Online Degree Program
Please Note
This program received UW System approval in May and was granted NCA accreditation on October 23, 2007, from the Higher Learning Commission.
How the Program Works
The program will consist of 12 courses at 3 credits each plus an internship experience for 3 credits.. Thus, students will earn 39 credits for graduation. Students can graduate in two years by participating in an intense program that includes two 7-week courses per semester during the first year of the program (including both summers). Students who need more flexibility or a slightly slower pace can opt for a three-year plan. In addition, students who have worked in a full-time student affairs position for a minimum of one-year (or equivalent) may submit a request to have the internship waived.
All students will be required to complete an “Applied Project” (AP) that has some practical application in their higher education setting. This will be the focus of the second year in the program (the third year for those in the 3-year plan). In conjunction with the AP, students will be enrolled in the Applied Research course that will be held throughout the 14 weeks of the fall semester. During that final spring, students will be completing their APs while enrolled in the Capstone course. The Capstone course includes meeting as a class at the NASPA Conference -- in Seattle in 2009!
All classes are taught asynchronously (ie… where the teacher and learner are not physically at the same place at the same time). Students work with materials either on their own or in discussion groups. They interact directly with each other and with their faculty typically through email, threaded discussions and discussion boards. All readings, work sessions, assignments and other tasks are pre-set and monitored on a continuous basis. Written assignments are submitted online and exams are taken online. Instructors provide feedback and grading information online as well.