Hannah Dinkel, our first MA in German and Higher Education Administration student, will graduate in Spring 2019. Here, she gives us a report on her time in the program.
My time at Washington University as the inaugural student in the German department’s newly established MA program has been productive and enjoyable; the time has flown by and I find myself in my last semester, before completing my degree! I had many positive experiences here as an MA student, with the highlight being my coursework in German and my 3 courses in topics important to higher education administration. I was able to rediscover interests and topics in German Studies with which I had previously engaged, and my internships and electives in higher education administration introduced me to the exciting career opportunities in academic administration. For any other graduate student considering a career in administration, I highly recommend Provost Holden Thorp’s course "Higher Education Administration: History, Research, and Practice" as an excellent introduction to the field. I completed an internship with Arts & Sciences and am participating in a second internship with University College this spring, while I work to complete my capstone project. Through these internships, I have gained practical experience in areas such as program assessment, data analytics, and international travel management, as they relate to administration at universities, and I am happy to report that I am walking away from my master's with many widely applicable skills that I am confident will serve me well as I consider career options. I plan to stay in academia, and this MA program has prepared me for all sorts of opportunities, whether I pursue research and teaching opportunities in German Studies or seek a well-fitting administrative appointment. Looking optimistically to the future, I am currently applying for PhD programs in German, and will be keeping my eye out for job postings in higher education administration this spring, as well.
