The College Student Affairs Administration (CSAA) program is designed for those students interested in a professional career in the various college and university student affairs and student services areas. Program participants will prepare for careers involving organizational management, student development, leadership training, and administration. Guided by the Professional Standards for Masters Level Student Affairs Professional Preparation Programs Council set forth by the Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (CAS), and the Professional Competencies as jointly articulated by the College Student Educators International (ACPA)/National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA), the curriculum includes selected foundational studies; student development theory; student characteristics and effects of college on students; individual, group, and organizational interventions; organization and administration; and assessment and evaluation. The program also includes substantial supervised internship opportunities.  

The master's degree in College Student Affairs Administration is a 36-hour program designed to be completed in two years. At least six hours of internship experience is included in the curriculum. Internships are available in a wide variety of student affairs and student service areas. Students are encouraged to seek at least one internship experience away from the UWF campus. 

A quality academic program is enhanced by the opportunity for pre-professional work experience. A number of students in the program will have the opportunity for significant and meaningful work responsibilities that will translate directly into powerful résumés. Various student service areas of The University of West Florida offer compensated assistantships, such as the Dean of Students Office, residence life facilities and programs, student union operations and management, student activities and campus programming, Greek affairs, recreation facilities and programs, service, citizenship, and career development.

Admission Requirements

In addition to the University graduate admission requirements described in the Admissions section of the catalog, the department bases decisions for regular admission on a holistic review of credentials in which the following criteria are used to assess the potential success of each applicant:

• Undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher.
• Submission of letter of intent describing reasons for applying to the program and associated career goals.
• Submission of three recommendations utilizing the CSAA Recommendation Form from professional/academic references familiar with the applicant's ability to succeed in a graduate program.
• Submission of résumé.
• Fit with program.

Students are generally admitted only for the fall semester. 

Degree Requirements

To be eligible for an M.Ed. degree in College Student Affairs Administration (CSAA), a student must do the following:

• Be admitted to the program.
• Submit an approved degree plan which includes at least 36 semester hours.
• Successfully complete all required coursework with a grade of "C" or higher, with an institutional GPA of at least 3.0.
• Complete degree requirements compliant with the time-to-degree policy.
• Be recommended for graduation by the School of Education.
• Successfully complete a comprehensive ePortfolio. Information about the scheduling of the portfolio defense may be obtained from the faculty advisor/program coordinator.

CSAA Course Requirements

Higher Education Administration Certificate (9 sh)