The focus of this study was how knowledge of the barriers to advancement for African American women (AAW) and key career support factors (KCSFs) influence the career advancement of African American women (AAW) to senior-level positions in higher education. The research method for this study consisted of the triangulation of evidence from multiple literature sources using a systematic literature review methodology and findings from an author-initiated ethnographic study. The systematic review identified 198 studies, of which 52 met the inclusion criteria to determine the extent to which KCSFs influence career advancement to senior-level positions. In the ethnographic study, 15 interviews were conducted with minority women in senior-level administration positions to determine whether mentoring, role models, networks, or other factors influenced career advancement. In the systematic review, data and occurrences of each support factor were recorded and ranked according to their frequency and relevance to the study's topic. Evidence from the systematic literature review and ethnographic study were triangulated to determine the findings. Results of this study indicate that mentoring, role models, and informal networks are ranked as the top three KCSFs for career advancement of AAW and minority women to senior-level management positions in higher education. The research results also reveal that awareness of barriers to career advancement can help AAW and minority women to address them and position themselves to attain senior-level administrative roles in higher education. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]