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The Master of Education (Ed.M.) in College Student Affairs (CSA) at Rutgers New Brunswick/Piscataway is a 42-credit hour course of study designed to prepare students for professional positions in the field of student affairs. The CSA program is based on the academic requirements established by the Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (CAS) which have been endorsed by NASPA: Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education and ACPA: College Student Educators International. Learning opportunities for students include combinations of classroom instruction, project-based learning, field experiences, internships, and individualized learning.
The CSA program has an applied focus—the integrated learning experience helps students develop the knowledge, skills and work experience to prepare them to be student affairs professionals. Student Affairs professionals work directly with students in a wide range of specialty areas that include, but are not limited to: housing and residence life, campus unions, student activities, volunteer student services, educational programming, counseling and advising, career development and placement, new student orientation, admissions and enrollment management, services for students from underrepresented groups, retention programs, assessment offices, parent programs, student judicial programs, service learning, academic advising, disability services, Greek affairs, campus recreation programs, veterans services, cultural centers, and health and wellness services.
Enrolled Ed.M. students pursue a rigorous program of academic study combined with practicum and internship experiences that enable them to focus on their particular areas of interest or gain experience across a variety of student affairs offices. The CSA student organization Future Leaders in Student Affairs (FLSA) plans and provides a variety of professional development, community-building, and social events.
The integrated curriculum of the College Student Affairs Ed.M. program at Rutgers is designed to provide students with in-depth understandings of:
- Interpersonal communication, program planning, community building, leadership, and student learning;
- The evolution of the student affairs profession and its contemporary organizational and administrative contexts;
- Theories and models of college students’ development such as psychosocial, cognitive, and learning theories. Students will utilize theoretical and empirical knowledge to inform their professional practice in student affairs across a variety of organizational and institutional contexts.
- Individual and group interventions to assist organizations and individuals in achieving their goals. In addition, students will develop the abilities and skills to engage and serve a diverse student population effectively.
- Assessment models and approaches, along with an overview of research methods, that enable students to be more sophisticated consumers of educational research and to assist with the design and implementation of assessment.