of postings no education level was listed.
Experience Level Required in Job Postings for Academic Advisors
Jobs Postings for Academic Advisors By Experience
- 0-1 Years: 25,462 (32%)
- 2-3 Years: 40,955 (51%)
- 4-6 Years: 11,898 (15%)
- 7-9 Years: 1,395 (2%)
- 10+ Years: 838 (1%)
While the amount of required experience will vary based on the responsibility and seniority of the position, an aggregate view of job posting data can help paint a picture of the experience level sought for most job openings for academic advisors. In 51% of job postings for Academic Advisors, employers were looking for candidates with 2-3 years of experience. In 32% of listings employers were looking for candidates with 0-1 years of experience, while 4-6 years of experience was sought in 15% of job postings for academic advisors.
What Kind of Degree Do Academic Advisors Need?
So far this page has provided detail into the level of education and the amount of experience required in job openings for academic advisors, but what type of education or degree will help prepare you for a career in the field?
According to occupational data obtained through Lightcast,™ there are 7 key academic programs that can help prepare prospective academic advisors, and in 2021 a total of 161,100 of those programs were completed at institutions in the United States.
Check out the information below to learn more about the specific programs that should be considered by prospective academic advisors.
Top Degree Programs for Academic Advisors
Top 5 Degree Programs for Academic Advisors (2021)
| Program | Completions |
|---|---|
| Psychology, General. | 140,792 |
| Counselor Education/School Counseling and Guidance Services. | 12,234 |
| Behavioral Sciences. | 4,169 |
| Human Resources Development. | 2,315 |
| College Student Counseling and Personnel Services. | 1,082 |
| Program | Completions |
|---|---|
| Psychology, General. | 140,792 |
| Counselor Education/School Counseling and Guidance Services. | 12,234 |
| Behavioral Sciences. | 4,169 |
| Human Resources Development. | 2,315 |
| College Student Counseling and Personnel Services. | 1,082 |
| Student Counseling and Personnel Services, Other. | 451 |
| Executive/Career Coaching. | 57 |
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What Skills Do Academic Advisors Need?
Education and experience have been covered, so what are the specific skills and traits needed by academic advisors to secure a job?
A good way to understand this is to examine actual job postings for skills commonly sought by employers. Continue reading for a breakdown of specialized skills found in job postings for academic advisors, as well as common skills that can help you thrive in the workplace.
In-Demand Skills for Today's Academic Advisors
Based on 144,204 job postings
Top 5 Specialized Skills for Academic Advisors
| Skills | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Student Services | 22,200 | 15% |
| School Counseling | 16,561 | 11% |
| Social Work | 15,732 | 11% |
| Academic Advising | 15,497 | 11% |
| Psychology | 12,007 | 8% |
Top 5 Common Skills for Academic Advisors
| Skills | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Communications | 66,747 | 46% |
| Customer Service | 35,418 | 25% |
| Writing | 33,319 | 23% |
| Management | 31,672 | 22% |
| Planning | 29,310 | 20% |
Based on 144,204 job postings related to academic advisors, student services was the top specialized skill sought by employers, with 15% of all postings looking for that skillset. Skills for school counseling, social work, academic advising, psychology and case management were also highly sought.
As for common skills, communications was the most desired skill found in job postings for academic advisors, followed by customer service, writing, management, planning and leadership.
| Skill | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Student Services | 22,200 | 15% |
| School Counseling | 16,561 | 11% |
| Social Work | 15,732 | 11% |
| Academic Advising | 15,497 | 11% |
| Psychology | 12,007 | 8% |
| Case Management | 11,445 | 8% |
| Marketing | 10,977 | 8% |
| Human Services | 8,980 | 6% |
| Auditing | 8,525 | 6% |
| Mental Health | 8,180 | 6% |
| Office Equipment | 6,745 | 5% |
| Disabilities | 6,673 | 5% |
| Rehabilitation | 6,659 | 5% |
| Project Management | 6,206 | 4% |
| Special Education | 6,182 | 4% |
| Data Entry | 6,098 | 4% |
| Student Information Systems | 5,970 | 4% |
| Higher Education | 5,815 | 4% |
| Student Engagement | 5,732 | 4% |
| Accounting | 5,215 | 4% |
| Skill | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Communications | 66,747 | 46% |
| Customer Service | 35,418 | 25% |
| Writing | 33,319 | 23% |
| Management | 31,672 | 22% |
| Planning | 29,310 | 20% |
| Leadership | 27,422 | 19% |
| Problem Solving | 23,560 | 16% |
| Microsoft Office | 21,558 | 15% |
| Coordinating | 21,183 | 15% |
| Advising | 20,901 | 14% |
| Detail Oriented | 19,614 | 14% |
| Interpersonal Communications | 19,218 | 13% |
| Operations | 19,168 | 13% |
| Research | 18,337 | 13% |
| Presentations | 16,896 | 12% |
| Organizational Skills | 16,467 | 11% |
| Microsoft Excel | 16,465 | 11% |
| Teaching | 16,035 | 11% |
| English Language | 14,852 | 10% |
| Sales | 14,452 | 10% |
Additional Links
Ready to dig deeper into career information about academic advisors? Visit our other pages focused on salary and education for academic advisors.
What do academic advisors do?
How much do academic advisors make?
All Occupations
The Best Adult Colleges and Careers Guide has compiled data for dozens of in-demand jobs. Explore our full catalog of occupation data by visiting the link below.