Master of Science in Human Development and Family Sciences
The Human Development and Family Sciences graduate program in the School of Human Environmental Sciences provides opportunities for advanced study and research of human development and families across the life span. The program offers courses on development in infancy, childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and older adulthood. Other courses focus on family relationships, process, and diversity. The faculty bring the perspectives of many different disciplines to their work. Faculty and students never lose sight, however, of the connections among human development, family life, and the broader sociohistorical context.
The course of study for graduate students includes theory, methodology, and substantive research in human development and family studies. There is a demand for professionals trained in research, teaching, and service involving families and their members in higher education and human service programs. Regardless of whether students end up in academic or applied settings, they are prepared for a life of scholarship and service.
Master of Science Degree
The master's degree curriculum is designed to acquaint students with the field of human development and family studies and train them to do research. The program requires a minimum of 30 credit hours. Admission to the master's program requires six hours in human development or a related field.
Methodology core requirements include one course in statistics and one course in research methods. Students fill out their substantive course work by choosing courses from HDFSRS or other departments across campus. Finally, all students are required to complete a research thesis and defend it in an oral examination.
Students are expected to maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.0 during their graduate studies. Each student has a supervisory committee of at least three members of the graduate faculty. This committee guides the student through the thesis. For full-time students, the master's program is typically a two-year course of study.
Admissions Requirements for M.S.
Entrance requirements for the Master of Science degree program include a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution, an undergraduate grade point of 2.7 on a 4.0 scale, three letters of recommendation, and a writing sample. Applicants are not required to take the Graduate Record Examination general aptitude tests.