Supervised Practice Experiences and Professional Preparation of Graduates from Student Affairs Master's Programs

Supervised practice experiences exist in nearly every student affairs preparation program and serve as the ideal setting in which master's students in student affairs administration programs make the translation of the theoretical knowledge to the practical skills that are required in their work (Komives, 1998; Nelson, 2010). Yet few studies have revealed the extent to which supervised practice experiences are used to develop skills and competencies in the preparation of student affairs professionals. I surveyed 245 recent graduates from 14 master's programs in student affairs to better understand how their supervised practice experiences contributed to their overall perception of professional preparation. Participants indicated through self-reported data a strong overall sense of professional preparation. Additionally, stronger confidence in leadership, in application of theory, and in career preparation from supervised practice experiences were associated with increased confidence in preparation for professional practice. Measures of these 3 items alone accounted for 42% of the variance in the overall sense of preparation for professional practice.