Course work in Human Development and Social Policy
Graduate Core Courses (14 hours), typically taken in the first year, provide a broad background in conceptual models, policy, and research methods
FCS 6200: Families and Social Policy (3) Relationship between the family and social environments emphasizing ecology and life-course frameworks. Interdependencies among the family and kin, school, neighborhood, work, class and ethnic environments.
FCS 6600: Physical Environments and Human Behavior (3) Reviews and connects research, policies, and physical designs for a variety of physical settings (homes, workplaces, communities) and socio-physical processes (stress, fear of crime, privacy, recreation, place attachment). Often involves vulnerable populations (women, children, elders, minorities) and is tailored to student interests.
SOC 6110: Methods of Social ResearchI (3) The logic of social research; methods of data collection; ethics in social research; problem formation, conceptualization, operationalization, reliability and validity, research design, and preparation or research proposals.
FCS 6110: Multivariate Statistics (4) Course covers a range of topics on regression analysis. Topics include multiple regression, conducting regression diagnostics, multi-collinearity, interaction effects, repeated measures, and logistic regression. SAS computer assignments.
FCS 6901 Thesis Development Seminar (1) Development, presentation, critique and refinement of thesis proposals.
Allied Courses (6 hours minimum), typically taken in the second
year, provide depth in one area of expertise. Select at least two courses
from one area. Unless noted, all are 3 credit hours. Special Topics courses
may also be offered by each area (FCS 5930, 5962, 5964, & 5966). With
advance approval from the thesis committee, courses outside the department
may be accepted as well.
| Human Development and Family Studies | Consumer and Community Studies | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Summary of Requirements
| Total credit hours: | |
| 31 minimum, on
a credit basis (minimum 14 core, at least 6 allied & 6 thesis hrs.) |
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| Minimum & maximum hours per semester: | |
| 9 to 12 for financially supported teaching or research assistants (students can take up to 16 credit hours, but are responsible for tuition over 12 credit hours); 3 to 16 for other students. | |
| Thesis hours: | |
| at least 6, no more than 10. | |
| Thesis requirements: | |
| Students form a three-person (minimum) thesis committee. The thesis chair and at least one more member should be FCS Department faculty. Students defend their thesis proposal and their completed thesis and have the thesis accepted by the thesis editor. | |
| Grades: | |
| B or higher for each core class; B average for all classes (3.0 on 4.0 scale). | |
| Time limits & residency: | |
| Maximum is 4 consecutive calendar years (except when a leave of absence is granted). 18 credit hours of resident study in consecutive semesters are required. | |
| Financial support constraints: | |
| Teaching and research assistants must register for at least 9 hours each semester, and successfully defend their thesis proposal by the end of Fall semester of year two. Financial aid is given for up to two years. | |