Graduate Admissions Coordinator

American University is a student-centered research institution located in Washington, DC, with highly-ranked schools and colleges, internationally-renowned faculty, and a reputation for creating meaningful change in the world. Learn more about American University

Department:

School of Communication

Time Type:

Full time

Job Type:

Regular

FLSA Status:

Non-Exempt

Work Modality:

Hybrid 01 (On Campus 3-4 Days/Week)

Union:

SEIU Local 500 - Provost & Enrollment Division

This position is part of a collective bargaining unit represented by SEIU Local 500 - Provost & Enrollment Division. That means the terms and conditions of your employment are governed by university policy (including the Staff Personnel Policies Manual) and any collective bargaining agreement entered into between American University and SEIU Local 500 - Provost & Enrollment Division.

Job Description:

Summary:

Under the supervision of the Director of Graduate Program Operations, the Graduate Admissions Coordinator provides operational support and is responsible for coordinating the day-to-day outreach and operational activities required to shepherd prospective students through the graduate admissions process. The Graduate Admissions Coordinator provides timely and thorough processing of graduate applications and helps maintain the university systems that support the student enrollment journey for on-campus and online graduate programs.

This position works on prospective student engagement and application funnel management. The Graduate Admissions Coordinator is also responsible for post-admission processes including processing of merit aid, graduate fellowship applications, official transcript tracking and international student visa sponsorship requests. This position frequently partners with the Marketing & Communications team to plan admissions and yield activities throughout the year.

Essential Functions:

1.) Graduate Recruitment & Admissions Outreach

• Serves as the initial and primary point of contact for prospective students interested in the School of Communication's graduate (on-campus and online) and doctoral programs, responding to inquiries via email, telephone, text messaging, virtual chat, and other communication channels. Provides timely, personalized, and high-touch guidance throughout the recruitment process. Serves as a representative for the School at virtual and in-person recruitment, yield, and outreach events. Supports management of the Graduate Programs shared inbox and phone line, ensuring prompt, high-quality customer service while fostering prospective student engagement and contributing to enrollment goals. Partners with the Director of Graduate Program Operations to craft recruitment strategy and identify markets to best advertise prospective students.

2.) Graduate Admissions & Enrollment Management

• Supports the administration of graduate admissions and enrollment operations by partnering with the Assistant Director, Graduate Admissions Operations and Analytics to process application materials, ensuring accurate admissions and enrollment records within the university's CRM and related systems. Partner with the operations team to mark application files for completeness and accuracy, prepare admissions decisions and applicant communications, and manages post-admission enrollment communications. Crafts and distributes onboarding materials to facilitate a seamless transition from admission to matriculation. Coordinates the administration of graduate financial assistance, including graduate funding awards, donor-funded scholarships, fellowships, assistantships, and partner tuition discounts, ensuring accurate data entry, award processing, and communication with students. Processes fellowship applications and supports scholarship tracking and reporting. Partners with campus stakeholders, including International Student & Scholar Services (ISSS), to facilitate the I-20 documentation process for international students and monitor visa-related milestones. Contributes to the continuous improvement of admissions and enrollment processes, data integrity, and operational workflows.

3.) Recruitment, Yield & Student Engagement Events

• Collaborates with the Graduate Academic Services team and the Marketing & Communications team to support the planning and execution of recruitment, admissions, yield, and student engagement events. Assists with event logistics, communications, and targeted outreach to prospective students through email and phone campaigns to increase participation and strengthen enrollment outcomes.

4.) Strategic & Administrative Support

• Performs additional duties and special projects as assigned in support of the strategic goals of the School of Communication. Contributes to cross-functional initiatives that enhance graduate recruitment, admissions operations, enrollment management, student success, and continuous process improvement.

Competencies:

• Serving Customers.

• Displaying Creativity.

• Prioritizing and Organizing.

• Acquiring and Analyzing Information.

• Supporting Coworkers.

Position Type/Expected Hours of Work:

• Full-time.

• 35 hours per week.

• Eligible for hybrid modality up to 2 days per week.

• Some evening and weekend hours as required.

• This position is union eligible.

Salary Range:

• $26.11 - $27.48 per hour.

Required Education and Experience:

• Bachelor's degree with advanced training in MS Office software applications or equivalent in education, training, and experience.

• 1 - 3 years of relevant experience.

• Experience in a front-line customer service role including professional experience (post-degree) in a higher education environment or other relevant experience in a high traffic, customer contact position within a complex organization.

• Experience with databases and acute attention to detail.

• Proficiency in MS Office software applications (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook) and web-based research.

• Commitment to working with diverse populations including international students.

• Experience managing sensitive information and maintaining confidentiality.

.

Preferred Education and Experience:

• Master's degree or equivalent.

• 2 - 4 years of relevant experience. Familiarity with Salesforce Education Data Architecture solutions preferred.

Travel Required:

• Up to 20% of the time. The bulk of travel commitments will occur in the summer and fall.

Additional Eligibility Qualifications:

• Employees in the School of Communication are required to work on campus in a full presence modality for the first month of their employment.

• Ability to gather and analyze data using basic research methods and databases.

• Comfort and experience with computer technology and willingness to learn new computer programs.

• Ability to manage a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment; be a proactive self-starter; adapt and operate at a high level of efficiency with moderate direction and supervision; complete multiple assigned tasks independently and on schedule.

• Excellent administrative and organizational skills.

• Strong interpersonal and communication skills (verbal and written), with a customer service orientation and ability to communicate; effectively interact with people of all ages and diverse backgrounds.

• Team-oriented with an ability to foster positive and productive working relationships in a professional and courteous manner with students, staff, and faculty.

Other Duties:

• Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Benefits

AU offers a competitive benefits package. Click here to learn about American University's unique benefit options.

Other Details

• Hiring offers for this position are contingent on successful completion of a background check.

• Employees in staff positions at American University must deliver their services to the university from either the District of Columbia, Maryland, or Virginia, or perform work on-site at the university.

• Please note this job announcement is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

• American University is an E-Verify employer.

Current American University Employees

American University current employees must apply through their employee Workday account. If you are a current employee at American University, please log into Workday and select the Find Jobs report which will take you to our internal career listings.

Contact Us

For more information or assistance with the American University careers site, email theworkline@american.edu.

American University is an equal opportunity, affirmative action institution that operates in compliance with applicable laws and regulations. The university does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex (including pregnancy), age, sexual orientation, disability, marital status, personal appearance, gender identity and expression, family responsibilities, political affiliation, source of income, veteran status, an individual's genetic information or any other bases under federal or local laws (collectively "Protected Bases") in its programs and activities.