Graduate Admissions Specialist - Graduate School - UTK

The primary purpose of this position is to support efforts to recruit, admit, and enroll graduate students.  The person who serves in this position supports this goal by working with prospective students, admitted students, graduate program faculty and staff, other university departments, and external stakeholders.  The person in this position performs functions associated with application to the Graduate School from the point of application until the applicant has fulfilled all admission requirements to be fully admitted for the requested term of entry or the application is otherwise finalized.  The person in this position works with applicants who are U.S. citizens, international, current graduate students seeking to change or add to the programs of study, or previous graduate students seeking to be readmitted to the Graduate School.  In addition, the person in this position resolves applicant issues that may be encountered during and related to the admissions process.

Application Funnel Management

Graduate Admissions Office Review:

(1)  Reviews applications submitted by diverse populations (U.S. citizen, international, current graduate students, and previous graduate students) to determine if files are complete and ready for department and/or further review based on Graduate Catalog policies and requirements for admission.

(2)  Uses decision making and problem solving to aid in the completion of applications including, but not limited to the request of additional documentation, updating of applications/programs, and application of restrictions whenever applicable in adherence with data integrity and utilization practices.

(3)  Aids in the finalizing of all applications submitted by the submission and processing of documents received directly from the applicant.

Academic Program Review/Secondary Review:

(4)  Proactively monitors department review progress to ensure files are being reviewed and decided upon in a timely manner and reviews and applies final decision to be provided to the applicant.

(5)  Serves as the main point of contact for the applicant and works closely with various stakeholders that can include review of applicant's self-reported prior conduct issues, exceptions to the Graduate Catalog admission requirements, international immigration process, and any other issues or inquiries that may arise. 

Continuous Operations:

(6)  Participates in tasks that prepare the Office of Graduate Admissions for a new admission cycle.

(7)  Regularly reports application status within area of responsibility to Graduate Admissions administrators through the utilization of reports and other data generated in the CRM.

The position also:

Serves as primary point of contact for all prospect, applicants, and internal and external stakeholders through email, phone, in person etc.  to inform, educate, and assists in any facet related to Graduate Admissions including but not limited to prospect/program information, application process/management, and onboarding/matriculation etc.

Ensures that all contacts and outreach with students and stakeholders is tracked in the CRM.

Aids in the receipt, uploading, and submission of documents received directly from the applicant to the CRM. 

Continuous Training/Operational Improvement

(1) Participates in professional development opportunities, internal and/or external to the university, that are related to performing the specific functions of the position or related to the overall mission and goals of the Graduate School and the university.

(2) Meets at least bi-annually with appropriate academic program faculty and/or staff regarding graduate programs' admission procedures including admission requirements, application deadlines, program contacts, and when program decisions are made.

(3) Trains new graduate program staff and provides update training to existing graduate program staff regarding Graduate Admissions policies, processes, and CRM operations and functionalities.

(4) Participates in training new Office of Graduate Admissions staff and the creation and updating of Graduate Admissions office procedures.

Other Responsibilities

(1)  Serves as a member of work-related committees.

(2)  Performs duties as required during high volume periods while aiding in cross-functional office coverage and backup whenever additional help is needed.

(3) Assists with Graduate School events as needed.

(4)  Performs other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications

Education: High school diploma or GED

Experience: Work in an office setting or other environment in which the candidate has experience providing customer service, contributing to problem resolution efforts, working with computers and software such as Microsoft Office, performing tasks that require a high level of accuracy, and working collaboratively with other employees.

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:

• Ability to listen effectively and communicate verbally and in writing
• Excellent customer service skills
• Ability to work in a team-oriented setting
• Ability to complete work tasks and establish priorities
• Ability to effectively problem solve and make decisions
• Ability to assimilate information from diverse resources in order to make informed decisions
• Ability to enter or modify data or other content types with accuracy
• Ability to utilize general office equipment, computers, and software such as Microsoft Office
• Ability to read, interpret, and apply policies and practices in work setting

Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis without need now or in the future for sponsorship for employment-based visa status.

Preferred Qualifications

Education: Bachelor’s Degree

Experience: Work in a higher education admissions setting in which the candidate has experience reviewing applicant files, providing customer service to applicants (including assistance resolving admission related issues), and working in admissions databases and student information systems within a team-oriented environment.

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:  

• Knowledge of higher education admission processes
• Ability to perform functions and analyze data utilizing admission databases and student information systems, and reporting tools
• Ability to effectively communicate, verbally and in writing, with diverse audiences represented in a higher education setting 

Work Location  

Location: Knoxville, TN

Onsite, Hybrid, or Remote: On-site

Compensation and Benefits  

UT market range: MR05

Anticipated hiring range:  $40,000 – 43,000

Find more information on the UT Market Range structure here

Find more information on UT Benefits here

Application Instructions  

To express interest, please submit an application with the noted below attachments.  

• Resume
• Cover Letter 

About The College/Department/Division  

The Graduate School at the University of Tennessee Knoxville is a dynamic, innovative, and collaborative partner in shaping graduate education, and a dedicated advocate for our graduate student experience.  Applying a people-centric approach to all we do; we lead the University in providing support to ensure our programs are among the best in the nation and inspire students to be catalysts for change in the evolving global society.