Student affairs professionals in four-year universities are increasingly reporting feeling overwhelmed, stressed, job dissatisfaction, and potential burnout, resulting in decisions to leave their positions. High rates of turnover in these institutions may hinder the effective management of student affairs departments. The majority of studies on job-related stress and burnout of university student affairs professionals use quantitative methodologies. The study used interpretative phenomenological analysis, a qualitative research design, to explore the lived experiences of four-year university student affairs professionals and their perceptions of job-related stress, potential burnout, and effective individual and organizational coping strategies. Participants were selected from a large public four-year university located in the Southwest region of the United Studies. The qualitative approach of the study was used to fill the gap in empirical research on this growing higher education organizational problem and provide potential guidance for student affairs leaders and practitioners in similarly situated four-year universities. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]