What classes should I take to prepare for a job as a DBA?

What classes should I take to prepare for a job as a DBA? In grad school, all IT and CS students take courses like Operations Research where they learn to develop complex decision rules and them apply them to real world datasets. Using Oracle as the back-end storage of data and decision rules is a great way to prepare for real-world applications of expert systems, DSS and AI. Also, advanced statistics courses (multivariate analysis) are a good way to prepare for a career in Oracle data mining and Business Intelligence (BI). For details, see my notes on expert systems and decision support systems using Oracle. What College Degrees are best for the DBA? Companies are now requiring a combination of technical and managerial skills and the best-fits are those with an undergraduate degree in Computer Science and a MBA in Information Systems. Employers need a DBA who can understand business systems areas (accounting, finance, marketing) and MBA's are a perfect fir for the DBA job role. The hard-working kids who have distinguished themselves by graduating from a top-tier university are aggressively courted by the major software vendors (Oracle likes to hire from Harvard, MIT, etc.). Do I really need a Masters Degree to be a DBA? Not always, but articles note that Tech jobs are way-up for those with advanced degrees and Experts say IT hiring up 40% for top college graduates. Remember, there is a difference between working in database administration and being "the" DBA, the person solely responsible for the corporations data resources. How much can I earn as an Oracle DBA? Here are my notes on Oracle Salary Compensation, and there is a wide variation according to the responsibilities of the DBA job, the quality of the DBA, the cost of living, and the experience of the DBA. Here is a good Oracle DBA salary survey showing the national average at $65,000 per year. However, there is a huge variation in DBA salary. Back in 1981, the average DBA salary was about age+10, and a DBA right out of college could expect to earn $32k/year, a nice salary back when gasoline was 80 cents a gallon. Today, inflation and increased demand have increased the DBA pay scale: Low Tier DBA An Oracle DBA without college and less than 10 years experience earns about (age*2), a 25 year-old earning about $50k/year. Middle Tier DBA A DBA with a Bachelors degree and ten years full-time work experience can earn up to (age*3), with a 35 year-old DBA earning about $105/year. Senior DBA A senior DBA with a Masters degree, 20 years experience managing mission critical database can earn up to (age*4), with a 45 year-old DBA manager earning up to $180k/year. Superstar DBA For those DBA Superstars with advanced degrees and specialized skills (RAC, Oracle Apps), the pay is often as high as (age*6) and a 35 year-old superstar can earn up to $210k per year. In sum, becoming a DBA requires a lifetime commitment. Large corporations will not entrust their life-or-death data to just anyone, and most insist on hiring DBA's who have demonstrated a commitment to the profession, constantly acquiring new certifications, degrees and knowledge. http://www.dba-oracle.com/t_how_to_become_an_oracle_dba.htm