College Student Affairs is designed to prepare future leaders in higher education for a variety of positions, including academic advising, career services, diversity and inclusion, residence life, and student activities. The program offers a balanced curriculum of student affairs administration and counseling skills while emphasizing social justice and college student development. Through intensive internship experiences, students directly apply knowledge gained from courses to their work in multiple areas of student affairs.
Program Requirements
Common Core
This course is designed to facilitate a broad understanding of the historical and philosophical foundations that have shaped the student affairs profession. Legal and ethical principles that guide practice, examining how they intersect with functional and institutional contexts and with current issues impacting higher education, will be central to the course.
Prerequisites:
none
This course is designed to facilitate an understanding of current models and practices in the administration and finance of student affairs programs in higher education through a social justice framework. Models of planning and management, techniques related to budgeting and staffing, and current issues and trends in student affairs administration and finance are also explored.
Prerequisites:
none
Focus on helping skills model, professional issues, and skill acquisition of basic listening responses.
Prerequisites:
none
This course introduces theories, models, and practices of crisis intervention with attention to trauma, suicide prevention, and disaster response. Students gain knowledge and skills in assessment and intervention while considering ethical, legal, and cultural factors. Emphasis is placed on applied, trauma-informed strategies for effective crisis counseling across the lifespan.
Prerequisites:
CSP 645
This course is specific to the counseling profession, focusing on both the cultural and sociopolitical forces influencing people in a multicultural society, as well as the microskills necessary for engaging in cross-cultural counselor-client interactions.
Prerequisites:
none
Overview of theories of career development, career guidance, career choice, and decision-making. Career counseling interviews and assessment techniques are also emphasized.
Prerequisites:
Admission into a program in the CSP department.
This course is designed to facilitate an understanding of today's college students through various theoretical perspectives including social identity development (i.e., racial, ethnic, gender, sexual orientation, spiritual, disability, and social class) as well as psychological, intellectual, and moral development. Special focus will be paid to recognizing the unique characteristics and issues faced by today's college students and applying theory to practice.
Prerequisites:
none
This course is designed to facilitate an understanding of current models and practices of assessment and program evaluation in higher education and student affairs, particularly regarding the process of assessing student learning and development. Models of organizational development and change, as well as the impact of campus environments on diverse student populations, will also be central to this course.
Prerequisites:
none
Major theories of group development are presented along with analysis of group notes, group techniques, and groups for special populations. An experiential component is included for experience in group processes.
Prerequisites:
CSP 645
Research/Methods Course(s)
This course will prepare students to effectively understand and utilize the results of research and will provide an understanding of the processes involved in the conceptualization, design, implementation, and reporting of research, including program evaluation research.
Prerequisites:
none
Capstone Course
Choose 6 Credit(s).
This course offers supervised experiences and integrates a focus on leadership and supervision in student affairs and higher education environments.
This course offers supervised internship experiences and integrates a focus on advocacy and practice in student affairs and higher education environments.
The Degree Plan is a model for completing your degree in a timely manner. Your individual degree plan may change based on a number of variables including transfer courses and the semester/year you start your major. Carefully work with your academic advisors to devise your own unique plan. * Please meet with your advisor on appropriate course selection to meet your educational and degree goals.
First Year
Fall - 9 Credits
This course is designed to facilitate a broad understanding of the historical and philosophical foundations that have shaped the student affairs profession. Legal and ethical principles that guide practice, examining how they intersect with functional and institutional contexts and with current issues impacting higher education, will be central to the course.
Prerequisites:
none
Focus on helping skills model, professional issues, and skill acquisition of basic listening responses.
Prerequisites:
none
This course is specific to the counseling profession, focusing on both the cultural and sociopolitical forces influencing people in a multicultural society, as well as the microskills necessary for engaging in cross-cultural counselor-client interactions.
Prerequisites:
none
Spring - 9 Credits
This course introduces theories, models, and practices of crisis intervention with attention to trauma, suicide prevention, and disaster response. Students gain knowledge and skills in assessment and intervention while considering ethical, legal, and cultural factors. Emphasis is placed on applied, trauma-informed strategies for effective crisis counseling across the lifespan.
Prerequisites:
CSP 645
Overview of theories of career development, career guidance, career choice, and decision-making. Career counseling interviews and assessment techniques are also emphasized.
Prerequisites:
Admission into a program in the CSP department.
This course is designed to facilitate an understanding of today's college students through various theoretical perspectives including social identity development (i.e., racial, ethnic, gender, sexual orientation, spiritual, disability, and social class) as well as psychological, intellectual, and moral development. Special focus will be paid to recognizing the unique characteristics and issues faced by today's college students and applying theory to practice.
Prerequisites:
none
Second Year
Fall - 9 Credits
This course is designed to facilitate an understanding of current models and practices in the administration and finance of student affairs programs in higher education through a social justice framework. Models of planning and management, techniques related to budgeting and staffing, and current issues and trends in student affairs administration and finance are also explored.
Prerequisites:
none
This course will prepare students to effectively understand and utilize the results of research and will provide an understanding of the processes involved in the conceptualization, design, implementation, and reporting of research, including program evaluation research.
Prerequisites:
none
This course offers supervised experiences and integrates a focus on leadership and supervision in student affairs and higher education environments.
This course is designed to facilitate an understanding of current models and practices of assessment and program evaluation in higher education and student affairs, particularly regarding the process of assessing student learning and development. Models of organizational development and change, as well as the impact of campus environments on diverse student populations, will also be central to this course.
Prerequisites:
none
Major theories of group development are presented along with analysis of group notes, group techniques, and groups for special populations. An experiential component is included for experience in group processes.
Prerequisites:
CSP 645
This course offers supervised internship experiences and integrates a focus on advocacy and practice in student affairs and higher education environments.
Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis for both fall and spring admissions and are reviewed until the program is full. For priority consideration, please apply by January 15 for fall admission or August 15 for spring admission. Final applications for fall admission will be considered through August 1 (or May 1 for international students), and for spring admission through December 1 (or October 1 for international students).
Bachelor's degree from an accredited university. Students with an undergraduate cumulative GPA of 2.75 or above will be most competitive for admission to the program.
Two letters of recommendation focusing on your academic potential and your promise to become an effective helping professional, with one of the recommendations from an instructor, an academic advisor, or a professional reference.
Personal statement submitted by answering prompt questions.
Progression Standards:
Students must make adequate yearly progress toward degree completion and must know the MSU, Mankato, Graduate College Policy and Course Requirements and adhere to time limits for program completion. Students are strongly encouraged to complete in two to three years and inform their advisor if they are unable to enroll in classes during a given academic year.
Current students must possess skills and abilities to successfully complete the course of study for their emphasis or program. Students must meet the Professional Dispositions and Competencies established by the Department of Counseling and Student Personnel.
Completion/Graduation Standards:
To complete the 36-credit College Student Affairs program in two years, students need to complete 9 credits in the fall and spring semesters.
Students completing their program on a part-time basis should discuss their plans with their advisor.
All students seeking degrees must take CSP 675 Research and Program Evaluation in Counseling and Student Personnel.
Students in the College Student Affairs MS program must complete a capstone experience that includes a 700-hour internship across two semesters.
