Careers in student housing are incredibly varied in scope. When considering student housing job options, there is much more than meets the eye. The traditional on-campus student housing career has a number of options, and the quickly growing private sector of student housing has even more varied opportunities.

I'll start with on-campus student housing. Many professionals who choose a career in student housing start "by accident". In other words, they may have been an RA (Resident Assistant) or some other type of student leader, and discovered they enjoyed the environment.

Continuing in an on-campus student housing career typically requires further education, including a graduate degree in student personnel administration/student affairs. Many schools require a masters in this or a related field for all full time student housing staff members. In order to be a director of student housing at many institutions, a PhD or EdD is required.

Other options in on-campus student housing can be on the facilities, financial or IT side of the house. Each of these areas require different sets of experience and education, and also vary from institution to institution.

The off-campus student housing (Click for jobs in this area) world ranges from large private off-campus apartment complexes to public/private partnerships with differing levels of involvement from the college or university.

In addition to residence life and operations opportunities, there are also numerous jobs that include more of a business component. These include leasing, marketing, development and areas of real estate finance.

There are pros and cons to selecting on-campus vs off-campus student housing positions. What are your thoughts?