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Director of service and operations education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a director of service and operations. Directors of service and operations usually study business, marketing, or management. 67% of directors of service and operations hold a bachelor's degree, and 18% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 1,968 real director of service and operations resumes to see exactly what director of service and operations education sections show.

The most common colleges for directors of service and operations are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

There are also many online director of service and operations courses to help get the education required to be a director of service and operations.

There are certain director of service and operations certifications that you should consider. These director of service and operations certifications include Project Management Professional (PMP) and Six Sigma Green Belt.

What education do you need to become a director of service and operations?

What degree do you need to be a director of service and operations?

The most common degree for directors of service and operations is bachelor's degree, with 67% of directors of service and operations earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 18% and master's degree degree at 11%.
  • Bachelor's, 67%
  • Master's, 18%
  • Associate, 11%
  • High School Diploma, 1%
  • Other Degrees, 3%

What should I major in to become a director of service and operations?

You should major in business to become a director of service and operations. 38% of directors of service and operations major in business. Other common majors for a director of service and operations include marketing and management.

Most common colleges for directors of service and operations

Directors of service and operations often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, Pennsylvania State University, and University of California, Santa Barbara. Here are the most common colleges for directors of service and operations in the US based on their resumes.
Director of service and operations common collegePercentages
University of Phoenix22.49%
Pennsylvania State University6.22%
University of California, Santa Barbara5.74%
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey5.74%
Michigan State University5.26%

Best majors for directors of service and operations

RankMajorPercentages
1Business38.2%
2Marketing6.1%
3Management6.0%
4Finance5.0%
5Accounting4.8%

Best colleges for directors of service and operations

The best colleges for directors of service and operations are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and University of Southern California.

A director of service and operations with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for directors of service and operations. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become directors of service and operations.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

4. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

5. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

6. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

7. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,522

Enrollment

13,760

8. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

9. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Enrollment

30,905

10. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,230

Enrollment

12,161

20 best online courses for directors of service and operations

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Top 10 most affordable universities for directors of service and operations

The most affordable schools for directors of service and operations are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and florida state university.

If the best universities for directors of service and operations are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for directors of service and operations.

1. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

2. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

3. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

4. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

5. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

6. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

7. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

8. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

9. University of Houston - Victoria

Victoria, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$6,491

Cost of attendance

19,075

10. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for directors of service and operations

The hardest universities for directors of service and operations to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and University of Southern California.

Some great schools for directors of service and operations are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for directors of service and operations based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

3. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

4. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

5. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

6. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

7. University of Miami

Coral Gables, FL • Private

Admissions rate

32%

SAT average

1,365

8. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

9. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

10. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for directors of service and operations

The easiest schools for directors of service and operations to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, barry university, and oklahoma wesleyan university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a director of service and operations without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for directors of service and operations.

1. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

2. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

3. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

4. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

5. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

6. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

7. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

8. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

9. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

10. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

Average director of service and operations salary by education level

According to our data, directors of service and operations with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $156,970 annually. Directors of service and operations with a Doctorate degree earn an average annual salary of $152,027.
Director of service and operations education levelDirector of service and operations salary
Master's Degree$156,970
High School Diploma or Less$116,235
Bachelor's Degree$138,243
Doctorate Degree$152,027
Some College/ Associate Degree$119,280

Director of service and operations education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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