Student Affairs Graduate Program Evolves to Meet Student Needs
Student Affairs has a unique opportunity because it promotes the idea of life-long learning. The age of traditional students attending higher education has been trending higher, including in graduate school. Important implications of that change in the field include preparing for Generation Alpha, becoming more age friendly as the Age-Friendly University movement gains momentum and recognizing the diverse population of students being served.
Lewis talked about the importance of rethinking how to leverage what we know so the needs of the students are being served. When considering programing, it’s important to ask the questions of what, when, and how the services are provided. She highlighted that “we have to do things from a data-driven approach… we need to design programs with intentionality and be able to measure the effectiveness of the programs as well.”
Taking a data-driven approach and understanding how to develop effective programming is a significant characteristic of the Student Affairs graduate program and certificate offered at Minnesota State University, Mankato. The Student Affairs graduate program offers two distinct pathways for those interested in advancing their career in higher education. First, there is a graduate certificate option that is intended for professionals working in the field of student affairs. Applicants can have a master’s degree from an accredited university or a bachelor’s degree from an accredited university with a minimum undergraduate GPA of 2.75 along
with two years (full-time equivalent) of direct student affairs experience following the completion of the bachelor’s degree. This 12-credit graduate certificate is delivered synchronously online and focuses on student affairs administration and college student development. Students working toward the certification will engage in the history, theories, philosophy, administration, finance and program assessment; they will also get to know professional organizations.
The second pathway is a 36-credit master’s program tailored for individuals seeking a comprehensive education in student affairs with a strong emphasis on both administration and counseling, as mental health is a top concern among students on college campuses across higher education. This master’s degree is delivered in a hybrid format and attracts professionals who are already working within the field in a full-time or part-time basis. The program is intentional about offering evening classes to accommodate those who work.
Two years ago, the master’s program curriculum changed from a 50-credit master’s program to the current 36-credit model. These changes were made to address the trends in the field while integrating feedback received from alumni and applicants to the program. “Given what we know and where the field was going, we wouldn’t be serving the students coming into the field,” Lewis explained. To best serve the social identities of the students on campus, the program was redesigned with great intentionality using a diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) framework with an emphasis on providing culturally responsive and sustainable services. Key areas and classes that reflect the trends in the field, such as a student development and belonging, administration, multicultural organizational development, program assessment, counseling skills, multicultural counseling, and career counseling, are included. The graduating class this spring will be the first cohort to graduate with the new 36-credit program design.
In the post-pandemic world, the program has adopted a rolling admissions approach to allow applicants to submit their materials throughout the year. While the first review of applications begins after January 15, early submission is encouraged to secure a spot in the intentionally small, community-oriented cohorts.
Given limited funding, particularly at public institutions, Lewis emphasized the need to be creative in the resources being used and the need to engage in more collaboration across departments on campus. “We are being asked to do more with less, which affects the graduate assistantships, which give students such valuable experience,” she said. Even with funding being an issue, Lewis highlighted the success the University has by saying, “we’re very lucky here at MSU that we have easy access to each other. It’s something we really shouldn’t take for granted and a unique quality that we can really use to the benefit of our students.”
We are also grateful to our CSP alumni and donors for their continued support for the College Student Affairs program and the CSP department.
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