OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY
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Fueled by our legacy of activism and interdisciplinarity, CSSA cultivates transformative educational practices and professional leadership for better, more equitable futures.
Our core curriculum is rooted in innovative approaches to student development, student success, student leadership, and community engagement. And CSSA’s academic and cocurricular programming provides students with the knowledge, skills and awareness to integrate and apply social justice practices in varied student affairs settings. Our program fosters discourse, critical thinking and collegiality, enhanced by expert faculty mentoring, expansive opportunities for valuable work-based experiences and leadership development to ensure every student gains relevant exposure to the complexities of a large, public research university.
Specifically, our program is strengthened by:
A major in College Student Services Administration is generally completed in two academic years and requires a minimum of 54 graduate credits and a capstone (for EDM) or thesis (for MS) project. Additionally, every student expands their expertise by selecting one area of specialization, which includes coursework within and electives beyond CSSA:
This first degree option, the Master of Education (Ed.M.), is earned through successful completion of all required program coursework and successful completion and defense of a capstone. The capstone can either be a sustained project or a cumulative and comprehensive portfolio. The capstone—portfolio or project route--requires substantial engagement academic research and theories. The capstones are distributed to and evaluated in writing by a committee just prior to the last term of coursework. A public, formal committee meeting with oral presentation and defense serves as the second method of evaluation.
The second degree option, the Master of Science (M.S.), is earned through the successful completion of all required program coursework and successful completion and defense of a thesis. The master’s thesis represents focused and original research systematically designed, conducted, and shared by the student. “Original research” includes scholarly inquiry within a new area, a new topic within that area, use of a new approach or method for studying the area or topic, or an updated or more recent investigation of the area or topic. The thesis is distributed to and evaluated in writing by a committee just prior to the last term of coursework. A public, formal committee meeting with oral presentation and defense serves as the second method of evaluation.