College Counseling and Student Development
College Counseling and Student Development
CCSD prepares graduates for careers in student affairs and higher education by developing critical praxis–critical thinking that combines reflection and action–in student development, social justice, and helping skills.
Our core values include:
Student Development: CCSD features critical examination of student learning and development theories and their application in student affairs.
Social Justice: Our program examines inherited systems of power and how they shape student affairs, emphasizing self-reflexivity and agency to advance social justice and inclusion.
Helping Skills: Our program foregrounds helping skills, advising, and supporting strategies to facilitate holistic wellness for our graduates and their students.
Application Process
The College Counseling and Student Development Master of Science program admits a new cohort each fall semester. The priority application deadlines are January 15 and March 15. After the priority deadline, applications will be reviewed and accepted on a rolling basis until the cohort is filled.
- Apply online for graduate admission to St. Cloud State University with the following:
- $40 application fee
- Personal statement as to why you'd like to pursue this degree
- Current resume
- Contact information for two people (1 professional, 1 academic, if possible) to upload letters of recommendation
- Unofficial transcripts
- Additional requirements for international applicants
- After an initial review of applications by CCSD faculty, select candidates will be invited to participate in CCSD Interview Days (scheduled after each priority deadline in January and March; rolling dates thereafter)
- Priority offers for admission will be made in February and March
- Candidate priority admission and funding commitment deadline: April 15
Prospective students who miss the priority deadlines are encouraged to apply any time prior to August 1. Applications may be reviewed on a rolling basis until the cohort is filled.
Program Faculty
![Dr. Aeriel A. Ashlee](https://www.stcloudstate.edu/graduate/ccsd/_files/images/aeriel-ashlee.jpg)
Dr. Aeriel A. Ashlee
- Associate Professor
aeriel.ashlee@stcloudstate.edu
Prior to joining the CCSD faculty, Dr. Ashlee worked in student affairs and higher education for more than a decade in a variety of functional areas including service-learning, multicultural affairs, international education, and social justice education. Her research interests include critical autoethnography as healing and liberatory methodology, poststructural possibilities for student affairs praxis, and the racialized experiences of underrepresented Asian Americans in higher education (specifically transracial adoptees and Hmong Americans).
Dr. Ashlee earned a Ph.D. in Student Affairs and Higher Education from Miami University in Ohio; a M.S. in Counseling and College Student Personnel from the University of Maryland, College Park; and a B.A. in Strategic Communication from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. She is the proud mama to Azaelea Grace and lives with her family and their cat Samma in Minneapolis.
![Dr. Dan Macari](https://www.stcloudstate.edu/graduate/ccsd/_files/images/dan-macari.jpg)
Dr. Dan Macari
- Professor
- Graduate Director
Dr. Macari is a professor in the College Counseling and Student Development program in the Department of Community Psychology, Counseling, and Family Therapy. He holds a Ph.D. in Counselor Education and a Master's degree in Social Work from the University of Nevada as well as a BA in Psychology from the State University of New York at Buffalo. Dan has been teaching at SCSU since 2004 where he served as the Coordinator of the CCSD program for more than a dozen years and also served as the Faculty Director of the University Honors Program. Prior to working at SCSU, Dr. Macari worked in a variety of positions in college student affairs and mental health and addictions counseling in California and Nevada. While he primarily teaches classes in the College Counseling and Student Development program, he also teaches undergraduate courses in the community psychology major.
One of Dr. Macari’s greatest passions is study abroad and he has facilitated more than a dozen trips to various countries around the world including his favorite locations; South Africa, Australia, Laos, Thailand, and Malaysia. Dan lives in St Cloud with his partner Jennifer, his son Sam, and his cat Boo-Boo.
Frequently Asked Questions
When are applications due?
Does CCSD require GRE scores?
Who should my letters of recommendation be from?
The CCSD faculty require two letters of recommendation. Ideally one of your letters should be a professional reference and the other should be an academic reference. Letters that address both your in-class and out-of-class experiences are most helpful. Letters of recommendation should address your ability to succeed in the CCSD master’s program.
Recommenders will receive an emailed request to upload their letters to our systems.
What is the difference between the CCSD practicum and internship?
Both the CCSD practicum and internship provide students with invaluable experiential learning. However, the practicum experience is coordinated by the CCSD program faculty and occurs in the spring semester of the first year of coursework, whereas the internship experience is individualized by each student and occurs throughout the second year of coursework.
Through the practicum experience, CCSD students gain hands-on experience applying helping skills with undergraduate students at St. Cloud State University. CCSD students intern in a functional area and institution of their choosing. Past internships experiences have included sexual assault advocacy work, career advising at the University of Minnesota, working with LGBTQ+ students at Augsburg College, regional admission counseling, among many others!
Is the CCSD program open to international students?
Can you tell me more about assistantships?
Can I visit St. Cloud State University to learn more about the CCSD program?
We do not offer formal CCSD campus visits. However, if you would like to schedule a 30-minute Zoom call to learn more about our program curriculum and faculty, please contact us at ccsd@stcloudstate.edu.
You can also request a campus tour from the School of Graduate Studies team.