GRADUATE PROGRAMS at HDFS
Selected in 2002 and again in 2006 as the Most Outstanding Graduate Department on campus, we have a nationally recognized faculty whose research productivity was recently ranked in the top 5% of the 235 family studies programs across the country. Our department houses former editors of the Journal of Social & Personal Relationships, Journal of Marriage and Family, and Family Relations, three of the premier peer-reviewed, academic journals in our field, as well as past presidents of the National Council of Family Relations and the National Association for the Education of Young Children. Most faculty members serve as associate editors or editorial board members of academic journals and on the governing boards of national professional organizations.
We have a well-established mentoring program, which begins as soon as the student is accepted into the program. We actively prepare our students to become successful academic scholars both in terms of research and teaching. The range of careers that we prepare our students for is virtually unparalleled.
Since 2000, our program has provided more faculty to Doctoral/Research Extensive University family studies departments than any other program in the United States. We also prepare PhDs for positions in more applied careers in administration, program evaluation and development. Our alumni have positions with universities and colleges in the United States, Canada, and Korea.
We have developed an outstanding reputation as a place to study family diversity and multiculturalism across the life course. Because we define family diversity and multiculturalism broadly, our focus is on the multitude of ways that individuals and families may differ, including, but not limited to race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, age, family structure, nationality, geographic location, and sexual orientation.
The Department of Human Development and Family Studies offers Master of Arts (applied emphasis) and Master of Science (research emphasis) degrees, and a PhD in Human Environmental Sciences, with an emphasis area in Human Development and Family Studies. 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 PhD 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.
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.
HDFS offers the following Graduate Degrees:
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.
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:
Online Graduate Certificates
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.
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:
Online Graduate Certificates
HDFS offers a PhD in Human Environmental Sciences, with an emphasis area in Human Development and Family Studies. The PhD program can lead to careers in research, college or university teaching, or to leadership positions in public and private institutions.
Newly admitted doctoral students must select a committee before the end of their second semester or first 15 hours of coursework to design their programs of study. Doctoral students typically complete about 30 credit hours of methods courses and 9 credit hours in a collateral area of their choosing in addition to core coursework. Doctoral committees must include at least five faculty members. At least three must be from HDFS and one must be a Doctoral Faculty member from another MU doctoral program. (Ask the Department Chair or the Director of Graduate Studies for a list of Doctoral Faculty.) Important additional information is available in the Graduate Handbook.
Doctoral students must build into their program of study six credit hours of research practice (HDFS 9210). These practica can be taken in 2-3 credit hour units. To plan for your practica keep in mind that you will need to work a total of 240 hours for the six credits. They should not be taken under the supervision of only one faculty member. For example, a student could enroll in three practica of two credit hours each under the supervision of three different HDFS faculty members. (In exceptional cases a maximum of 3 hours could be taken under the co-supervision of an HDFS faculty member and a faculty member in another department. This arrangement must be approved in advance). The purpose of the research practica is to provide doctoral students with experiences that will prepare them to successfully plan and execute their dissertation research as well as broaden their research expertise. Doctoral students are also required to complete 3 hours of teaching practicum (HDFS 9100). This practicum will involve a supervised teaching experience and will include exposure to direct teaching, curriculum development, teaching strategies, and evaluation of student learning. The practica are independent of a class and are not to be used in completing the dissertation.
Students who are admitted directly into the PhD program with only a Bachelor's degree are required to complete a master's degree. Until the master’s degree has been conferred by the University, the student is considered a master’s level student.
Most doctoral Students are funded with a departmental assistantship, receive a monthly stipend, tuition waiver, discount at the bookstore, and a stipend towards health insurance.
Funded summer teaching opportunities are available for PhD students, often via online instruction.
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This page last modified: April 2, 2013 9:11 AM.
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