Curriculum

The conceptual and theoretical bases of the SDP MA curriculum include theories of student learning and development; theories of organization and administration; knowledge about higher education contexts; research on college students, student affairs, and higher education; counseling and helping skills; student affairs administration; and connections among research, theories, and practice.

The 48-semester hour MA program is designed for two years of full-time (9-12 semester hours each semester) study. Some students choose to pursue SDP coursework part-time; the extent to which all the MA requirements can be met this way varies, and depends on student circumstances and course schedules. A sample curriculum for the SDP MA is provided.

Required Courses (48 semester hours)

Student Development Requirements (minimum 24 semester hours)

• 7C:330 Introduction to Student Services (3 sh)
• 7C:331 College Students and their Environments (3 sh)
• 7C:332 College Student Psychosocial & Identity Development (3 sh)
• 7C:333 Practicum in Student Services (3-9 sh)
• 7C:334 College Student Learning & Cognitive Development (3 sh)
• 7C:335 Administration of Student Services (3 sh)
• 7C:363 Capstone Seminar in Student Services (6 sh)

CRSD Departmental Requirements (9 semester hours)

• 7C:278 Microcounseling (3 sh)
• 7C:203 Career Guidance & Job Placement (3 sh)
• 7C:250 Multiculturalism in the Helping Professions (3 sh)

Research Requirements (3 semester hours)

• 7B:206 Research Process and Design (3 sh)

Higher Education Requirements (3 semester hours)

• 7B:100 Issues & Policies in Higher Education (3 sh) or
• 7B:216 Higher Education Finance (3 sh) or
• 7B:218 Law & Higher Education (3 sh) or
• 7B:220 History & Philosophy of Post-Secondary Education (3 sh) or
• 7B:118 Law & Student Affairs

Thesis: Optional

Elective Courses

Elective courses may be taken according to student interests and career plans to complete the 48 sh MA requirement. Electives need adviser approval.

Description of MA Courses

The courses described below are offered for the master's degree. In addition, at least three credit hours of practicum (7C:333 Practicum in Student Services) and 600 clock hours of supervised internship (offered as part of 7C:363 Capstone in Student Services I and II) are required. This total might be reduced if the student has previous experience in the field. The total number of experiential credit hours (practicum) accumulated during the MA program may not exceed 9 sh.

7C:203 Career Guidance & Job Placement (3 sh)

This course prepares counselors and student affairs professionals to help people learn about, decide upon, and enter, work roles. Topics covered include career development concepts and theories, work environments, career guidance goals and objectives, exemplary methods and materials, and assessment procedures.

7B:206 Research Process & Design (3 sh)

This course introduces research in education by surveying topics such as research designs, critiquing and choosing appropriate measures, selecting qualitative and quantitative methods, and evaluating journal articles.

7C:250 Multiculturalism in the Helping Professions (3 sh)

This course serves three purposes: (1) to increase self-awareness regarding diversity; (2) to expose students to literature related to multiculturalism in helping professions; and (3) to demonstrate application of theory and content to specific professional situations and settings.

7C:278 Microcounseling (3 sh)

This course covers the foundation skills of listening, responding, empathy, and focus, as well as the advanced skills of meaning, confrontation, reframing directives, and action skills. Course format includes lecture, video instruction, and small group practice sessions.

7C:330 Introduction to Student Services (3 sh)

This course deals with the development of the student affairs profession and emphasizes major literature in the field, legal and ethical issues, institutional mission and cultures, and the role of various student service functions.

7C:331 College Students and their Environments (3 sh)

This course provides an introduction to college students and their environments, including characteristics of college students and issues they face; students' institutional, social, and cultural environments, and the impact of environments on student learning and development.

7C:332 College Student Psychosocial & Identity Development (3 sh)

This course examines theoretical models of psychosocial and identity development in college students, and considers the application of these theories to student affairs administration. Pre-requisite: 7C:331 or equivalent.

7C:333 Practicum in Student Services (3-9 sh)

This seminar is taken concurrently with the student's practicum experience in an approved student affairs agency. May be repeated if the student desires additional practicum experiences. Prerequisite: 7C:278; Limited to students in the SDP MA program.

7C:334 College Student Learning & Cognitive Development (3 sh)

Introduces learning and development in college students; foci include theoretical models of learning, cognitive development, moral development and applications of theories to student affairs administration. Pre-requisite: 7C:331 or equivalent.

7C:335 Administration of Student Services (3 sh)

This course provides an introduction to issues and material in the areas of organizational theory and structures, leadership styles, budgeting, and other administrative issues. Pre-requisite: 7C:330 or equivalent.

7C:363 Capstone Seminar in Student Services I and II (6 sh)

This course is a capstone seminar for advanced MA students in student development in postsecondary education. It provides synthesis, integration, and application of prior coursework on college students and their environments, student learning and development, student affairs administration, and helping skills; focuses on program development and implementation, assessment, program evaluation, advising student groups, and transition to professional student affairs roles; incorporates internship supervision. Prerequisite: 7C:333; Limited to students in the SDP MA program.

7B:100 Issues & Policies in Higher Education (3 sh)

This course provides a general survey of American postsecondary education, with emphasis on administration, evaluation, history, philosophy, curriculum and instruction.

7B:220 History & Philosophy of Post-Secondary Education (3 sh)

This course examines major themes and developments in American higher education; ideologies, people, and movements that have influenced those developments.

Experiential Components of the MA Curriculum

The SDP masters program requires experiential coursework in the form of practica and internships. These requirements are, in part, mandated by accreditation. The SDP MA program meets the accreditation standards for graduate programs in student affairs practice of the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). These standards are carried out in a number of ways: the development and implementation of the curriculum, the relationship students have with faculty, the staffing of the graduate program, and through what CACREP calls "clinical instruction," or, in our case, an experiential curriculum.

Practica and internships also are required because of the GPSA faculty's strong commitment to provide both in-class and out-of-class professional development experiences for our students. We believe that supervised experiential learning, including practica and internships, are necessary to add breadth and depth to your development as a student affairs professional. Practical experiences obtained as a part of an MA program in student development should include developmental work with individual students; program planning, implementation, and evaluation; administration and supervision; exposure to diverse clientele; use of assessment and evaluation tools; familiarity with electronic technologies for communication and teaching; and the application of ethical guidelines.

Therefore, in addition to coursework, SDP MA students are required to complete at least one 7.5-hour/week practicum experience in a student services office. This practicum usually is taken in the second semester of the first year of masters study. An MA-level site supervisor and the Program faculty supervise the practicum, and the initial (3-credit) practicum experience includes a weekly seminar (07C:333).

Additional practica may include work in student affairs settings or as instructor to the College Transition seminar for incoming first-year students. All practica placements are subject to faculty approval.

After successfully completing the practicum, students are eligible to begin a required internship in an approved student services site. Interns must complete 600 clock hours under the supervision of an MA-level supervisor. The purpose of the internship is to facilitate the development of a professional identity in the field and to integrate theory and standards into practice. The site and faculty supervisors collaborate to supervise students, and regular evaluations are required to ensure the student's development. Throughout the internship experience, students are expected to meet weekly with their classmates and faculty supervisor in the Capstone Seminar (7C:363 I and II). Most students complete the internship requirement through their on-campus, half-time graduate assistantships over a period of two semesters in the second year of the SDP program.

In addition to practicum and internship opportunities at The University of Iowa, several colleges within a 20-mile drive of Iowa City, including Cornell College, Mount Mercy College, Coe College, and Kirkwood Community College, have served as field sites for SDP students. Grinnell College, Saint Ambrose University, and Iowa Wesleyan College are within a 90-minute drive, and also have offered practicum opportunities.