HESAA Outside the Classroom

Graduate Assistantships

Full-time students who apply to the program by February 1 are eligible to interview for graduate assistantships. Graduate assistantships are offered by student affairs and other offices at Canisius University and by other universities and colleges in the region. Graduate assistantships provide financial assistance as well as valuable experience.

Interviews are conducted by the hiring administrators in March at Assistantship Day. Positions are competitive. Students do not need to secure an assistantship to attend the program. 


Internships

Each student is required to complete two internships. One internship is done in the summer following the first year of coursework and one is done during the second year of the program. Internships provide practical experience in specific job responsibilities and allow students to apply their classroom knowledge.

Students have done summer internships across the country and around the world in both public and private institutions. Students do their second internship during the academic year at Canisius and other colleges and universities in Western New York. 


Student Affairs Conference

This is the only program in the country to include attendance at both a regional and a national student affairs conference (either ACPA or NASPA) as part of its curriculum. The cost of attendance (registration, hotel, and travel) is included in program tuition. Students only pay for food and incidentals.

During the 2021-2022 academic year, students attended NASPA in Baltimore, MD during the spring semester.