College Student Personnel
Get an in-depth look at ECPY's Counseling and Personnel Services specialization, College Student Personnel (MED)
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Application Deadline (Spring): October 1
Beginning Summer 2025, the College Student Personnel program will be part of the newly formed Master's in Higher Education & Student Affairs
The Master of Education in Counseling and Personnel Services with a concentration in College Student Personnel is designed to prepare prospective professionals for positions in student affairs administration in institutions of higher education.
Theory and practice are critically important components of the program, all of which share a common focus--preparation of professionals knowledgeable about adult student development and administration in college student personnel settings.
Students are required to pursue a logical sequence of study that permits a well-balanced preparation in theory, research, and field experiences in students affairs practice, including knowledge of current roles and functions of college student personnel professionals as well as historical perspective of the field's development.
View the general admission requirements, degree requirements, and other curriculum information for Counseling and Personnel Services M.Ed and concentration requirements for this program.
College Student Personnel Specialization In Depth
Graduates have secured employment in administrative positions in various student affairs areas including: vice presidents for student life and deans of students; directors of residence life, residence hall complexes, and college/university unions; coordinators of student activities, orientation, leadership development, judicial affairs, and Greek Life; counselors in the areas of admissions, financial aid and career services; and advising positions with international students, students with disabilities, and academic services for athletes. After continuing their education to complete a doctorate, some students have also obtained faculty positions.
Click on a course name (ex. "ECPY 676" or "ECPY 640") in the degree requirements or concentration requirements for further information about courses.
Information includes class description, prerequisites (if any), terms offered, among other information.
Joshua Wallace, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Associate Professor
joshua.wallace@louisville.edu
Areas of Research and/or Professional Interest: Dr. Wallace's interdisciplinary research uses qualitative methodologies and critical theoretical frameworks to (1) critically explore Black masculinities and Black feminisms in higher education and (2) examine how Black men in engineering develop their identities (e.g., race, gender, academic discipline). Guided by this line of inquiry, his research illuminates the impact of an academic discipline’s culture on masculine thinking and being, as well as moves scholarship and practice on Black masculinities toward an emphasis on divesting from patriarchy.
Adjunct Faculty
Geoff Bailey, Ph.D., University of North Carolina at Greensboro
Executive Director, REACH
gkbail01 @ exchange.louisville.edu
Interests: Learning centers, persistence and retention, assessment, self-efficacy
Dwayne Compton, Ed.D., University of Louisville
Associate Dean for Community Engagement and Diversity
dwayne.compton @ louisville.edu
Interests: Emotional Intelligence, Academic Success for Black Males, Diversification of the P-12 Teacher Workforce, and Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives.
Tamekka Cornelius, Ph.D., Bellarmine University
Director of Graduate Recruitment and Diversity Retention
tamekka.cornelius@louisville.edu
Glenn Gittings, Ph.D., University of Louisville
Chief of Staff, School of Medicine
glenn.gittings@louisville.edu
Interests: Doctoral student socialization and persistence, higher education history, student affairs fundraising, and parent & family relations to college students
Alyssa Murphy, University of Louisville
Director of Student-Athlete Leadership & Development
Alyssa.Murphy@louisville.edu
Katie Partin, Ph.D., University of Louisville
Assistant Director, Office of Institutional Effectiveness
katie.partin@louisville.edu
Interests: assessment, accreditation and accountability, first-year and transfer student success, socialization to the student affairs profession, student affairs administration
Angela B. Taylor, Ph.D., University of Louisville
Assistant Dean of Students
Director of Student Rights and Responsibilities
Angela.taylor @ louisville.edu
Interests: Second year students, first generation college students, women’s issues, new professionals in student affairs
FAQs: College Student Personnel (MED) Specialization
The field of student affairs administration does not have a formal licensure or certification process. The master's degree is the entry-level credential for employment in this field. The University of Louisville's CSP program meets or exceeds the standards set by the Council on the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education for professional preparation programs.
Students enroll in the CSP program both full- and part-time. Students enrolled full-time (9-12 credit hours per semester) can complete the program in 4-5 semesters (approximately 2 years). For part-time students, completion of the program depends upon the number of credit hours taken per semester. Most part-time students complete the program in approximately 3 years. Because certain courses need to be taken in sequence, a student should meet with her/his faculty advisor early in the program to develop a course of study in order to graduate by a designated semester. Students may choose to complete some courses during the summer term.
The master's program in CSP prepares a student for administrative positions in student affairs according to standards embraced by the student affairs profession as set forth by the Council for the Advancement of Standards (CAS Standards). The program focuses on the skills, competencies, knowledge, and experience needed to work effectively with college students, to be an effective educator in the out-of-class curriculum of the college or university, and to competently administer student affairs programs and services. The length and content of the program are determined by the CAS standards; the design of the program and the curriculum is intended to meet appropriate educational objectives and to prepare our graduates to be competitive with graduates from other CAS compliant graduate programs.
The master's program in Higher Education offered through the ELFH department is “intended for those already employed or seeking to be employed in staff or administrative positions in colleges and universities.” There is also an Instruction concentration which is “intended for those employed or preparing for employment in higher education faculty positions, wishing to develop skills in teaching and research on teaching.” The Higher Education program does not focus on the area of student affairs administration and does not follow the CAS standards for master's level preparation in student affairs.
Although the master's degree is a criterion for most entry-level jobs in the field of student affairs, there are some institutions that will employ bachelor's level practitioners, especially if they are pursuing a graduate degree in CPS with the College Student Personnel (CSP) concentration. A number of students in the CSP program are enrolled part-time and are working full-time at a college or university in student affairs or related area. Some are in staff positions seeking to move to professional positions, while others have obtained an entry-level professional position and are seeking to obtain the appropriate education in order to be maximally effective in their positions or to be able to advance in the field.
Students in the CSP concentration also work in the field of student affairs through graduate assistantship positions or internship positions as part of their academic coursework.