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Senior program specialist/program specialist education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a senior program specialist/program specialist. Senior program specialists/program specialists usually study business, psychology, or management. 59% of senior program specialists/program specialists hold a bachelor's degree, and 18% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 762 real senior program specialist/program specialist resumes to see exactly what senior program specialist/program specialist education sections show.

The most common colleges for senior program specialists/program specialists are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

There are also many online senior program specialist/program specialist courses to help get the education required to be a senior program specialist/program specialist.

There are certain senior program specialist/program specialist certifications that you should consider. These senior program specialist/program specialist certifications include Certified Professional - Human Resource (IPMA-CP) and Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT).

What education do you need to become a senior program specialist/program specialist?

What degree do you need to be a senior program specialist/program specialist?

The most common degree for senior program specialists/program specialists is bachelor's degree, with 59% of senior program specialists/program specialists earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 18% and master's degree degree at 13%.
  • Bachelor's, 59%
  • Master's, 18%
  • Associate, 13%
  • High School Diploma, 4%
  • Other Degrees, 6%

What should I major in to become a senior program specialist/program specialist?

You should major in business to become a senior program specialist/program specialist. 25% of senior program specialists/program specialists major in business. Other common majors for a senior program specialist/program specialist include psychology and management.

Most common colleges for senior program specialists/program specialists

Senior program specialists/program specialists often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, University of Maryland - College Park, and George Mason University. Here are the most common colleges for senior program specialists/program specialists in the US based on their resumes.
Senior program specialist/program specialist common collegePercentages
University of Phoenix11.36%
University of Maryland - College Park9.09%
George Mason University7.95%
New Mexico State University6.82%
University of California, Santa Barbara6.82%

Best majors for senior program specialists/program specialists

RankMajorPercentages
1Business25.3%
2Psychology7.3%
3Management5.5%
4Political Science4.9%
5Sociology4.6%

Best colleges for senior program specialists/program specialists

The best colleges for senior program specialists/program specialists are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and Boston University.

A senior program specialist/program specialist with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for senior program specialists/program specialists. 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 senior program specialists/program specialists.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

2. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Enrollment

13,871

3. Syracuse University

Syracuse, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,853

Enrollment

14,759

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

5. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Enrollment

9,142

6. Saint Joseph's College, New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$27,830

Enrollment

937

7. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

8. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,308

Enrollment

6,819

9. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

10. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

20 best online courses for senior program specialists/program specialists

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Top 10 most affordable universities for senior program specialists/program specialists

The most affordable schools for senior program specialists/program specialists are California State University - Bakersfield, suny farmingdale, and california state university - fullerton.

If the best universities for senior program specialists/program specialists 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 senior program specialists/program specialists.

1. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

2. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

3. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

4. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

5. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

6. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

7. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

8. California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,922

Cost of attendance

18,522

9. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

10. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for senior program specialists/program specialists

The hardest universities for senior program specialists/program specialists to get into are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and Boston University.

Some great schools for senior program specialists/program specialists 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 senior program specialists/program specialists 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. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

2. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

3. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

5. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

6. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

7. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

8. University of Rochester

Rochester, NY • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,422

9. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

10. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for senior program specialists/program specialists

The easiest schools for senior program specialists/program specialists to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, notre dame de namur university, and holy names university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a senior program specialist/program specialist 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 senior program specialists/program specialists.

1. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

2. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

3. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

4. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

5. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

6. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

7. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

8. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

9. University of Baltimore

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,020

10. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

Average senior program specialist/program specialist salary by education level

Senior program specialists/program specialists with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $103,859 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, senior program specialists/program specialists earn a median annual income of $93,241 compared to $81,216 for senior program specialists/program specialists with an Associate degree.
Senior program specialist/program specialist education levelSenior program specialist/program specialist salary
Master's Degree$103,859
High School Diploma or Less$80,572
Bachelor's Degree$93,241
Some College/ Associate Degree$81,216

Senior program specialist/program specialist 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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