Student Affairs Administration in Higher Education: Online - Master of Science in Education
A program for current professionals in higher education who want to advance their career. This innovative cohort-based program values course activities that involve sharing experiences from diverse perspectives of higher education settings across the country.
Admission
Admission to the Master of Science in Education (M.S.Ed.) Program in Student Affairs Administration in Higher Education (SAA) is competitive and meeting the minimum admission requirements does not guarantee admission to the program. A thorough description of the admission criteria, application process, and selection timeline can be found online.
Enrollment in SAA courses is restricted to graduate students in the SAA Program, unless given special permission by the department chair. Admission to graduate study does not constitute admission to the SAA M.S.Ed.
Curriculum
36 credits
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Core | ||
| SAA 700 | Professional and Ethical Foundations in Student Affairs 1 | 3 |
| SAA 702 | Student Development Theory | 3 |
| SAA 704 | Leadership and Organizational Theories | 3 |
| SAA 705 | Higher Education Values, Philosophy, and History | 3 |
| SAA 706 | Advising and Supporting | 3 |
| SAA 708 | Social Justice and Inclusion | 3 |
| SAA 730 | Law, Policy, and Governance in Student Affairs | 3 |
| SAA 760 | Administration of Human and Organizational Resources | 3 |
| Assessment and research | ||
| SAA 765 | Assessment and Evaluation in Student Affairs | 3 |
| SAA 780 | Capstone Research and Proposal | 3 |
| SAA 790 | Capstone Seminar in Student Affairs Administration | 3 |
| Topics/Field experience | ||
| SAA 720 | Special Topics in Student Affairs Administration (two different 7-week special topics courses are required) | 2 |
| SAA 775 | Student Affairs Practicum | 1 |
| Total Credits | 36 | |
- 1
Course requires students to work at least 50% time in student affairs/higher education setting. See also the field experience requirement.
Field experience
In addition to completing the course work, students in the SAA M.S.Ed. Program are also required to complete at least 670 hours of supervised practice field experience in academic affairs, student affairs, or a higher education-adjacent position. Six hundred hours will be in a single primary field experience (e.g., professional position, graduate assistantship, paid or unpaid internship), and 70 hours will be in the required practicum course, SAA 775, to gain experience in a distinctly different area of higher education. A practicum credit by portfolio review option exists for those with significant work experience in higher education.
University graduate degree requirements
After being admitted to the program of one's choice, candidates for a graduate degree must:
- Complete any preliminary course work and deficiencies.
- Complete all courses and other program requirements, including residence requirements prescribed for the degree desired in the respective school or college within a seven-year period from the date of initial enrollment, with the exception of students enrolled in the Student Affairs Administration and Leadership Ed.D. (SAA Ed.D.) graduate program. SAA Ed.D. students must complete all degree requirements within ten years from the time of initial enrollment in the graduate program.
- Earn a minimum of 30 credits for a master's degree; 54 credits for a doctorate or post-master's degree. Earn at least one-half of the minimum number of credits required in the program in graduate-only level courses (700, 800, 900, and non-slash 600 level courses). Some UWL graduate programs require more than 30 graduate credits. Please review the individual program requirements listed in the catalog for the exact number of credits required.
- Earn a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.00.
- Satisfy dissertation, thesis, seminar paper, terminal/graduate projects and internships, or comprehensive examination, where applicable. A dissertation or thesis approved by the committee must be submitted to Graduate & Extended Learning for editorial review and approval by the Dean of Graduate & Extended Learning. The recommended initial submission date for review is two weeks before commencement. Ordinarily, a seminar paper or project report does not have to be approved by the Dean of Graduate & Extended Learning. However, if the seminar paper or project report is to be archived in Murphy Library, the student must follow the same rules as they apply to the dissertation/thesis requiring approval from the Dean of Graduate & Extended Learning. For further research/dissertation/thesis guidelines, see Graduate & Extended Learning.
- File a completed "Intent to Graduate" form online via the WINGS Student Center immediately following registration for the final semester or summer term in residence. December graduates and winter intersession should file by May 1. May and summer graduates should file by December 1.
- Pay the graduation fee and remove all other indebtedness to the university. Payment of graduation fees does not imply readiness for graduation and does not take the place of applying for graduation.
- Complete all requirements within 30 days after the official ending date of a term in order for a degree to be awarded for that term. (See #5 above for separate deadline for written capstone experience.)
This degree plan is based on full-time enrollment (6 credits per term in summer, fall, and spring, for 18 credits per year). Students who enroll part-time or drop below full-time status may experience extended timelines for degree completion. NOTE: Not every course is offered every year. Students can expect many courses to be offered every other year. Typically, that includes:
- Summer term - 700 + 702 in even-numbered years, and 704 + 730 in odd-numbered years
- Fall term - 720s/775 in even-numbered years, 706 in odd-numbered years
- Spring term - 765 in even-numbered years, 760 in odd-numbered years
Students work with the M.S.Ed. Graduate Program Director to complete a plan of study that accounts for both the student's specific journey (e.g., what term they begin) and the specific annual course offerings. Whether a course is offered in even or odd year may shift, so students must connect with their advisor to map out their plan.
| Year 1 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer | Credits | Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| SAA 700 | 3 | SAA 705 | 3 | SAA 708 | 3 |
| SAA 702 | 3 | SAA 706 | 3 | SAA 765 or 760 | 3 |
| 6 | 6 | 6 | |||
| Year 2 | |||||
| Summer | Credits | Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| SAA 704 | 3 | SAA 7201 | 1 | SAA 760 or 765 | 3 |
| SAA 730 | 3 | SAA 7201 | 1 | SAA 790 | 3 |
| SAA 7752 | 1 | ||||
| SAA 780 | 3 | ||||
| 6 | 6 | 6 | |||
| Total Credits: 36 | |||||
- 1
Students will complete two SAA 720 courses, which will cover two different special topics.
- 2
Students with sufficient full-time experience can submit a Portfolio Review Assessment to receive credit for prior learning.