Certification for Student Affairs Educators

Certification is a voluntary process through which an organization grants recognition to an individual after verifying they have met certain, minimum requirements. To become certified, an individual must meet eligibility requirements and pass an assessment. Eligibility requirements generally include a minimum amount or level of training/education and years of work experience. Certification usually has ongoing requirements (such as continuing professional development) and a recertification process that need to be met over a designated period for the individual to maintain certification.

Certification is different from a certificate. A certificate program is also voluntary, and is a recognition of an individual’s learning of a designated content area, at a particular moment in time, by an organization. The individual must meet minimum criteria, including participation in a training or education program, and demonstrate comprehension of the program’s learning outcomes via passing an assessment. There are usually no ongoing requirements to maintain a certificate.

A quick way to understand the difference between certification and certificate is that certification focuses on verifying experiences and education obtained elsewhere, and assessing current knowledge and skills; a certificate focuses on educating individuals on intended learning outcomes and then assessing their attainment.

Source: Certification Simplified: A primer for staff and volunteer leaders.

A voluntary credential, student affairs educator certification holds tremendous potential to the overall student affairs profession; as well as to individuals who have already earned a master’s degree, spent several years working in higher education, and who seek a formal means of demonstrating their ongoing learning, competencies, and knowledge.

While various professional associations offer strong certificate programs, there is not currently a credential available to student affairs educators--who have already earned a master’s degree--to officially demonstrate the ongoing competencies, knowledge, and skills that are earned through ongoing professional experience and development. Certification can benefit student affairs educators seeking a robust credential to assist with professional advancement, as well as educators seeking to transition to new functional areas (as well as leadership roles encompassing multiple functional areas).

Certification is a credential that is available to student affairs educators who hold a master’s degree in a higher education-related field, or equivalent, and have at least five years of employment experience at a college or university. A pathway to certification is available for student affairs educators (or those seeking to enter the field) who do not currently hold a master’s degree, and who have significant experience working at a college or university.

The certification development process regards a master’s degree as an established, foundational, and core credential for student affairs educators. Certification will be available as a voluntary “next step” for mid-level professionals, and above, who hold a master’s degree and/or have equivalent work experience, and are seeking a formal credential to demonstrate their ongoing knowledge and skills. Certification will complement a master’s degree without being an alternative to it.

Yes. Certification is entirely voluntary.

Certification includes both general and specialty (functional) areas. General certification includes the competencies, tasks, knowledge, skills, and abilities of student affairs educators (mid-level and above) regardless of functional area. In addition to general student affairs education, individuals are able to seek specialty certification in the areas of campus activities, college unions, collegiate recreation, fraternity and sorority life, housing and residential life, and student conduct.

A task force of student affairs educators, graduate faculty, and professional association representatives and staff were appointed by participating associations (ACPA, ACUHO-I, ACUI, AFA, ASCA, NACA, NASPA, NIRSA, and NODA). The task force developed general student affairs educator certification content in the form of a practice profile-a draft of the tasks, competencies, knowledge, skills, and abilities of student affairs educators. 

Functional area groups were then convened for the areas of campus activities, college unions, collegiate recreation, fraternity and sorority life, housing and residential life, and student conduct. Group members were appointed by the respective functional area association. Each group identified and built additional content for their respective functional area upon the foundational practice profile for general student affairs educator certification.

A practice analysis is a survey to test the practice profile developed by the certification task force and functional area groups. One was conducted in 2021 to identify the essential tasks and competencies of student affairs educators--generally as well as within the six functional areas.

It is an expected practice of certification programs to include an ethics statement. A Code of Ethics Development Committee (CEDC) was convened as part of the certification development process. Members included student affairs educators, graduate faculty, and professional association representatives. Certified individuals will agree to adhere to the code of ethics as a requirement for maintaining their certification. You can review the full Code of Ethics on the Higher Education Consortium for Student Affairs Certification website.

A new organization was established to manage general and specialty area certifications, the Higher Education Consortium for Student Affairs Certification. This organization has formal relationships with the founding student affairs associations and will develop certification content, while also functioning as its own independent, 501(c)6 organization. This organization will provide tools and resources for potential certificants. However, it will not provide professional development.

The certification organization has its own governance structure, leadership, staff, and processes.

Student Affairs Educator Certification includes seven credentials–the core student affairs educator certification and six specialty area certifications. The core certification serves as an important, independent credential as well as a required prerequisite for each specialty certification area. All credentials were developed by subject matter expert practitioners and graduate faculty appointed by the Certification Consortium partner associations to benefit individual educators, institutions, professional associations, and the field. 

The CSAEd™ designation signifies continuous learning, knowledge, and competency in the certification domain areas of foundations of the profession; student learning, development, and success; assessment and evaluation; social justice and inclusion; leadership; human resources management; crisis and risk management; and financial and facility management. 

To find out more details about certification, including eligibility and fees, visit the Consortium website. 

The NACA Foundation also provides financial assistance for certification fees via the Professional Development Grants. Grants may be used for the Student Affairs Core or Campus Activities Speciality certifications.