Human Development and Family Studies is the interdisciplinary study of individuals and relationships across the lifespan in diverse contexts of families, communities, and cultures. Ph.D. candidates are prepared to transform the human experience through applied research rooted in social justice.
Doctoral students collaborate with faculty mentors in experiences related to applied research, developing a focal area of scholarship. Each student completes rigorous course work, including research methodology, comprehensive exams, and the dissertation. Student achievements are documented in a professional portfolio throughout the doctoral program.
The Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Human Development and Family Studies offers three concentrations from which students may choose. They include:
Child Development: focus on behavioral, psychological, biological, educational, and contextual processes that promote positive developmental outcomes in infants and young children.
Lifespan Human Development and Family Diversity: focus on developmental processes across the life course in the context of family, community, schools and other environments within a sociocultural context to include attention to gender, ethnicity, racial socialization, immigration, poverty, disability, and sexual orientation. Study may focus on one life stage (youth, emerging or older adults) or examine an issue (attachment, chronic illness) across the entire life course. Completing a selection of courses on cultures, identities, families or policy, agreed upon by the student and committee members will satisfy the concentration.
Couple and Family Therapy: focus on the application of research and theory to individual, group, couple and family therapy. Accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE).
In addition to meeting the requirements of the university and of the College of Social Science, students must meet the requirements specified below.
Admission
Admission to the doctoral program in human development and family studies is based on evidence of academic ability, research potential, leadership qualities, and fit of research interests with potential faculty mentors. Admission to the program assumes a background in the behavioral sciences; collateral course work that does not count toward the doctoral degree may be required where background is inadequate. A prospective doctoral student is required to take the general sections of the Graduate Record Examination and include the results with the application. Students who apply for the Human Development and Family Studies Ph.D. program must participate in an interview with a selected faculty committee. Students are admitted to the degree program in fall semester only.
Child Development: To be admitted to the doctoral program in human development and family studies with child development as the area concentration, an applicant must have completed at minimum, a bachelor’s degree, with a background in the behavioral sciences or related field.
Lifespan Human Development and Family Diversity: To be admitted to the doctoral program in human development and family studies with lifespan human development and family diversity as the area concentration, an applicant must have completed at minimum, a bachelor’s degree, with a background in the behavioral sciences or related field.
Couple and Family Therapy: To be admitted to the doctoral program in human development and family studies with couple and family therapy as the area of concentration, an applicant must have completed a master's degree program with a major in marriage and family therapy or related field.
Requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Human Development and Family Studies
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Students in the doctoral program in human development and family studies are required to complete the following: |
1. |
The following course: |
|
|
HDFS |
901 |
Contemporary Scholarship in Human Development and Family Studies |
3 |
2. |
Completion of 21 credits in methodology and statistics course work as approved by the student’s academic advisor. |
3. |
Completion of 24 credits in HDFS 999 Doctoral Dissertation Research. |
|
4. |
Completion of one of the concentrations noted below. |
|
5. |
Successfully pass the comprehensive examination. |
|
6. |
Successfully defend the doctoral dissertation. |
|
7. |
One of the following concentrations: |
|
Child Development |
|
|
Complete all of the following (15 credits): |
|
|
HDFS |
826 |
Social-Emotional Development Birth to Eight Years: Biology, Relationships, and Culture |
3 |
|
HDFS |
827 |
Language and Literacy Development from Infancy to Formal Schooling |
3 |
|
An additional 9 credits of course work chosen in consultation with the student’s guidance committee. |
|
|
Couple and Family Therapy |
|
|
Complete all of the following (18 credits): |
|
|
HDFS |
888 |
Diverse Families and Communities: Interventions and Strategies |
3 |
|
HDFS |
903 |
Evidence-Based Couple and Family Therapy Intervention Programs |
3 |
|
HDFS |
910 |
Contemporary Couple and Family Therapy Theories |
3 |
|
HDFS |
911 |
Outcome Research: What Works in Couple and Family Therapy Theories |
3 |
|
HDFS |
994 |
Advanced Evidence-Based Couple Therapy |
3 |
|
HDFS |
995 |
Couple and Family Therapy Supervision |
3 |
|
Clinical Requirements (3 to 12 credits): |
|
|
HDFS |
993 |
Internship |
3 to 12 |
|
Doctoral students are required to complete a total of 1,000 hours of direct client contact before graduating (pre-doctoral and doctoral hours combined). |
|
|
The Couple and Family Therapy Program at Michigan State University has been accredited by The Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy. Students entering the doctoral concentration in Couple and Family Therapy will be required to meet equivalent of the master’s Standard Curriculum of the Commission on Accreditation of Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE). |
|
|
Lifespan Human Development and Family Diversity |
|
|
Complete all of the following (12 to 15 credits): |
|
|
HDFS |
847 |
Theories of the Family |
3 |
|
A course in diversity chosen in consultation with the student’s guidance committee |
3 |
|
An additional 6 to 9 credits of course work chosen in consultation with the student’s guidance committee. |
|