Graduate Business Programs Advisor

Graduate Business Programs Advisor

The Graduate Business Programs Advisor serves as a primary resource for prospective and current graduate business students, providing comprehensive academic advising, student success coaching, and program support that promotes persistence, engagement, career readiness, and timely degree completion. The position guides students through academic planning, program requirements, registration, residency and thesis/dissertation milestones, and university policies across graduate business programs. The Advisor collaborates with faculty, academic leaders, career services, admissions, and industry partners to support recruitment, onboarding, retention, graduation, and student success initiatives while connecting students to experiential learning opportunities, including internships, practicums, applied consulting projects, employer-sponsored experiences, and other high-impact professional development activities that align with career goals and workforce needs. The position supports interdisciplinary and industry-aligned learning by helping students navigate certificates, concentrations, accelerated pathways, and collaborative programs that integrate business with disciplines such as engineering, healthcare, data analytics, artificial intelligence, entrepreneurship, and technology. Leveraging data, best practices, and strong campus partnerships, the Advisor contributes to the success of MBA, specialized master's, graduate certificate, accelerated pathway (3+2, 4+1, 3+1), and Executive DBA programs while advancing the continuous improvement of innovative graduate business education.

Master's degree from an accredited institution. Minimum of 3 years of experience in academic advising, academic counseling, teaching, or student affairs. Strong written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills with the ability to explain complex academic policies clearly and empathetically. Demonstrated ability to work effectively with diverse student populations. Proficiency with student information systems, Microsoft Office applications, and related technologies. Ability to manage multiple priorities and maintain attention to detail.

Experience advising graduate students. Experience with student information and advising technologies (e.g., Banner, WINGSExpress, DARS, WebXtender, or similar systems). Experience coordinating events or student programming. Experience working with diverse, military-affiliated, and international student populations and collaborating across functional units. Bachelor's or master's degree in business or a related discipline; familiarity with business curricula at AACSB-accredited institutions.

Academic Advising & Student Success (50%) Advise and support graduate business students across MBA, specialized master's, graduate certificate, accelerated pathway (3+2, 4+1, 3+1), and Executive DBA programs on degree requirements, curriculum options, course selection, academic policies, program milestones, and graduation requirements; develop individualized academic success plans aligned with students' educational, professional, and leadership goals. Provide comprehensive academic planning and student success support by maintaining expertise in interdisciplinary curricula, collaborating with faculty and advisors across the university, and guiding students in integrating cross-college coursework, experiential learning, certifications, and other professional development opportunities while maintaining progress toward degree completion. Monitor academic progress and student engagement throughout the student lifecycle, proactively addressing registration, academic standing, residency participation, capstone, thesis/dissertation milestones, retention concerns, and degree completion requirements; connect students with appropriate university resources and support services to promote persistence and success. Develop and implement student communication and outreach strategies that support admissions yield, onboarding, registration, milestone tracking, graduation preparation, and ongoing student engagement, while advising students on admissions-related matters, transfer credit evaluations, academic petitions, policy exceptions, leaves of absence, withdrawals, and re-entry processes. Provide specialized support for Executive DBA students regarding residency, dissertation planning, committee processes, and degree completion requirements; identify and recommend students for scholarships, fellowships, assistantships, awards, and recognition opportunities; and maintain expertise in graduate business curricula, accreditation standards, university policies, advising best practices, and student success strategies.

Student Onboarding (15%) Serve as the primary point of contact for newly admitted students, providing guidance on enrollment processes, university policies, program requirements, registration procedures, and key deadlines to support a successful transition into graduate study. Develop and deliver onboarding communications, orientation programs, cohort engagement activities, and transition resources while educating students on academic, career, financial, accessibility, technology, library, and student support services that promote success, belonging, and retention. Coordinate with admissions, faculty, program leadership, student services, and registrar offices to ensure a seamless onboarding experience; monitor onboarding progress, proactively address enrollment barriers, and facilitate timely completion of required enrollment and registration milestones.

Recruitment Efforts (15%) Support recruitment, enrollment, and admissions-yield initiatives for graduate business programs by collaborating with admissions, faculty, and program leadership to engage prospective and admitted students through information sessions, open houses, webinars, orientation events, residency experiences, individual consultations, and targeted outreach activities. Serve as a primary resource for prospective students by providing guidance on program options, admissions requirements, curriculum structure, degree pathways, transfer credit opportunities, career outcomes, and student support services; advise students on educational planning, degree timelines, accelerated pathways (3+2, 4+1, 3+1), graduate certificates, and program fit to align academic goals with career objectives. Partner with admissions and enrollment management teams to monitor applicant, admitted students, and enrollment pipelines; identify barriers to enrollment; represent the college at recruitment and outreach events; and utilize enrollment, yield, and student success data to evaluate recruitment effectiveness and implement strategies that improve conversion, matriculation, retention, and overall enrollment outcomes.

Graduate Residency Support (10%) Coordinate and support student participation in residency experiences by communicating residency requirements, schedules, travel logistics, attendance expectations, academic deliverables, and program policies for MBA, specialized master's, accelerated pathway (3+2, 4+1, 3+1), and Executive DBA students. Advise students on how residency experiences align with degree requirements, professional development goals, experiential learning outcomes, cohort engagement, and overall program progression. Monitor student compliance with residency requirements, track participation and completion, identify barriers to attendance, and facilitate appropriate accommodations, interventions, or policy exception processes when necessary. Collaborate with faculty, program directors, student services, and university partners to coordinate residency programming, communicate program updates, and ensure a seamless student experience before, during, and after residency events. Provide individualized guidance regarding residency preparation, academic expectations, networking opportunities, leadership development activities, capstone integration, and thesis milestones, particularly for Executive DBA students.

Data Analysis & Reporting (10%) Monitor, analyze, and report on enrollment, registration, academic progress, persistence, retention, graduation, and degree-completion outcomes across MBA, specialized master's, graduate certificate, accelerated pathway (3+2, 4+1, 3+1), and Executive DBA programs, using data to support student success, enrollment management, and strategic decision-making. Track key student success indicators, including academic standing, GPA, milestone attainment, residency and dissertation progress, onboarding and registration activity, admissions yield, persistence, leaves, withdrawals, re-entry, and at-risk populations; implement proactive interventions and retention strategies that strengthen student engagement, progression, and completion. Develop and maintain dashboards, reports, and analytical tools that assess advising effectiveness, enrollment trends, student engagement, experiential learning participation, professional development outcomes, time-to-degree, graduation outcomes, and overall program performance; prepare and present actionable analyses for academic leadership, identify emerging trends and programmatic risks, and collaborate with faculty and administrators to drive continuous improvement and evidence-based student success initiatives.