Doctor of Philosophy in Human Ecology - Human Development and Family Studies

Human Development and Family Studies (HDFS) offers an interdisciplinary approach to the study of families and individuals across the lifespan with an emphasis on research and its application to practice, programs, and policy.Students enrolled in one of the Human Ecology PhD program named options have the opportunity to earn the Human Ecology MS: Human Ecology Research degree along the way to the PhD upon successful completion of coursework and research.The HDFS graduate program option is served by 11 full-time faculty members plus affiliated faculty members. Faculty members are professionally active with strong records of national and international scholarship. The faculty bring the perspectives of many different disciplines to their work, including psychology, human development and family studies, sociology, education, and psychiatry. Faculty members conduct basic research to understand families and their members and applied research and outreach to promote positive outcomes in human development and family life.There is a demand for professionals trained in research, teaching, and outreach in the areas of human development and family studies in higher education, government, and human and family service programs. Regardless of whether HDFS graduates pursue careers in academic or applied settings, they are prepared for a life of scholarship and service.

A bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution or a comparable degree from an international institution is required. International applicants must have a degree comparable to a regionally accredited U.S. bachelor’s degree. You must have completed your undergraduate degree, or similar, before starting graduate school. A minimum undergraduate grade point average (GPA) of 3.00 on the equivalent of the last 60 credit hours (approximately two years of work) or a master’s degree with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 is required. The Graduate School will take into consideration different grade scales from institutions that do not have 4.00 scales (e.g., institutions outside the United States of America).