The Department of Human Development and Family Studies offers Master of Arts (applied emphasis) and Master of Science (research emphasis) degrees.
Students selecting the MA and the MS degrees may specialize in:
• Administration of Human Service Programs
• Child Life
• Dual Degree: Law and Family Studies
• Early Childhood Development
• Family Studies
• Family Mediation
• Life Span Human Development
Online Master's Programs
• Youth Development (MA and online only)
• Gerontology (MA and online only)
FAQ about the Online Programs
Graduate Online Certificates
• Youth Development Specialist
• Youth Development Program Management and Evaluation
• Gerontology
The MA and MS degrees prepare students for positions in junior college or college teaching, and leadership in both public and private institutions. In fact, our Child Life students have a 96% pass rate on the Child Life certification exam. The MS degree also provides training toward the Ph.D. degree, which can lead to careers in research, college or university teaching, or to leadership positions in public and private institutions.
Students entering the program will be advised as to whether or not the faculty feels their backgrounds are sufficient to begin graduate coursework in each area (i.e., human development, child development, or family studies). Students whose backgrounds are judged to be deficient (usually students with undergraduate training in other fields) will be required to complete one or more undergraduate courses. Undergraduate courses do not count towards the completion of master's hours. Master's students may write a thesis (HDFS 8090), complete a project (HDFS 8090), or do field training (HDFS 8972) for six credit hours.
The Master of Science degree requires the student's committee to include a graduate faculty member from outside the department who must be approved by the Graduate School. The Master of Arts degree does not require the student's committee to include a member from outside the department. More detailed information is available in the Graduate Catalog.
| "I really appreciate the quality of mentoring in our department. The faculty invest in graduate students and work hard to provide us with diverse and meaningful learning experiences." Tyler Jamison, PhD student |  |
Master of Science
The thesis is a research project testing a hypothesis or exploring a research question. Your advisor will help you select the option that best meets your educational objectives. Students completing a thesis earn a Master's of Science degree.
Students who would like to do a master's thesis must petition the Graduate Faculty to do so. The petition should be filed after 18 hours of graduate credit have been completed. In the request, students should explain their reasoning for wanting to write a thesis (in short, make a case for doing this). The request should be submitted to the advisor, who will request that a Graduate Faculty meeting be held to consider the petition. The Graduate Faculty will make their decision based on all of the following: the student's career plans, the student's performance in graduate courses, the match between student research interests and faculty expertise, and other relevant considerations (e.g., the projected time line for completion). Students will be informed of the decision in writing.
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"I really like that HDFS encourages and almost requires an interdisciplinary approach. This approach enhances how I view my area of interest in families and health, particularly families with children affected by chronic illness." Linley Snyder, PhD student |
Master of Arts
The project is no less scholarly than a thesis, but usually has a practical nature and may involve designing a program, developing curriculum materials (e.g., instructional video tapes, web sites, resource manuals, or other applied projects). Field training involves a semester long apprenticeship or internship in a human services setting (see the Internship link in the Graduate Handbook for information on Child Life, Family Mediation, and Administration Internships). Your advisor will help you select the option that best meets your educational objectives.
Most Master's students are funded with a Departmental Assistantship of 10 to 20 hours per week, receive a monthly stipend, tuition waiver, discount at the bookstore and a stipend towards health insurance.