Student Learning Outcomes - Learning objectives have been set forth, and are revised periodically, for students preparing to practice as university administrators. These objectives are considered best practice by the Council for the Advancement of Standards and have been adopted by the CSPA program:
- Graduates are able to reference historical and current documents that state the philosophical foundations of the profession and to communicate their relevance to current student affairs practice.
- Graduates are able to articulate the inherent values of the profession that are stipulated in these documents in a manner that indicates how these values guide practice. These values may include: educating the whole student, treating each student as a unique individual, offering seamless learning opportunities, and ensuring the basic rights of all students.
- Graduates are knowledgeable about and be able to apply a code of ethics sanctioned by a professional organization that provides ethical guidelines for their work.
- Graduates are able to demonstrate the ability to use appropriate developmental theory to understand, support, and advocate for student learning and development by assessing learning and development needs and creating learning and development opportunities.
- Graduates are able to demonstrate knowledge of how student learning and learning opportunities are influenced by student characteristics and by collegiate environments so that graduates can design and evaluate learning experiences for students.
- Graduates are able to demonstrate knowledge and skills necessary to design and evaluate effective educational interventions for individuals and groups.
- Graduates are able to identify and apply leadership, organizational, and management practices that assist institutions in accomplishing their mission
- Graduates are able to critique a sound study or evaluation and be able to design, conduct, and report on a sound research study, assessment study, or program evaluation, grounded in appropriate literature.
- Graduates are aware of research ethics and legal implications of research, including the necessity of adhering to a human subjects review.
The mission of the Master of Science degree program in College Student Personnel Administration is to prepare outstanding generalists for a broad range of entry-level positions in higher education.
The curriculum emphasizes the integration of theory and practice in both classroom and field-based settings in order to graduate professionals with the necessary knowledge, skills, dispositions, commitment to ethics, respect for diversity, and caring to enrich the lives of students with whom they work. The curriculum meets the standards set forth by the Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education for Student Affairs graduate preparation programs.
The program consists of 39 credit hours and is designed to be completed within two academic years and the intervening summer. Required courses comprise 33 hours and six are elective. Three hundred hours of supervised practice comprise the three credits of internship which are required for graduation. A comprehensive examination is also required for graduation.
The strength of the CSPA program is the close relationship and partnership that exists between the program and student affairs professionals on the campus. Practitioners in student life, housing, student activities, the campus union, and a variety of other settings are very involved in mentoring and teaching students in the program. Students benefit from working closely with active practitioners who are recognized leaders in their areas of expertise.
Admission - Applicants must possess an overall undergraduate grade point average of at least 2.70, or a 3.00 in the final 60 hours (requirements for those receiving a graduate assistantship may be higher). Candidates must also submit a writing sample describing his or her career goal and how the academic program fits with that goal. Lastly, two letters of recommendation are required. One letter should come from a former professor, while the second should be completed by a work supervisor. These documents should be emailed to rbowman@ucmo.edu with the “CSPA Application Materials” in the subject line.
For information about specific course requirements, candidates should contact the School of Professional Education and Leadership , College Student Personnel Administration program, in Lovinger 4101.
