Although not universal, some universities require residence hall directors to have earned the minimum of a bachelor's degree (common at many institutions in Canada), while most others require a master's degree in college student personnel, higher education, or another related or relevant field (more prevalent in the United States).
Some universities fill the residence hall director positions with graduate students who are only part time and may be required to complete fewer tasks or are responsible for smaller residential areas.
The main responsibility of the hall director is the direct supervision of resident assistants (RAs).
Often carrying out the training of the RAs themselves, residence hall directors meet frequently with their RAs to ensure the residence hall community is healthy and operating smoothly.
They also tend to participate in an on-call crisis response rotation where they may be called by RAs, campus public safety, or other staff members if problems arise needing professional attention.