College Student Personnel Administration at SIUE
The college student personnel administration (CSPA) program in SIUE's School of Education, Health and Human Behavior prepares its graduates for entry and mid-level professional positions in higher education administration in student affairs. At program completion, CSPA students are expected to have the knowledge, skills and perspectives to serve college students and to foster the learning and development of college students in a wide variety of student affairs areas. These areas include, but are not limited to, student life, residence life, career development, advising, financial aid, and athletic programs.
Successful completion leads to a Master of Science in Education (MSEd) in college student personnel administration. The program in the Department of Educational Leadership follows the standards set by the Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education, which ensures academic rigor and quality of learning.
The CSPA program curriculum consists of the following core components: student development; social justice and inclusion; advising and support; and assessment, evaluation and research with an emphasis on critical social justice.
Diversity and critical social justice concepts are addressed across the curriculum specifically within the College Student Development and Diversity in Higher Education courses. The CSPA program is dedicated to addressing the intersectionality of identity, gender expression, gender preference, socioeconomic class, privilege and culture.
Students also develop an individualized capstone project to connect theory to practice under the supervision of faculty members. Students will also complete a comprehensive portfolio, driven by their professional growth and development throughout the program.
Degrees Available at SIUE
- Master of Science in Education in College Student Personnel Administration
Program Format
Evening classes are offered for both full-time and part-time students. A mix of hybrid and online courses are offered. However, many classes are on-campus classes.
Program Learning Outcomes
The CSPA program features a distinctive graduate experience, which requires core coursework, a professional portfolio and a final capstone project. The CSPA curriculum is distributed across the four competencies adapted from ACPA/NASPA Professional Competencies.
Student Affairs and Teaching Practice
- Students explore student populations and theories in EPFR 514.
Social Justice and Inclusion
- Social justice is defined by ACPA/NASPA as the equitable distribution of resources so that all individuals are safe and secure, both physically and psychologically.
- Inclusion is defined by ACPA/NASPA as a process that challenges the normativity of dominant groups by recognizing all groups and populations as diverse relative to one another.
- The CSPA program adheres to these professional definitions in the practice of student affairs and higher education administration.
- Students explore these themes in EDAD 504 and EPFR 522.
Student Development
- The CSPA program addresses concepts and principles of student development and learning theory.
- CSPA faculty members teach students to apply theory to improve and inform.
Students develop an individualized final capstone project focused on contemporary or historical issues in higher education. The final capstone project is a one-year research sequence supervised by a full-time faculty member.
What can I do with a degree in college student personnel administration?
Jobs included in this category are entry-level professionals and other positions in multiple areas in colleges and universities, such as financial aid, housing, career services, intercollegiate athletics, advising, fraternity and sorority life, international programs, and others. Recent graduates have found employment as academic advisors, residence hall directors, first-year experience coordinators and in student activities at both private and public postsecondary institutions.
Why Choose SIUE
- Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion: The CSPA program fosters a strong commitment to increasing awareness of the diversity of student populations and to social justice. The SIUE campus has been recognized regularly for its commitment to diversity. The University received the 2020 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, the oldest and largest diversity-focused publication in higher education. SIUE joins a select group of 33 institutions that have earned the distinction for at least seven consecutive years. SIUE’s LBGT-Friendly Campus Climate index score is 4.5 out of 5 stars. SIUE's Gender Identity/Expression score is 4 out of 5 stars.
- Location and Affordability: SIUE is located 25 minutes from downtown St. Louis, allowing graduate students to benefit from the boundless opportunities St. Louis offers. In-state tuition is available for all U.S. graduate students.
