College Student Affairs

The Penn State College Student Affairs (CSA) Program prepares higher education professionals to provide educational services and programs, facilitate student achievement, and create growth-enhancing environments. Intentionally-designed learning outcomes, the infusion of a social justice perspective throughout the curriculum, and a balanced focus on scholarly practice combine to create a unique and powerful learning experience for graduate students.

The CSA program at Penn State has three overarching objectives:

• Provide a theoretical background—grounded in a social justice perspective—related to college students, the higher education context, and the student affairs profession;
• Provide guided and supervised experiences that allow students to intentionally apply theoretical knowledge to professional situations;
• Provide academic training and experiences that prepare students for further education and for professional lives as scholar-practitioners.

To assist students with achieving these objectives, the CSA faculty has identified six Learning Outcomes which serve as the foundation for the curriculum. It is expected that students will work with their advisor to purposefully plan curricular and co-curricular experiences that will allow them to achieve the Learning Outcomes.

The Master's of Education (M.Ed.) degree can be completed in four semesters of full-time study although students may choose to enroll in additional summer session coursework to lighten their academic load and/or complete internship experiences.