Student Affairs Administration
Calendars
Course offerings for upcoming terms may be found via the Class Timetable.
Dates for future terms can be found on the Academic Calendar.
Program requirements are outlined in the Graduate Catalog.
In addition to the courses listed below, our program requires students to gain significant field experience during the academic year (Sept-May). Some students meet the field experience requirement through graduate assistantships/internships, while others are already working in the field of higher education at least half-time prior to applying for program and will maintain that position while enrolled.
Part-time enrollment (taking just one class per term) is allowed, but students must be enrolled in at least 5 credits to be eligible for loans.
Below are the typical course sequences for each cohort. Not every course is offered in every format in every term, so students should work with the Graduate Program Director (see Our People) to discuss alternate degree completion pathways. Once admitted to a specific cohort type (campus-based blended or online), choosing alternate course delivery modes may occur, but only if space is available.
Online cohorts (asynch and blended)
Courses are all offered online asynchronous (listed as OA in the course schedule). This means students can expect regular weekly assignments, but no live meeting requirements. Some instructors may provide synchronous options (e.g., small groups, 1:1 consults), but none are required.
In the fall and spring terms, some of the courses listed below may also be offered in online synchronous (OS) or hybrid (HY) formats. OS refers to courses with 10 hours live virtual instruction and 30 hours asynchronous work; HY refers to courses with 30 hours of live in-person or virtual instruction and 10 hours asynchronous work. We'd recommend anyone in a graduate assistant-like role take the those versions of courses, when those delivery modes are available.
Summer 1st year: 6 credits
- SAA 700 Professional & Ethical Practice in Student Affairs
- SAA 702 Student Development Theory
Fall 1st year: 6 credits
- SAA 705 Higher Education Values, Philosophy, and History
- SAA 706 Advising & Supporting
Spring 1st year: 6 credits
- SAA 708 Social Justice & Inclusion
- SAA 765 Assessment & Evaluation in Student Affairs
Summer 2nd year: 6 credits
- SAA 704 Leadership & Organizational Theories
- SAA 730 Law, Policy, & Governance
Fall 2nd year: 6 credits
- SAA 720* Special Topics Seminar, 2 credits
- SAA 775* Practicum, 1 credit
- SAA 780 Capstone Research & Proposal, 3 credits
Spring 2nd year: 6 credits
- SAA 760 Administration of Human & Organizational Resources
- SAA 790 Capstone Seminar
*Three one-credit electives are required: two must be 720 Special Topics courses, another must be a 775 Practicum. (This is a change since Spring 2022. Those who started prior to 2022 had an option to complete two practica).
Campus-based blended cohort (current students only)
Courses are all either:
- HY (hybrid - meet in-person 75% of the time, and those not near UWL may join virtually),
- OS (online synchronous - meet synchronously [live virtually] 25% of the class, asynchronous the rest), or
- OA (online asynchronous - regular weekly assignments, but no live meeting requirements)
Fall 1st year: 9 credits, two classes are hybrid (HY), one class is online synch (OS)
- SAA 700 Professional and Ethical Foundations in Student Affairs (HY)
- SAA 702 Student Development Theory OR SAA 706 Advising and Supporting (alternates each fall) (HY)
- SAA 705 Higher Education Values, Philosophy, and History (OS)
Spring 1st year: 9 credits, two classes are hybrid (HY), one class is online synch (OS)
- SAA 704 Leadership and Organizational Theories OR SAA 730 Law, Policy, & Governance
- SAA 708 Social Justice and Inclusion
- SAA 765 Assessment and Evaluation in Student Affairs
Fall 2nd year: 9 credits, one class is hybrid (HY), one class is online synch (OS), the electives are online asynch (OA)
- SAA 706 Advising & Supporting OR SAA 702 Student Development Theory (classes alternate each fall) (HY)
- SAA 720 Special Topics* - typically two 1-credit courses, taught in 7-week format (OA)
- SAA 775 Practicum* - typically 1 credit
- SAA 780 Capstone Research & Proposal (OS)
Spring 2nd year: 9 credits, one class is hybrid (HY), two classes are online synch (OS)
- SAA 730 Law, Policy, & Governance OR SAA 704 Leadership and Organizational Theories
- SAA 760 Administration of Human & Organizational Resources
- SAA 790 Capstone Seminar
*Three credits of electives are required: two must be 720 Special Topics courses, one must be a 775 Practicum.
Students in the U.S. on an international student visa will need to enroll in 12 credits the fall/spring of their second year to ensure they have enough campus-based credits to remain in compliance with immigration standards. They will add another 3-credit 775 in-person course to their schedule to award credit for their primary assistantship, on top of the practicum.
The campus-based blended program is open to those working outside the La Crosse area, as they can join HY courses via Zoom. The HY and OS courses are only offered when enrollment is high enough to run these courses in addition to our online asynchronous program.
In future years, if interest wanes or too few graduate assistant positions are available, we would direct students to the online asynchronous or online blended options (and would notify applicants of this well before the April 15 deadline, when students need to accept or decline offers from programs).
Blended Availability
Please note that, based on interest, the blended program will not be available for the Fall 2024 cohort. Students will still be able to hold UWL graduate assistantships while completing courses in online asynchronous and/or online synchronous formats. Our programs will still have a thriving sense of community with opportunities for synchronous virtual and, in some cases, face-to-face interactions.