Program Overview

Human Development and Family Studies Graduate Major (MS, PhD)

The School of Social and Behavioral Health Sciences offers course work and programs of study in the area of human development and family studies. The Gerontology Program is also administered by the College of Public Health and Human Sciences through the school.

Overview

Human Development and Family Studies offers graduate work leading to master of science and doctor of philosophy degrees. Graduate programs take a multidisciplinary approach, preparing students for college and university teaching and research, as well as development, administration, and evaluation of programs serving individuals and families across the lifespan.

Research Areas

Our research is interdisciplinary with signature themes in:

• transitions across the life course,
• risk and resilience across the life span, and
• developmental and family research methods. Our faculty recognizes the critical importance of culture and gender, diversity, and contemporary global perspectives in the discovery of knowledge. We have research emphases in:
  • child development,
  • adolescence,
  • adult development and aging,
  • families,
  • rural communities, and
  • cross-national comparison.

Graduate Areas of Concentration

The Human Development and Family Studies Graduate Program focuses on research. The HDFS faculty includes nationally recognized scholars who are widely published in areas such as:

• families and aging,
• family communication and conflict,
• child, adolescent, and adult development,
• intergenerational family relationships,
• family structure, and
• gender. We emphasize both quantitative and qualitative methodology.

MS Program

The MS program requires students to:

• conduct research or produce some other form of creative work,
• demonstrate mastery of subject material,
• conduct scholarly or professional activities in an ethical manner,
• synthesize the central issues and current research trends in the field, including the acknowledgement of systemic inequalities,
• understand and apply research methods appropriately to explore the current issues in the field,
• synthesize the major theories and beliefs that guide current thinking in the field through oral and written communication,
• design, carry out, and present an original work of research that contributes to their discipline with an appreciation of the values of equity, inclusion, diversity, and justice.

PhD Program

The PhD program requires students to:

• produce and defend an original significant contribution to knowledge,
• demonstrate mastery of subject material,
• conduct scholarly activities in an ethical manner,
• synthesize the central issues and current research trends in the field, including the acknowledgement of systemic inequalities,
• understand and apply research methods appropriately to explore the current issues in the field,
• synthesize the major theories and beliefs that guide current thinking in the field through oral and written communication,
• design, carry out, and present an original work of research that contributes to their discipline with an appreciation of the values of equity, inclusion, diversity, and justice.

Major Code

The Major Code for the Human Development and Family Studies Graduate Major is 4470.