Extended Fall 2025 Application Deadline - April 1, 2025

The M.Ed. Counseling - Student Affairs program is located at our Flagstaff location

• The Office of Graduate and Professional Studies Application is due by January 1 for the following academic year.
• The M.Ed. Counseling - Student Affairs program is located at our Flagstaff location.
• Completed application files are reviewed and admission decisions are made twice* each year for the program.
• Depending on your planned submission date, all application materials must be received by one of the two due dates (January 1 or April 1*)
• It is the student's responsibility to ensure that his or her application file is complete. Incomplete files are not reviewed.

*The second admission date is dependent upon the number of applicants admitted from the first deadline.

Apply to the Program     NAU Graduate Online application is required for all programs. Details on admission requirements are included in the online application.  

• Undergraduate degree from a regionally accredited institution
• Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") or higher
• Undergraduate Transcripts
• 3 letters of recommendation; with at least two from faculty
• Responses to specific essay questions

While we take into consideration all of the above criteria, we also conduct a holistic review of your application which includes your essays, your potential contributions to the field, and your fit with the academic program. For details on graduate admission policies, please visit the Graduate Admissions Policy.   International applicants have additional admission requirements. Please see the International Graduate Admissions Policy. Our program meets Council for the Advancement of Standards (CAS) guidelines for student affairs preparation programs.   Full-time NAU employees are encouraged to apply and enroll part-time. Please visit the Employee Tuition Reduction Program (eTRP) website to learn more about tuition benefits. Students who are interested in enrolling full-time are encouraged to apply for graduate assistantship opportunities, which offer tuition remission, stipend, and other benefits.   Once admitted to the CSA program, you may use your assigned NAU email address to search for graduate assistantships across NAU's campus through the Handshake website. You can also learn more about graduate assistantships available through NAU's Division of Student Affairs. The CSA program faculty do not coordinate the graduate assistantship process. It is up to the student to search, apply, and secure a graduate assistantship.   Tentative Timeline  

• January 1 - Academic program application deadline
• Early February - Applicants notified electronically regarding their admission status with the Counseling - Student Affairs program
• March 19 to April 15 - Final academic offer letters sent out electronically to prospective students. You have until April 15 to accept

Mission Statement Our program prepares graduate students for careers in higher education by combining the foundational principles of counseling and student development with college impact research. We strive to educate graduate students to be globally aware and multiculturally competent, and who will lead in 21st Century higher education. Program Goals This program emphasizes a counseling foundation for preparing college student affairs personnel to foster student development, and to prepare student affairs professionals for employment within institutions of higher education. The goal of the training program is to prepare college student professionals in the following areas through classroom instruction, fieldwork experience, practica, and internships:

• • • • • human growth and development
        • social and cultural foundations
        • helping relationships
        • group work
        • career and lifestyle development
        • appraisal
        • research and program evaluation
        • professional orientation

Additionally, curricular experiences are provided in:

• • • • • foundations of student affairs practice and theory in higher education
        • contextual dimensions: student affairs practice in higher education
        • knowledge and skills for the practice of student affairs in higher education
        • internship
        • development of professional competencies as recommended by higher education associations (NASPA/ACPA Professional Competencies)

You’ll enter our program with a small group of other students who share your interest in student affairs and higher education. Your cohort is a useful and needed source of support, entertainment, and friendship during your studies.   Your cohort also gives you a strong social network as you begin your career in the student affairs profession.   Our students are very active with internships and other projects. We also encourage you to follow the NAU EPS Department and College of Education on social media to learn more about the CSA program and other happenings in the department and college. Instagram: @nau_edpsych | @naucollegeofeducation   Counseling-Student Affairs 2023 - 2025 Cohort   Counseling-Student Affairs 2024 - 2026 Cohort    

Student Affairs in Higher Education Association (SAHE) Student Affairs in Higher Education (SAHE) Association is a graduate student organization that serves to promote and provide professional development and social opportunities for students in the Counseling, Student Affairs program. The organization is led by an advisor and an executive board of six members who are students within the program. All students in the Counseling Student Affairs program are members of SAHE and are able to participate in all meetings and activities. Chi Sigma Alpha Student Affairs Honor Society Chi Sigma Alpha Student Affairs Honor Society International is comprised of graduate students, alumni, faculty, and student affairs professionals. In the fall of 2001 at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg, Virginia, Chi Sigma Alpha was founded to promote and recognize excellence in academics, research, and service to the profession of student affairs. Chi Sigma Alpha has now expanded to include over 200 individuals and more than 30 chapters to membership since its formation. The Phi Chapter of Chi Sigma Alpha was founded at Northern Arizona University in the Spring of 2016. The chapter held its first initiation ceremony on November 10, 2016. In the spring of 2020, Phi chapter inducted 6 new members, and celebrated the graduation of seven members. Along with supporting the organization’s three values, the current goal of the chapter is to focus on professional development and outreach for members and other students at Northern Arizona University.

• Credit transfer and GPA policies: Visit the Office of Graduate and Professional Studies website for more information about these policies.
• Counseling Student Affairs students will complete 180 hours of practicum internship and 300 hours of fieldwork as a component of our theory to practice initiative.

Prerequisites   Please review the online catalog for selected graduate courses where prerequisites are required. Please check with the department or a faculty adviser if you have any questions regarding prerequisites.   Program of Study   The program of study is the agreed-upon plan between you and your faculty adviser on completing program requirements. It is used as a verification document when you apply for graduation. You should complete the program of study with your adviser during the first semester of graduate work. The original, signed program of study should be given to the Department Chair to be placed in your file in the Educational Psychology Department and you and your adviser should both keep copies. Amendments to your program of study can be made with your adviser’s approval. The time line policy for completing a Masters degree can be viewed online through the Office of Graduate and Professional Studies.   Related Forms  

• EPS Course Offerings by Semester
• Recommended Sequence of Courses (starting Fall 2021)
• Program of Study

Students in this master's program should follow the professional code of ethics and certification guidelines established by the following organizations: National Association of Student Personnel Administrators; American College Personnel Association; National Board for Certified Counselors; American Counseling Association