Undergraduate Advising Support Transfer & Degree Completion Senior Specialist

Saint Joseph's University; Philadelphia (Philadelphia County); On-site; USD 55,000 - 58,000; Full time

Job summary

Saint Joseph’s University seeks an Undergraduate Advising Support Transfer & Degree Completion Senior Specialist in Philadelphia. The role leads onboarding for incoming transfer students and acts as a primary advisor for online degree completion students, coordinating with Admissions, Registrar, and academic departments to ensure smooth credit evaluation and degree progression.

The Specialist develops degree plans, supports orientation, and collaborates with the Online Program Director to ensure

Qualifications

• Master’s degree required.
• 2–4 years advising, higher education, or related field.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to interact effectively and collaboratively with diverse populations.
• Proven ability to prioritize tasks and manage multiple projects, with strong organizational skills and a high level of attention to detail.
• Demonstrated critical thinking, initiative, and problem solving skills.
• Strong interest in and ability to learn and adapt to new technologies.

Responsibilities

• Onboard transfer students and advise online degree completion students.
• Develop personalized degree plans and advise on course selection for the first semester.
• Oversee transfer credit evaluations and degree applicability.
• Collaborate with Admissions, Registrar and campus partners to support onboarding and orientation.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Communication

Organization

Technology literacy

Education

Master’s degree

Tools

Slate

CRM

Qualtrics

Microsoft Office

Job description

Undergraduate Advising Support Transfer & Degree Completion Senior Specialist

Time Type: Full time

Position Summary and Qualifications

The Undergraduate Advising Support Transfer & Degree Completion Senior Specialist serves as the onboarding specialist for incoming transfer students and also serves as a primary advisor for online degree completion students. With oversight from Undergraduate Advising Support leadership, the Senior Specialist works in close collaboration with academic departments, Admissions, Registrar, and other campus partners to facilitate the transfer student's successful transition to SJU. This position manages all aspects of academic onboarding and first-semester registration for transfer students, ensuring consistency, efficiency, and clarity regarding curriculum degree requirements, transfer credit applicability, and degree progression timeline. This position works collaboratively to plan and facilitate the academic components of orientation for traditional transfers and students enrolled in the degree completion program. As an advisor for online degree completion students, the Senior Specialist works collaboratively with the Online Program Director to support student success from matriculation through graduation. In partnership with the Advising Team, the position develops advising resources, implements student communication strategies, and supports online orientation programming to ensure a consistent and engaging student experience.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Transfer Student Onboarding

• Communicate with academic departments and Registrar to confirm transfer credit applicability toward SJU degree requirements.


• Advise students on evaluation of transfer credit and degree applicability.


• Review transfer evaluations with the student to confirm degree applicability and equivalency to the Cornerstone Core Curriculum and major program requirements.


• Collaborate with Admissions and other campus partners to facilitate the transfer student's successful transition to SJU.


• Develop personalized degree plans, and advise on course selection for the first semester to ensure efficient progress towards graduation.


• Ensure 100% of all incoming transfer students have an optimized degree audit after their initial transfer evaluation is completed.


• Follow up with department chairs if exceptions are needed.


• Collaborate with the Athletic Center for Enrichment Director on managing incoming transfer students who are NCAA athletes.


• Collaborate with the Advising Team to plan and facilitate the academic component of Transfer Student orientation.


• Identify at-risk transfer students during the onboarding process and connect the student with appropriate resources for support.


• Assist with developing and implementing a plan for assessing the onboarding process, resources, and advising tools for traditional transfer and online degree completion students.

Online Degree Completion Advising and Student Support

• Work collaboratively with the Director of Online Degree Programs to support online degree completion students from matriculation through graduation.


• Serve as a primary academic advisor.


• Work with students to develop a plan for degree completion, assist with registration, and provide guidance on university policies, curriculum requirements, and institutional resources to promote student success, persistence, and timely degree completion.


• Connect students with appropriate university resources and services to support academic achievement and persistence.

Secondary Duties and Responsibilities

• Support Undergraduate Advising Support and Registrar operations during high-volume periods.


• Participate in university committees, professional development activities, and institutional initiatives.


• Assist with the development and continuous improvement of advising practices, student communications, and onboarding processes.


• Support special projects related to transfer students, online degree completion, student success, and retention initiatives.


• Perform other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• Master’s degree required.


• 2-4 years experience in advising, higher education, or related field.


• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to interact effectively and collaboratively with diverse populations.


• Proven ability to prioritize tasks and manage multiple projects, with strong organizational skills and a high level of attention to detail.


• Demonstrated critical thinking, initiative, and problem solving skills.


• Strong interest in and ability to learn and adapt to new technologies.


• Demonstrated proficiency in software programs including Student Information System, Slate or other CRM, Qualtrics, website content management systems, Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and Google Workspace.

Physical Requirements and/or Unusual Work Hours

Some weekend and evening work is required to support campus events, including but not limited to Admissions Open House events, New Student Orientations, First Year Student Registration, and Admitted Students Day. Occasional travel to the Lancaster or University City Campus may be required.

Pay Transparency

The estimated pay range for this position is $55,000-$58,000 annually. Offered salary will be commensurate with work experience and educational background. Click here to learn more about the University's approach to pay and benefits transparency.

Notice to Out of State Applicants

Saint Joseph’s University may only consider applicants from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York (not including New York City zip codes), and Delaware (Delaware residents must regularly be present for over 50% of work time on an SJU campus).

Saint Joseph’s University is an equal opportunity employer that seeks to recruit, develop and retain a talented and diverse workforce.

The University is committed to the diversity of its faculty and staff so that our students, our disciplines and our community as a whole can benefit from the multiple perspectives it offers.

The University seeks qualified candidates who share our commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion.

EOE Saint Joseph’s University prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in its programs and activities, including admission and employment, in accordance with Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972.

The Title IX Coordinator is responsible for overseeing compliance with Title IX and other civil rights laws and regulations.

To contact the Title IX Coordinator, e-mail [e-mail], visit Campion Student Center suite 243, or call 610-660-1145.

To learn more about the University’s Title IX policies, the process for filing a report or formal complaint of sex discrimination, sexual harassment, or other form of sexual misconduct, and the University’s response to reports and/or formal complaints, please visit www.sju.edu/titleix.

Inquiries may also be directed to the Federal agency responsible for enforcing Title IX, the U.S. Department of Education Office for Civil Rights.

Applicant Information & Disclosures

Please review this article of important information pertaining (but not limited) to: Background checks, the Form I-9, Equal Opportunity Employment (EOE), and Title IX.

Pay Transparency & Benefits Overview

Read more about the university's approach to pay and benefits transparency.

Please review this article of important information pertaining (but not limited) to: Background checks, the Form I-9, Equal Opportunity Employment (EOE), and Title IX.

As Philadelphia’s Jesuit Catholic University, Saint Joseph’s provides a rigorous, student-centered education rooted in the liberal arts.

We prepare students for personal excellence, professional success, and engaged citizenship.

Striving to be an inclusive and diverse community that educates and cares for the whole person, we encourage and model lifelong commitment to thinking critically, making ethical decisions, pursuing social justice, and finding God in all things.