DEGREE TYPE
MSc
DURATION
2 years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
Request application deadline
EARLIEST START DATE
Aug 2025
TUITION FEES
USD 37,575 *
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* base cost
Key Summary
Introduction
You’ll graduate prepared to work as a student affairs educator whose special interest is college students and the environments that affect their development as scholar-students. You’ll gain fieldwork experience through internships, conduct research, and graduate ready to lead.
Gain Hands-on Experience
- Develop visionary leadership and foster student learning.
- Facilitate effective campus and community relationships.
- Develop skills in pluralism, inclusion, and justice.
- Apply classroom learning to supervised fieldwork in a college or university.
- Graduate in two years as a full-time student from our on-campus program.
Program Details
The Master of Science in College Counseling and Student Development program prepares student affairs professionals who work effectively with college students at a diversity of institutions. The program encourages students to integrate their academic learning with their life experiences to grow personally and professionally. The curriculum is based on developing competence in 10 areas through academic coursework, internship experience, and research opportunities.
Admissions
Curriculum
The program comprises 45 semester units of coursework. Of this total, at least 36 must be taken at APU; up to 9 semester units of appropriate graduate work may be transferred into the program with department approval.
The coursework is divided into three major components: foundational studies, professional studies, and integration. Foundational studies are those that explore the historical, philosophical, and theoretical bases of higher education and student affairs as well as assist students in the assessment of their personal leadership skills. Professional studies are those that assist students in developing competencies in program design and evaluation, administration, counseling, and research. The integration of the theoretical and practical is provided through supervised experiences and the capstone project.
Foundational Studies
- Introduction to College Student Affairs
- The Role of Diversity in Student Affairs Practice
- Inclusive Diversity Practices in Student Affairs
- Quantitative Analysis in College Student Affairs
- Foundations of Higher Education
Professional Studies
- Legal and Ethical Issues in College Student Affairs
- The Process Of Adult Development
- Administration in College Student Affairs
- Qualitative Research with Today's Diverse College Students
- Counseling: The Helping Relationship
- Student Learning in the curriculum
- Career Counseling and Development
- Counseling Issues and Practice
- Program Evaluation in College Student Affairs
- Capstone Project in College Student Affairs
Integration and Supervised Practice
- Capstone Project and Colloquium
- 750 hours of supervised field placement in at least two practice areas
Program Outcome
Student Outcomes
Because the specific roles of student affairs practitioners vary greatly across functions and institution types, this program seeks to prepare student affairs educators who have a generalist perspective of the profession and possess the basic competencies necessary to be successful in a wide range of circumstances. Specifically, upon completion of the program, students should be able to demonstrate competence in these areas:
- Moral, Spiritual, and Ethical Foundations
- Values, Philosophy, and History
- Assessment, Evaluation, and Research
- Law, Policy, and Governance
- Organizational and Human Resources
- Leadership
- Social Justice and Inclusion
- Student Learning and Development
- Technology
- Advising and Supporting
Career Opportunities
Program graduates pursue career opportunities in residential life, career development, campus ministries, admissions, counseling, academic support services, student activities, student financial services, service-learning, and many other co-curricular campus programs.