Making great student leaders

Want to combine your talent for leadership with your passion for working with students?

Our Master of Science in Student Affairs Administration degree (proposed) prepares graduates for entry- to mid-level management positions in two- and four-year institutions of higher education. The MSAA program is ideally suited for those who wish to pursue positions including academic advising, admissions and enrollment management, career development and placement, financial aid, judicial affairs, leadership development, residential life and student activities. Coupled with sufficient professional experience, the MSAA may also serve as the foundation for students wishing to become deans of students or vice presidents for student affairs.

Program Goals

 

• To prepare professionals who have working knowledge of how student development theory is used in practice and how practice serves to inform future theory development
• To prepare graduates to discuss research relevant to their selected areas of work, contributing to knowledge production at a level appropriate to their experience
• To prepare administrative leaders and personnel who are comfortable working with diverse people in positions that require them to respond to department/unit situations while taking into consideration how their decisions impact other systems within an institution

Academic Content and Structure

The program is structured to enhance the student's ability to think reflectively, work independently and collaboratively, and analyze situations verbally and in writing. Upon program completion, graduates should also be able to:

• Define the role and function of student affairs in higher education
• Articulate the current status of the field and discuss contemporary issues facing the profession
• Articulate an understanding of how student development theory is used in practice
• Discuss leadership principles and strategies used in practice
• Demonstrate the rudiments of effective leadership
• Interpret research significant to the profession and conduct related scholarship at an elementary level
• Identify factors affecting human and organizational behavior
• Translate theoretical knowledge about the development of organizations and individuals into meaningful practice
• Perform program assessment, design, implementation and evaluation as appropriate for individuals, student services offices and organizations
• Articulate an understanding of how various systems of oppression impact student development and the role of advocacy in student affairs work
• Develop multicultural competency that enables engagement with diverse students and others

Curriculum

Students may pursue the MSAA through full- or part-time study. Once approved by the New York State Education Department, the curriculum will include 27 credit hours of student affairs-related coursework, 12 credit hours in a cognate area, a 3-credit hour research methods course, and a 3-credit hour (minimum) internship. Full-time students should be able to complete the coursework and finish a qualifying examination or thesis in two years. Duration varies for part-time students and depends on whether they take at least 6 credit hours per semester and attend summer classes. The curriculum was designed to meet the American College Personnel Association's Professional Preparation Commission Standards.

The proposed Master of Science in Student Affairs Administration (MSAA) prepares professionals

Students are prepared for entry- to mid-level management positions in two- and four-year institutions of higher education. Graduates of the program may acquire skills that are desirable in organizations outside of academia.

The program is especially designed to prepare practitioners (e.g., support personnel, student development educators, and administrators) interested in positions, including but not limited to, academic advising, admissions and enrollment management, campus life, career development and placement, financial aid, health services, judicial affairs, leadership development, multicultural affairs, non-traditional and commuter student services, residential life, services for students with disabilities, student activities, and student development and involvement. The degree, coupled with sufficient professional experience may also serve as the foundation and entry point for persons desiring careers as deans of students, and assistant vice presidents for student affairs.

The program is grounded in both student development theory, and the concept of theory-to-practice-to-theory. Thus, an underlying goal of the program is to prepare professionals who have working knowledge of how student development theory is used in practice, and how practice serves to inform future theory development. We want our graduates to be comfortable discussing research relevant to their selected areas of work within Student Affairs and to feel qualified to contribute to knowledge production at a level appropriate to their experience. A secondary goal of the proposed program is to prepare administrative leaders and personnel who are comfortable working with people of diverse backgrounds in positions that require decision-makers to respond to department/unit situations while taking into consideration how their decisions impact other systems (i.e., departments and/or divisions) within the institution.
Academic Content and Structure

The overall academic content of the program has been structured to enhance the student's ability to think reflectively, work independently and collaboratively with others, as well as be able to investigate and analyze situations in student affairs specifically and higher education in general, both verbally and in writing using technological aids where appropriate.More specifically, upon completion of the program graduates should be able to:

* Define the role and function of student affairs work in higher education within philosophical and historical frameworks, as well as the broader context of higher education;
* Articulate the current status of the field and discuss contemporary issues facing the profession;
* Articulate an understanding of how student development theory (e.g., psychosocial and identity development, cognitive-structural, typologies, and person-environment interaction models) is used in practice;
* Discuss leadership principles and strategies used in practice;
* Demonstrate in behavior and practice the rudiments of effective leadership;
* Interpret research significant to the profession and conduct related scholarship at an elementary level;
* Identify factors affecting human and organizational behavior;
* Translate theoretical knowledge about the development of organizations and individuals into meaningful practice;
* Perform the functions of program assessment, design, implementation, and evaluation as appropriate for individuals, student services offices, and organizations.
* Articulate an understanding of how various systems of oppression (e.g., racism, sexism, classism, homophobia, ageism, etc). impact student development and the role of advocacy in student affairs work; and
* Develop multicultural competency that enables engagement with diverse students and others with effectiveness and confidence.

Program in Student Affairs Administration Curriculum

The program will serve the needs of professionals who desire to pursue graduate studies in either full- or part-time formats. The curriculum once approved by New York State Education will include 27 credit hours of student affairs-related coursework, 12 credit hours in a cognate area, a 3-credit hour research methods course, and a minimum 3-credit hour internship. Full-time students should be able to complete the coursework and finish a qualifying examination or thesis in two years of study. The exact duration for part-time students will depend on whether they choose to take at least 6 credit hours per semester and attend classes during the summer. The program curriculum was designed to meet the American College Personnel Association (ACPA) Professional Preparation Commission Standards.