Professionals in Student Affairs assist students in two and four-year colleges with their initial academic entry experiences (admissions and financial aid), in meeting their academic goals (advising and new student orientation), in gaining leadership experiences (residence life, athletics, student governance, community engagement), and in defining their future career path (career counseling). The Student Affairs in Higher Education Graduate Certificate is designed for professionals from any work background. If you want to advocate for students and support them through personal, academic, and professional growth, this certificate program will provide you with the knowledge, skills, and experiences for career success.
Check out the courses to take to complete this certificate!
| Program Coordinator | Admissions Advisor |
|---|
Ramin Farahmandpur
askcoe@pdx.edu
503-725-4619 | Stefanie Randol
askcoe@pdx.edu
503-725-4689* *You can text me! |
The Graduate Certificate in Student Affairs was designed by PSU faculty with years of professional experience working in college student services and in teaching theory-to-practice doctoral and master’s degree courses emphasizing educational access, equity, and social justice. The classes expose students to the values, evidence-based “best practices”, and breadth of career options in the student affairs professional fields. Class content, assignments, and interactions emphasize practical application of student development theories. As well, students have the option of completing an internship/practicum within a specific student affairs office or center in their own local region and/or students can pursue in-depth additional study on topics of professional interest such as first-generation students, students with disabilities, queer students, student-athletes, student leadership development, higher education finance, college transfer policies, etc.
Graduates are primarily employed in student affairs offices at colleges and universities such as Admissions, Orientation and Student Life, Residence Life, Financial Aid, Career Counseling, Disability Services, Veteran Services, or Multicultural Services. Some graduates work in K-12 schools or community organizations/agencies focused on supporting students and adult learners in postsecondary education and training opportunities. While a master’s degree may be required for entry level positions in student affairs (such as the PSU PACE master’s degree), the graduate certificate is an excellent educational avenue for learning new skills and investigating professional options. Then, if a master’s degree becomes your ultimate goal at PSU, it’s very likely that all the graduate certificate credits will count toward the PACE degree. In fact, you will have completed more than one-third of the master’s degree requirements!
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