An Assessment of Skills and Competencies Necessary for Entry-Level Student Affairs Work

Abstract

This study identifies selected skills and competencies attained by entry-level student affairs professionals through master’s-level graduate education and the degree to which these skills and competencies were perceived as necessary for entry-level student affairs work. Given a list of 28 skills drawn from preservice preparation and student affairs assessment literature, more than 1,200 new entrants to the student affairs field were asked to rate each skill in terms of (a) the degree to which the skill was attained in the respondent’s master’s degree program and (b) the degree to which it was used in their first professional position.