phd with family

Family and Human Development, PHD

On this page:, at a glance: program details.

• Location: Tempe campus
• Second Language Requirement: No

Program Description

Degree Awarded: PHD Family and Human Development

The PhD program in family and human development is devoted to the study of families, children and youth. The program's research, teaching and service have direct meaning in the lives of children and adults and for their families and communities.

The faculty share a common commitment to high-quality research that both increases the basic understanding of human and family development and has the potential to contribute to the improvement of the lives of children and families.

Applications open September 1st and are due by December 1st to begin the program the following fall. Admissions made for the fall semester only.

We will be holding a virtual information session on September 18, 2024 from 4-5 pm Arizona time.

No need to register, you can just attend!

https://asu.zoom.us/my/spinrad

The Ph.D. program in Family and Human Development is designed to train researchers in developmental and family science. Students take core courses in family sciences, human development, research methodology, statistics, and diversity. The aims of the program are to train students to become researchers with an area of specialization in Family and Human Development. Graduate students are expected to develop competencies in research methods and in theoretical orientations relevant to their area of study.

A minimum of 85 hours is required.

Courses and Electives

Training in Family and Human Development involves coursework in theory, research methods, statistics, diversity, and areas related to students' own interests or specialization. The program of study is developed in collaboration with one's doctoral advisor/mentor. The program follows a mentorship model of training. Students work closely with faculty members to develop research skills through involvement in projects.

Additional Information

Financial support, sanford school graduate student financial support.

The Sanford School is dedicated to supporting our graduate students. As such, we provide many different funding opportunities to our graduate students. 

Assistantships

Currently, the programs in family and human development and sociology have several teaching assistantship (TA) and research assistantship (RA) positions. These positions require that recipients work 10-20 hours per week for faculty to whom they are assigned for the period August-May. The TA is responsible for contacting the faculty to whom they are assigned by the day their contract begins, approximately August 16. Selection of TAs and their assignments is a complex process and is based on meeting the needs of the courses, faculty, students and funding requirements.

Responsibilities

Teaching assistant responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Grading class assignments.
• Developing teaching materials.
• Conferring with students.
• Recording and posting grades.
• Assisting with preparation of tests.
• Proctoring exams for faculty.
• Abstracting research articles.
• Updating bibliographies.
• In addition, TAs will give classroom presentations as requested.

RAs work with faculty members on research projects. Responsibilities are determined by the faculty member in consultation with the student.

Qualifications

TAs and RAs must maintain a GPA of 3.00 or above, be admitted with regular status to a graduate program, and must complete six hours of graduate work each semester towards on their program of study. Preference is given to those graduate students enrolled in the family and human development or sociology program in the T. Denny Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics.

In addition to Sanford School fellowships and assistantships, there are various sources of financial aid through the University. Students should contact ASU's student financial aid office or visit https://students.asu.edu/graduate/finances for more information.

Specializations

In addition to the general doctoral degree track in Family and Human Development, students can focus and organize their elective coursework to reflect areas of specialization. At the present time, three areas of specialization are available: Quantitative Methodology, Social and Emotional Development (SED), and Diverstiy and Inclusion Science (DISI). Graduate students may concentrate their studies in one of these areas or may combine two areas to meet their specific research interests.

Diversity and Inclusion Science (DISI)

The PhD in Family and Human Development offers a training specialization for students interested in theoretical, methodological, and research perspectives on children, youth, and families from underrepresented groups. This specialization aligns with a larger Diversity and Inclusion Science Initiative (DISI) in the Sanford School. Students who choose the Diversity and Inclusion Science specialization will take two required courses. One focuses on theory and methods as they apply to the study of underrepresented groups (CDE 598: Introduction to Theory and Methods in the Study of Diversity and Inclusion Science) and a second course involves the in-depth exploration of issues related to study, biases, and interactions with underrepresented groups (CDE 598: Interpersonal Interactions and Perspectives in the Study of Diversity and Inclusion Science). Students who have interest in underrepresented populations in the field of human development and family studies, broadly defined by socioeconomic status, gender, race, culture, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability/health status, or other populations that are underrepresented, are encouraged to specialize in Diversity and Inclusion Science.

18 hours total Core Courses

REQUIRED = 6 hours (instructor approval required)

• CDE 598: Introduction to Theory and Methods in Diversity and Inclusion Science . This course will provide an overview of theoretical frameworks and methodological issues as they apply to the study of underrepresented populations in our field.
• CDE 598: Interpersonal Interactions and Perspectives in Diversity and Inclusion Science . This course will explore interpersonal experiences, biases, and strategies for working with different populations that are underrepresented in the field.

ELECTIVES = 12 hours

 *The below list is not exhaustive.

Sanford School Elective Courses

• CDE 610: Gender Development
• CDE 598: Latino Families and Children
• CDE 598: Culture and Biology
• FAS 591: Racial Discrimination and Racial Identity
• CDE 598: Poverty
• CDE 534: Risk and Resilience
• CDE/FAS 590: Readings and Conference (1 to 3 credits)**
• CDE/FAS 592/792: Research (1 to 3 credits)**

Elective Courses from other units

• AFR 598: Women’s International and Human Rights
• AFR 598: Peoples and Cultures of Africa
• APA: Graduate Level Courses in Asian American Psychology
• AIS 503: Contemporary Issues of American Indian Nations
• JUS 560: Women, Law, and Social Control
• JUS 691: Sexuality and Social Justice
• JUS 598: The Social Construction of Disability
• PSY 591: Stereotyping, Prejudice, and Discrimination
• WST 502: Gender Research Methods
• WST 602: Mapping Intersections Gender
• WST 603: Engendering Methodology

*Additional electives will be considered by the Diversity and Inclusion Science faculty as they apply to this area of specialization. Students should submit the course syllabus and a memo explaining the fit of the course within the students’ diversity science specialization for courses not listed above.

**Students are encouraged to take up to three elective credits to propose innovative teaching, service, and research activities that contribute to inclusion and diversity science. Such projects will require supervision by a faculty member and can range from contributing to a course or seminar (e.g., lecture, activities), conducting a case study, supervising an undergraduate or conducting an applied project to enhance one’s experience with an underrepresented group, or developing a manuscript or research project. Innovative ideas proposed by doctoral students are welcome.

Completion of this specialization requires that at least 9 hours of the requirements be taken within the Sanford School. All courses counting toward specialization must be completed with a minimum grade of B-.

For additional information, please contact:

Kimberly Updegraff DISI Coordinator Email: [email protected] (480) 965-6669

Quantitative Methodology

The Sanford School (SSFD) offers specialized training for students interested in the study of Quantitative Methodology. The Quantitative Methodology specialization is open to any doctoral student in SSFD. Students choosing the Quantitative Methodology specialization will undertake in-depth study of statistical and measurement methodologies that offer great utility for research in human development, family studies, sociology, and education, among other areas. Faculty and students interested in quantitative methods study, evaluate, and develop statistical and measurement methods applicable to investigating issues in family and human development, sociology, and related fields. Students whose primary interest is in measurement, methods, and statistical modeling should complete the Quantitative Methodology specialization, along with additional coursework and research focused on quantitative methods. Students whose primary interest is in other substantive areas within Family and Human Development or Sociology but who would like to develop strength in measurement and statistical analysis should also consider the Quantitative Methodology specialization.

How to Apply:

The Quantitative Methodology specialization is open to any doctoral student in the Sanford School. Prospective students should apply either through the PhD in Family and Human Development program or the PhD in Sociology program. Please see the Graduate Handbook: Program in Family and Human Development or the Graduate Handbook: Program in Sociology for full descriptions of the application process. Existing students may apply for the Quantitative Methodology Specialization by completing this form.

Faculty affiliated with the Quantitative Methodology Specialization and their methodological interests are as follows:

Dawn DeLay – social network analysis, dyadic analysis, interdependent (nonindependent) data, and longitudinal social relationship models

Masumi Iida – multilevel modeling of longitudinal and dyadic data

Justin Jager – structural equation modeling, latent growth modeling, pattern-centered analysis (e.g., latent class analysis and growth-mixture modeling)

Roy Levy – psychometrics, item response theory, structural equation modeling, Bayesian networks, Bayesian inference, and assessment design

Holly O'Rourke - mediation analysis and statistical performance of mediation models, longitudinal mediation models, latent change score models, structural equation models for longitudinal data, statistical power

Connor Sheehan – Longitudinal methods, bio-statistics, demographic techniques, event history analysis.

Monica Tsethlikai - structural equation modeling, Bayesian statistics for small samples, item response theory

Marilyn Thompson – structural equation modeling, factor analysis, measurement invariance, multilevel modeling of longitudinal and clustered data

Natalie Eggum – longitudinal data analyses within a structural equation model framework

The Quantitative Methodology specialization requires 18 hours total:

REQUIRED = 6 hours

*Requirements assume Quantitative Methods in the Social Sciences I, Lab I, Quantitative Methods in the Social Sciences II, and Lab II as prerequisites

• SSFD's Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analysis for the Social Sciences (introduction to matrix algebra, principal components analyses, exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, fundamentals of structural equation modeling)
• SSFD's Structural Equation Modeling for the Social Sciences (theory and application of structural equation modeling; path analysis, latent regression models, multiple group analysis, models for longitudinal data)

*The below list is not exhaustive. The Quantitative Methodology specialization elective hours can overlap with courses taken toward a degree program’s statistics electives requirements. Note that Quantitative Methods in the Social Sciences I and Quantitative Methods in the Social Sciences II courses do NOT count as an elective for the Quantitative Methodology specialization.

Advanced Modeling

• Pattern-Centered Analysis
• Bayesian Methods
• Advanced Bayesian Methods
• Mediation Analysis
• Experimental and Quasi-experimental Designs for Research

Measurement

• Item Response Theory

Statistical Methods for Small Group and Longitudinal Designs

• Analysis of Dyadic Interaction
• Structural Equation Modeling with Longitudinal Data
• Latent Growth and Mixture Models with Longitudinal Data

Statistical Methods for Large and Complex Samples

• Social Network Analysis
• Large/Secondary Dataset Analysis

Appropriate substitutions will be considered by the Methodology faculty if required courses are not offered within a reasonable timeframe (e.g., due to faculty sabbaticals or other leaves of absence). Completion of the Quantitative Methodology specialization requires that at least 12 hours of the requirements be taken within the Sanford School (this does not include the introduction sequence). All courses counting toward the Quantitative Methodology specialization must be completed with a minimum grade of B-.

Natalie Eggum, Coordinator, Quantitative Methodology Specialization Email: [email protected]

Social and Emotional Development (SED)

The PhD in Family and Human Development offers a training specialization for students interested in the study of social and emotional development (SED) across the life span. Students choosing the SED specialization will learn about contemporary theories, methodologies, and bodies of empirical research pertaining to a range of issues in broadly defined adaptive and maladaptive processes in social and emotional development. Students may also become involved in research in other disciplines that informs the understanding of aspects of social-emotional development. Examples of such disciplines include family dynamics, intervention research, social networks, neuroscience, psychophysiology, and developmental psychopathology.

The SED specialization requires 18 hours total:

• CDE 598 Social and Emotional Development
• CDE 612 Peer Relationships
• CDE 534 Risk and Resilience
• CDE 612 Gender Development
• CDE 634 Prevention and Child Development
• EDP 691 Child and Adolescent Psychopathology
• CDE 698 Social-Emotional Development in Atypical Children
• PSY 578 Development and Psychopathology
• CDE/SOC 598 Social Networks
• CDE 598 Play and Development
• CDE/FAS 590 Readings and Conference (3 hours only)
• CDE 598 Bullying/Aggression
• FAS 598 Parenting
• Others as approved

Gary Ladd, SED Coordinator Email: [email protected] (480) 727‐6621

Each specialization builds on the basic PhD program in Family and Human Development but provides students with focused coursework and training in areas of strength within the unit. Opportunities to learn from expert faculty within and outside of the Sanford School are reflected in the specializations.

Students do not have to declare a specialization, but those who do will follow the guidelines for the specialization to ensure that training is guided and coherent. Each specialization is designed to enhance students' training and research, such that a programmatic area of expertise is developed.

Working with Faculty

The Core FHD Graduate Program Faculty are primarily responsible for training FHD doctoral students. In addition, students may also work with other Sanford School faculty members in Family and Human Development and Sociology. See the list below of research faculty members and their interests.

All faculty members are eligible to serve as chairs of master’s committees.

In addition, because ASU sponsors a graduate faculty model, faculty from academic units outside of the Sanford School may also be eligible to serve on the committees of FHD doctoral students.

For a current list of our eligible graduate faculty, please see https://graduateapps.asu.edu/graduate-faculty

Program Faculty

How to apply, how to apply, how do i apply to the doctoral program in family and human development.

Applications are due by December 1st to begin the program the following fall. Admissions made for the fall semester only.

Follow these steps to complete the application process.

1. Graduate College Application

• Complete the Graduate College at ASU application at https://admission.asu.edu/contact

Send official materials to Graduate Admission Services https://admission.asu.edu/graduate/apply

ASU transcripts do not need to be sent

2. Other required supplemental materials

Submit all of the following materials online via the Graduate College Application at https://webapp4.asu.edu/dgsadmissions/Index.jsp

• Resume or curriculum vitae. Must summarize the academic and employment experiences of the applicant.
• State your professional goals and reasons for desiring to enroll in this program.
• Describe your strengths that will help you succeed in the program and in reaching your professional goals.
• Describe, in detail, your research experience (include a description of your master's thesis if applicable). Describe the relevant responsibilities you have held.
• Indicate your personal research interests as specifically as possible.
• Identify two or three faculty whose research interest matches your own. Explain why you believe these are good matches (view faculty interests).
• Include any additional information that you feel will help the committee evaluate your application.
• Three letters of recommendation. Must include at least one from an instructor at the applicant's institution where undergraduate or graduate work was completed. These letters should be from people who know you as a student or in a professional capacity. Letters from family members or friends do not meet this criterion.

As part of the online graduate application you will submit the names and work email addresses for your three recommenders. Your recommenders will be sent instructions on how to electronically send their recommendations.

3. International Students – Required additional materials

International applicants must also meet all of the requirements and supply all of the information requested by the Graduate College at https://admission.asu.edu/international/graduate-apply .

How are admissions decisions made?

Admission to the Doctoral Program in Family and Human Development is competitive. Applicants will be short-listed based on a review of all submitted materials, including official transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate course work, verbal, quantitative, statement of goals relevant to the doctoral program, three letters of recommendation, resume or CV, and complete application for admission to the Graduate College. Those applicants who make the short-list will be invited to visit in the spring for an interview. Final admissions decisions will be made following the interview.

Students are admitted for the fall semester only.

If you have any questions about the online application procedures or about the program, please contact [email protected]

Degree Requirements

Curriculum plan options.

• 85 credit hours, a written comprehensive exam, an oral comprehensive exam, a prospectus and a dissertation

Required Core (1 credit hour) FAS 503 Academic Professional Development (1)

Other Requirements (26 credit hours) CDE 531 Theoretical Issues in Child Development (3) FAS 500 Research Methods (3) FAS 513 Introduction to Regression and Linear Models (4) FAS 514 Advanced Regression and Nonlinear Models (4) FAS 531 Theoretical Issues in Family Sciences (3) two graduate-level courses in advanced methods or statistics (6) one graduate-level diversity course (3)

Research (6 credit hours) FAS or CDE 592 Research (6)

Electives (40 credit hours)

Culminating Experience (12 credit hours) FAS or CDE 799 Dissertation (12)

Additional Curriculum Information Postbaccalaureate (students entering after the bachelor's degree): Of the 85 credit hours for a postbaccalaureate program, six credit hours are dedicated to an empirical project, and 12 credit hours are for the dissertation.

Post-master's (students entering after the master's degree): When approved by the student's supervisory committee and the Graduate College, this program allows 30 credit hours from a previously awarded master's degree to be used for this credential. Of the 55 credit hours of the post-master's degree program, 12 credit hours are for the dissertation.

Electives should be chosen in consultation with and approval of the advisor. Electives may be selected within or outside the Sanford School. All elective courses must be 500 level or higher.

Substitutions for all courses listed under other requirements may be made per department approval.

For the diversity course requirement, students should refer to the department for a list of approved courses.

For the advanced methods or statistics requirement, students take two courses with content that advances beyond Quantitative Methods I and II.

Admission Requirements

Applicants must fulfill the requirements of both the Graduate College and The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Applicants are eligible to apply to the program if they have a bachelor's or master's degree in any field from a regionally accredited institution.

Applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in the last 60 hours of their first bachelor's degree program or a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in an applicable master's degree program.

All applicants must submit:

• graduate admission application and application fee
• official transcripts
• a resume or curriculum vitae
• statement of goals relevant to the doctoral program
• three letters of recommendation
• proof of English proficiency

Additional Application Information An applicant whose native language is not English must provide proof of English proficiency regardless of their current residency.

The personal statement must be four to six pages, double-spaced, and address the applicant's professional goals, the applicant's strengths that will enable them to succeed in the program, a detailed description of past research experience, relevant professional experiences or responsibilities, and specific personal research interests. The applicant also must identify two or three faculty members whose research interests match their own and explain why they are good matches.

Three letters of recommendation are required. These must include at least one from an instructor at the institution where the applicant completed their undergraduate or graduate work. The letters should be from people who know the applicant in a professional or academic capacity; letters from family members or friends do not meet this criterion.

Students should see the program website for full application deadlines.

Core Courses (25 credits)

FAS 531: Theoretical Issues in Family Sciences CDE 531: Theoretical Issues in Child Development

Diversity Course FAS 500: Research Methods ANOVA Multiple Regression

2 Advanced Statistics Courses FAS 503: Professional Development

Elective Courses (42 credits)

Optional specializations include Diversity and Inclusion Science, Quantitative Methodology, and Social and Emotional Development.

Student will work with their advisor to identify elective courses in the area of expertise that the student would like to develop.

Research (6 credits)

FAS or CDE 592

Empirical Portfolio Project: Students who enter the program with their bachelor's degree will complete a portfolio project in the form of an empirical project to earn their master's in passing. The empirical portfolio project consists of original work on a specific research problem. The problem is decided upon by the student in consultation with the supervisory committee chair. After selection of a research problem, the student develops a research proposal and makes a formal presentation of it to the supervisory committee for critical review and formal acceptance (called the Portfolio Proposal Meeting). The portfolio project can be formatted as a traditional document (i.e., including an introduction, literature review, method, plan of analyses/results, and discussion) or as an empirical article in the format specified for empirical articles in the relevant current edition of the publication manual by the American Psychological Association .

Comprehensive Exam: The comprehensive exam fulfills a number of purposes. On one level, this exam allows students to independently demonstrate the breadth and depth of their knowledge, their ability to think critically, and their readiness to write their dissertation proposal to their supervisory committee. On another level, comprehensive exams should challenge students to utilize and integrate what they have learned in their coursework, and to independently develop a research plan that potentially will sustain their investigative efforts past their doctoral dissertation and into the early years of their career. There are two format options for the exam: students select either (a) grant application or (b) psychological bulletin article.

Dissertation (12 credits)

FAS or CDE 799

Dissertation: The doctoral dissertation must be the product of original scholarship and must make a significant contribution to knowledge in the field and demonstrate the student's mastery of systematic research methods. The dissertation should be completed using one of two formats: (a) traditional dissertation proposal; or (b) two or three original and distinct empirical articles. For the traditional dissertation option, the prospectus should include a pertinent review of the literature, statement of the problem, the purpose of the proposed study, description of the research design and methods, and discussion of the specific means by which the data will be analyzed (i.e., an introduction and literature review, method, and plan of analysis). For the empirical articles option, the prospectus should include an introduction that provides the broad theoretical rational, statement of the problem and how it will be divided into 2 or 3 studies, and integration of the 2 to 3 planned studies.

Next Steps to attend ASU

Learn about our programs, apply to a program, visit our campus, application deadlines, learning outcomes.

• Apply research methods, including study design, measurement, and analyses in their final exam and dissertation.
• Apply their understanding of theoretical perspectives to the field of child and family development in their final project and/or final exam.
• Able to implement a major independent research project that makes a unique contribution to the field of family and human development.

Career Opportunities

Graduates possess knowledge and skills necessary for promoting healthy individual and family development as they study the factors that promote successful relationships and positive outcomes for individuals, families and communities across the life span. Graduates often pursue careers working with children, youth and adults in human, social and government agencies or take on leadership roles as researchers in a university, in a public or privately funded agency, in an industry or in government.

Career examples include:

• community support program officials
• government agency administrators and professionals
• instructors
• nonprofit organization administrators
• research professionals

Program Contact Information

If you have questions related to admission, please click here to request information and an admission specialist will reach out to you directly. For questions regarding faculty or courses, please use the contact information below.

• [email protected]
• 480/965-6875

PhD, Family Science

Examine family processes and the dynamic interaction of families with their communities

This exciting program examines both internal family processes and the dynamic interaction of families with the biological, psychological, social, political and economic aspects of their environment.

• Request Info

Perfect for...

• Students looking for a small student-to-faculty ratio, award-winning faculty with active research programs, mentors with diverse research expertise and a culturally sensitive learning environment. 

Career Paths

• Public, non-profit, and private sectors
• University teaching
• Family policy analysis
• Administrative positions in human service programs

Program Overview

The Ph.D. program adopts an ecological or systems approach to the study of families and the problems they face in today's society. The program of study provides doctoral students with a broad knowledge of family theory, research methodology, family policy, family programs, ethnic families, and major issues confronting contemporary families. Students also learn to design, implement, and evaluate culturally-sensitive interventions addressing family needs and to analyze the consequences of public/private policies on family well-being.

Visit the Department of Family Science site.

For more information, see the Family Science flyer .

Find a lab.

Upon graduating with a Ph.D. in Family Science, students will be able to:

• Design and evaluate programmatic interventions to address social, behavioral, health, economic, and other family issues. 
• Demonstrate cultural sensitivity in research, program planning and evaluation, and policy related to family health and well-being. 
• Analyze family health policy, evaluate health care policy issues, and conduct a family impact study. 
• Design and implement a theory-based research project that addresses a significant family or family health issue and write an empirical manuscript for publication. 

The Family Science Ph.D. program requires 57 graduate credit hours, including family science core courses (20 credits), research methods courses (16 credits), electives (6 credits), research internship (3 credits), and dissertation credits (12 credits). Please consult with your advisor and the Director of Graduate Studies as individual study plans may differ. All Ph.D. students must have a Master’s Degree from an accredited or approved program prior to matriculation to the Ph.D. program. All Ph.D. students must pass a qualifying examination with its oral defense and complete a dissertation with its oral defense. 

• The PhD Student Handbook
• PhD Degree Requirements
• Graduate Student Ombudsman
• Graduate Assistantship Policies
• Department of Family Science Graduate Student Advising and Mentoring Policy

Department of Family Science

Dr. Tanner Kilpatrick Director of Graduate Studies [email protected]

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Spartan Alert

Human development and family studies, ph.d..

The Doctor of Philosophy program in Human Development and Family Studies focuses on the intersection of human development, family processes, and socio-cultural context.  A defining focus of our program is an emphasis on understanding development and family relationships in socio-cultural context and the application of strength-based approaches to the study of diverse children and families. Students complete foundational coursework in human development, family studies, race, class, and culture, research methods, and theories of HDFS.  Students have considerable flexibility in tailoring their program with a variety of specialization courses including:

• Adolescence
• African American Families
• Applied Longitudinal Analysis
• Child Development in Cultural Context
• Children, Poverty, and Public Policy
• Cognitive Development in Young Children
• Contemporary Research in Early Childhood Education
• Families and Health
• Immigrant Families
• Measurement Analyses and Methods in HDFS
• Risk & Resilience in Children and Families
• Social Justice Research with Diverse Families
• Work & Family

Program Distinctions

• The HDFS Ph.D. program at UNCG is ranked #4 nationally and #1 in the Southeast by Family Science Review.
• The program is ranked #10 nationally and #1 in NC for HDFS departments by The HDFS Report.
• The HDFS Ph.D. program at UNCG is the only doctoral program in Human Development and Family Studies in the UNC system and the state of North Carolina.

The Student Experience

• Graduate students and faculty are invested in a collaborative and rigorous learning community.
• Graduate students use cutting edge, strengths-based research methods and analyses to study the  intersection of human development, family processes, and socio-cultural context.
• Through an individualized mentoring approach, graduate students train with experienced and supportive faculty to conduct research related to students’ area of specialization and career goals.
• Students gain experience in college-level instruction through individualized teaching practicums with HDFS faculty known for exemplary teaching.
• The Ph.D. in Human Development and Family Studies requires 78-84 credit hours for students entering with a bachelor’s degree or 45-51 credit hours for students entering with a master’s degree. Entering doctoral students who have completed a master’s degree at another institution or department must fulfill (or have comparable substitutions for) all of the requirements of the HDFS M.S. degree program. These requirements must be fulfilled in addition to completing the 45-51 credits required for the Ph.D.

After Graduation

HDFS Ph.D. graduates have a 100% job placement record and have entered a variety of professions and positions, including: 

• developmental psychology
• early childhood education
• African American studies
• human service studies
• health sciences
• social work
• Postdoctoral Fellow studying a wide range of topics
• Senior Research Scientist
• Research Project Manager
• Policy Analyst
• Program Officer for federal agencies and grant-making foundations
• Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer
• Evaluation Specialist or Director
• Non-profit Administrator

Learn more about our alumni .

Apply to Program

Applications are accepted once a year and due no later than December 15th. In addition to materials required by the Graduate School, applicants must submit the following:

• Reasons for pursuing graduate study in HDFS
• Previous experience and training in HDFS or related fields
• Professional goals
• Primary areas of research interest 
• Faculty members with whom they are most interested in working
• An academic writing sample (e.g. senior year paper, literature review paper, honor’s thesis, master’s thesis, or a manuscript published or accepted/submitted for publication).

Doctoral Minor

• Human Development and Family Studies Doctoral Minor

Want more information? Let’s get started!

Program details.

Degree Type: Doctoral

College/School: School of Health and Human Sciences

Program Type: Majors & Concentrations

Class Type: In Person

Learn More About

Similar Degree Offerings

• Human Development and Family Studies, M.S.
• Birth-Kindergarten Interdisciplinary Studies in Education and Development, M.Ed. Early Childhood Leadership, Program Administration, and Coaching Concentration

Heather M. Helms , Ph.D. Graduate Program Director Department of Human Development and Family Studies 165 D Stone Building [email protected]

Michael Kerley [email protected] 336.334.5307

Quick Links

• Human Development and Family Studies, M.S. Thesis
• Human Development and Family Studies, Doctoral Minor
• Birth-Kindergarten Interdisciplinary Studies in Education and Development, M.Ed.

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•       Resources       Grad School With Family

How to Survive Grad School with a Family Tips for Balancing Kids, School & Your Life

Given that the average age of students pursuing master’s and doctoral programs is 33 and the average ages of first-time mothers and fathers are 28 and 31 respectively, it should come as no surprise that many graduate students balance family life and academic responsibilities while completing advanced degrees. Some even work while enrolled. It may seem like there aren’t enough hours in a day to accomplish everything, but the following guide provides actionable tips, expert advice and resources to help students with families find the support and guidance needed to thrive as a student, partner and parent.

• How to Pick a Family-Friendly School
• Grad School Spotlight
• Tips for Balancing School & Family

Paying for Grad School with a Family

Q&a with a grad school parent, picking a family-friendly school.

Single students often select prospective schools based on factors like campus size, program ranking and availability of experts within their discipline. These factors are still important to student parents, but they must also consider whether the institution adequately caters to their family’s needs. Keep reading to learn about some of the challenges often encountered by degree seekers with families and how schools can help.

Parents take seriously the decision of who will keep their children while they attend classes – for good reason. Finding a suitable childcare service takes time and research, especially when considering things like cost, location and availability. Many colleges and universities now provide campus-based childcare and/or preschool for learners who want to keep their kids close. Indiana University Bloomington’s Early Childhood Education Services (ECES) is just one example of what to look for. With three locations spread throughout campus, ECES provides care for children of staff, faculty and students ranging in age from six weeks to six years.

Many parenting students find themselves drawn to online grad school as this delivery mode provides more flexibility than campus-based programs. Because many programs offer asynchronous learning – meaning degree seekers complete assignments and listen to pre-recorded lectures at times best suited to their schedules – students can fit schoolwork in during naps, visits to grandparents and bedtime. Extra time saved by not traveling to campus in the car also adds up.

Schools aiming to truly provide family-friendly educations often offer a range of activities to help involve those closest to the learner in their academic lives. At Duke University , activities on offer throughout the semester include park playdates, family fairs, happy hours, family days out, lunch parties and visits to local farms and state parks for activity days.

Grad students spend countless hours attending classes, participating in study groups, and meeting with professors on campus. While some of those long days can’t be helped, students living far away from campus tack on extra hours each day without spending time with their families or schoolwork. Enter campus-based family housing. The University of Michigan , as one example, provides a number of community townhouse and apartment options for parents who want to live close to campus, enjoy being connected, and value community.

While certainly not a given, more and more schools now provide a range of support services that help students who want to start or expand their families while in school do so. At the University of Washington , for instance, parenting students can apply for the Childcare Assistance Program to help cover daycare costs. At Boston University , pregnant or adopting students receive 60 days of leave and a continuation of stipend funds, if applicable. The University of California at Berkley provides a voluntary insurance plan for dependents of grad students. Learners should speak with the admissions departments of all prospective schools to get a full sense of similar services available to them.

Spotlight on Family-Friendly Programs

Plenty of colleges and universities throughout the U.S. now provide a number of services for parenting grad students, but the offerings vary significantly across institutions. Some may only offer limited child care, while others truly go above and beyond to ensure degree seekers and their families receive excellent care and support. The schools highlighted below fall into the category of exceptional.

From its campus headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Carnegie Mellon University provides myriad resources and support services to parenting grad students. While the Student Parent Association offers a great space to connect with other students who have children, degree seekers should also check with with human resources to learn more about the available family and childcare resources. CMU’s main campus provides the Cyert Center for Early Education, a full-time daycare and educational program for children aged three months to five years. The school also offers up to $5,000 in benefits to reduce the cost of childcare, provides lactation rooms and changing tables, and offers academic maternity accommodations.

Recognizing that no parenting grad student can find success without the support of their families, the university offers comprehensive resources to ensure spouses and children feel connected and involved throughout the learning process. In addition to an active Facebook page, students with children e-list, and Cornell parent newsletter, the institution provides the Cornell University Child Care Center, Cornell Student Child Care Grant, SHP insurance for dependents, 30 lactation rooms spread across campus, on-campus pediatricians, and family-friendly accommodation. During Student Parent Study Night, Cornell provides campus-based childcare so learners can study, while Time Out! allows parenting students to have dinner with fellow parents and enjoy a guest speaker.

At Duke University’s Raleigh, North Carolina campus, administrators and professors believe students joining the institution become part of the Duke family – as do their spouses and children. The school dedicates itself to ensuring students with families not only survive, but thrive. To that end, it provides up to $5,000 per year in childcare subsidies to ensure students don’t have to worry about their kids receiving quality care while they attend classes. The school also allows doctoral students to take guaranteed time off from studies if they give birth to or adopt a child. Meanwhile, the GradParents Student Group provides a range of family-friendly programming, off-campus events, quarterly lunches, and networking opportunities alongside events to help spouses get involved.

Student parents enrolled in the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences at Yale can take advantage of numerous services and support systems to make juggling school and family life easier. The department provides Ph.D. students with annual subsidies of $4,600 for children of any age, plus an additional $1,000 per additional child living at home. Children of students can also use YaleHealth and Yale dental and eye insurance until the age of 26, while parents can take up to eight weeks off (while still receiving a stipend) whenever they welcome a new child into the family via birth or adoption. Yale provides numerous family-friendly housing options in both campus and community locations, the WorkLife program to help learners find balance, subsidized in-home childcare, and the Yale babysitting service.

Balancing Family, Work and School: Top Tips

Thousands of graduate students with families complete their educations – some of them while working. But to accomplish this impressive feat, many implemented lots of strategies, tools and systems to find time for each responsibility. The following section provides some top tips and advice for making time for family, work and school while also making time for yourself.

Managing the schedules of yourself, your partner/spouse and your kids requires lots of forward planning. Because grad school schedules and study meetings don’t typically follow a structured plan from week-to-week, it’s important for each family member to know what happens each day. Creating a daily schedule showing who picks up the children, cooks dinner, walks the dog or takes out the trash helps to make sure daily tasks don’t fall through the cracks.

Even without the responsibilities that come along with having a family, grad school can be difficult. When trying to juggle both simultaneously, the whole process can seem overwhelming. The key to sanity and seeing your dream through is to create an excellent support system. Don’t be afraid to ask for help and be sure your peers, professors and family have a full understanding of what your life looks like during this season so they can be there for you.

Rather than trying to do work at the kitchen island or dining room table, set aside a space in your house with a door that can be closed. Although it can be difficult to separate yourself from your partner and children while doing homework, students who have a dedicated study space get through their homework and assignments more quickly and actually get to spend more time with their families.

When it’s 2:00 a.m. and you still need to write 10 more pages for the paper due tomorrow, it’s normal to question whether grad school is worth it. In these moments, focus on why you decided to get the degree in the first place. Whether increasing your career prospects, enhancing your earning potential, furthering your academic knowledge or creating a better life for your family, focus on the end goal.

In the midst of balancing the schedules of your family, keeping yourself organized while in school can often be put on the backburner. Establishing systems, processes and filing procedures is well worth it, however, as staying organized ensures you turn in assignments on time, properly prepare for tests and maybe even get to spend more time with your family rather than searching for a missing document.

When juggling family, school and sometimes work, the most important thing a student can do for those around them is communicate. Peers and professors who understand your busy schedule are much more likely to accommodate your circumstances than if they don’t know what’s going on. The same is true of employers.

It can be temping to stretch out on the couch and watch endless amounts of television after a long day. While every student needs those days where they fully disconnect from school, they also need to ensure they stick to their goals. Some learners find it helpful use alarms and/or alerts to create structure. Rather than watching television for four hours, set a reminder on your phone after an hour and then resume studying.

Parenting grad students often feel themselves being pulled constantly in different directions as they work to meet the needs of professors, colleagues, employers, spouses/partners and children. Being responsible to each relationship is critical, but students also need to be kind to themselves so they don’t burn out. Parenting students can do this by eating healthy foods, getting enough sleep, exercising moderately and taking breaks.

According to a study by College Board , annual costs for master’s and doctoral degrees continue to rise year over year. For the 2017-2018 year, students working toward a master’s degree paid $8,670 annually to attend a public institution and $29,960 for private educations. Doctoral candidates, meanwhile, paid $10,830 and $42,920 for public and private schools, respectively. Adding tens of thousands of dollars in educational costs each year isn’t often feasible for students with families, but fortunately they can find numerous methods of saving money along the way.

Families who meet income requirements receive a tax credit of $1,000 for every child living with them at least 50% of their time. Students can also take advantage of a number of other school-related tax credits to further reduce their educational burden. The Lifetime Learning Credit allows degree seekers to receive a 20 percent refund on up to $10,000 of learning expenses, while the Tuition and Fees Deduction allows up to $4,000 of qualified school expenses to be deducted.

Under rules of the IRS, employers whose companies participate in Employer Tuition Assistance programs can omit up to $5,250 annually in benefits used to pay for qualified educational expenses. These funds do not have to be shown on your tax return.

Many schools offer student assistantships and/or research grants that can cover the entire cost of education. Many even provide a living stipend in addition to tuition. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics , the median salary for graduate teaching assistants in 2017 was $32,460. Due to the financial assistance provided, grants and assistantships are highly competitive.

As demonstrated above in the study conducted by College Board, students attending a public college or university as a resident student can save more than $21,000 annually if working toward a master’s degree or more than $32,000 annually for a Ph.D. when compared to tuition at a private institution.

Many colleges and universities provide free or discounted tuition for university staff, faculty and administrators – provided they meet eligibility requirements. At the University of Louisville , for instance, students working at least 80 percent of a full-time schedule can take up to two free classes per term. At Pennsylvania State University , employees, their spouse and any children aged 26 or under receive a 75 percent discount on the cost of tuition.

Students seeking more information about how to pay for a graduate degree and save money along the way can review other GoGrad guides on these topics, including Paying for Your Master’s Degree , Smart Students’ Guide to Graduate Student Loans , and Alternative Ways to Pay for Graduate School .

John P. Sousa is currently a Campaign Manager for 301 Digital Media. Both John and his wife attended grad school with young children; in fact, their second child was born while his wife pursued her Ph.D. John completed his MFA in writing in 2008-2010 with a three-year-old. When he finished, his wife returned to finish her Ph.D. in history.

My program at the University of San Francisco was designed for working adults, so we met twice per week in the evenings, which made it pretty easy to facilitate childcare, but didn't offer any specific benefits or programs for families. While my wife was at Yale, the big benefit they offered was health insurance for the whole family, and in fact, that allowed us to have our second daughter without incurring any costs.

• If possible, be near extended family. This was key when I was in grad school, as we had grandparents available for childcare.
• Different programs and schools offer different services/benefits for grad students; try to find one that is family friendly.
• This is hard, but getting into a funded program (i.e. where tuition is covered and/or you're paid a stipend) is a life-saver, because at least you won't have to balance having another job (which will allow you spend more time with your family), and you're less likely to go into debt.
• If you do work, take advantage of any employer education benefits.
• Get to know the other students in your cohort who are also parents. Sometimes it's good to just commiserate, and you can also swap childcare occasionally.

Working from home was a challenge, because if you're home, then the kids (and sometimes your spouse) want your attention. It can be difficult to explain, especially to small kids, that you're working, and need to be left alone. Go to the library when possible.

I would have done more research when applying to grad school, with a focus on finding a school that was more supportive of families (maybe with student/family housing, or a childcare center).

Apply for as many scholarships as possible, take advantage of any work reimbursement, and try not to take out many student loans! I entered grad school at the start of the Great Recession, and while I was fortunate to have some really great, part-time employers during that time, I took on a lot of debt, which I'm still dealing with 8 years later. Seeing that balance is a real source of shame because the number was so large and I'm not sure it was worth it. It's a problem when the only people who go to grad school are those who can afford it because it prices out people who have a lot to offer. If you can avoid taking on debt, that's the best advice, but also maybe not very helpful, because grad school can be so expensive.

Huffington Post provides sounds advice in this list of tips for making your way through grad school while being a good parent.

The Muse takes a look at what it’s like to learn the ropes of parenting while also furthering your education.

Higher Education Today and the American Council on Education provide this article for schools looking to strengthen the services provided to parenting students and their families.

Single parents considering grad school can get expert tips and advice about what it takes for you and your child to succeed while you complete a degree.

The Chronicle of Higher Education brought in guest blogger Keith Greene to share his experience of going to school and being a parent.

When seeking family-friendly colleges, students can take a page from Boston University’s resource guide to get a sense of what to look for.

The Harvard Crimson published this article written by current parenting students about how to navigate what it means to be a parent and student simultaneously.

Inside Higher Ed provides this helpful guide for parenting grad students seeking advice about how to excel in both their personal and academic lives.

The American Psychological Association provides this thought-provoking article for individuals considering becoming a parent while in grad school to help weigh their options.

This article on Huffington Post takes a look at some of the unique challenges and opportunities faced by single moms looking to get an advanced degree.

Written by a current Ph.D. student father, this insightful and sometimes humorous piece looks at a typical day in the life.

The Chronicle of Higher Education dives into this topic by addressing the concerns and challenges of students navigating doctoral studies while also trying to be the best parents.

Family Science and Human Development (PhD)

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Family Science and Human Development is a multidisciplinary field, drawing on a range of social science disciplines including sociology, social work, education, gerontology, and community and developmental psychology. The PhD in Family Science and Human Development program considers family life within larger socio-cultural contexts and explores how issues of power, privilege and social justice interact to differentially impact family configurations.

Due to the multi and interdisciplinary nature of the program, our students come from a variety of fields, including family studies, human development, education, social work, human services, psychology, disability and rehabilitation services, gerontology, and sociology. Family Science and Human Development professionals focus on the strengths and challenges of the family unit, examining a diverse range of family issues and seeking solutions to family problems. The applied, multidisciplinary focus of the discipline makes PhD graduates very attractive to employers in higher education, government, and nonprofit and private sectors. Graduates of the program will be prepared to pursue a wide range of professional opportunities as faculty members in colleges and universities, as program administrators, researchers and evaluators, and policymakers, and in positions in organizations focusing on children, youth, adults, older adults and families.

Hear from current students and alumni on their experiences in the Family Science and Human Development (PhD) program at Montclair State University:

“I’m thrilled to be part of this unique, dynamic program, which allows me to pursue my research interests and passions at full speed! The faculty is topnotch and extremely supportive, while also providing great teaching and networking opportunities. It’s the ultimate research and teaching environment for pursuing a PhD in our field.” Maya Autret – Family Science and Human Development (PhD)

Please refer to our  programs of study  page for a comprehensive list of all of the graduate programs offered within the university.

Admissions criteria to be considered for the doctoral program include a master’s degree in a related field and a strong record in previous academic work.

In order to make applying for graduate school as seamless as possible for you, we have created an application checklist. This checklist can be a reference point for you during the application process to ensure that you have a comprehensive understanding of the steps needed to apply, as well as all of corresponding supplemental materials for your specific program of interest.

• Application Deadline: January 15 of each year (fall admission only) . Please note: Upon offer of admission, you will be asked to submit an enrollment deposit of $200.
• Submit Online Application: Please create your online account and submit your application by following the general application instructions and pay (or waive) the non-refundable $60 application fee. Once this step has been completed, the online portal will allow you to upload your supplemental materials.

The following is a list of the supplemental materials that will accompany your application for the Family Science and Human Development (PhD) program:

• Transcript: One from each college attended.

1) Briefly describe your current scholarly interests (i.e., what would you like to develop expertise in during your time in the program) and your likely long-term professional/career goals.

2) Why you are interested in the discipline of Family Science and Human Development (FSHD), generally, and Montclair State University’s FSHD PhD program, specifically.

3) How your prior experiences (i.e., life, educational, and/or work) have prepared you to be a doctoral student.

4) Indicate up to three faculty with whom you are interested in working and explain why they would be a potential good scholarly mentor for you. *Please refer to the following website for a list of faculty in the Family Science and Human Development PhD program.

5) Please feel free to share anything else that you believe is important for us to know about your application.

• Scholarly Writing Sample: Please submit a document you wrote alone or took the lead in writing. For example: a literature review, an honor’s thesis; or a manuscript published, accepted for publication, or submitted for publication. If you do not have a scientific writing sample, please write a 3-4 page (double-spaced) literature review, incorporating citations from the scientific literature, on a topic related to family science that you are interested in pursuing as part of your graduate studies.
• Letters of Recommendation: Two- ideally from former professors and/or those with a doctoral degree.
• Resume: Required.
• Standardized Test Scores: GRE not required.
• Applicants with non-U.S. degrees, please visit the International Applicants page to review the US degree equivalency information.

Students entering with a family studies master’s degree will complete a minimum of 36 semester hours. Students entering with a “related field” master’s degree may be required to complete up to nine additional credits of prerequisite coursework to provide proper preparation for doctoral study in the field of family science. The number of extra credits will be determined by the Doctoral Program Director in conjunction with the PhD Admissions Committee based upon each student’s master’s degree coursework.

Following completion of the 36 semester hours of course work and the successful advancement to doctoral candidacy, students must complete a minimum of 12 semester hours of dissertation research. Upon successful completion and defense of the dissertation, students will be awarded a PhD

For more information, please visit  the Family Studies (PhD) program listing in the University Catalog.

If you have any general questions regarding the application process and requirements, please email or call us: Office of Graduate Admissions Email: [email protected] Telephone:  973-655-5147 Fax: 973-655-7869

If you have specific inquiries, please contact the Family Science and Human Development PhD Program at [email protected]

If you wish to contact the Doctoral Program Director, please find their information below:

Dr. Steven Lee

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 973-655-4371

*During the summer months, there will be a rotating department chair available to answer your inquiry. Find the updated summer chair for this program .*

Family and Human Development, PhD

• Program description
• At a glance
• Degree requirements
• Admission requirements
• Tuition information
• Application deadlines
• Program learning outcomes
• Career opportunities
• Contact information

Health, children, human

Enjoy a flexible model of training with renowned faculty who provide professional opportunities. Specializations are available in social and emotional development, measurement and statistical analysis, and diversity science.

The PhD program in family and human development is devoted to the study of families, children and youth. The program's research, teaching and service have direct meaning in the lives of children and adults and for their families and communities.

The faculty share a common commitment to high-quality research that both increases the basic understanding of human and family development and has the potential to contribute to the improvement of the lives of children and families.

• College/school: The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
• Location: Tempe

85 credit hours, a written comprehensive exam, an oral comprehensive exam, a prospectus and a dissertation

Required Core (1 credit hour) FAS 503 Academic Professional Development (1)

Other Requirements (26 credit hours) CDE 531 Theoretical Issues in Child Development (3) FAS 500 Research Methods (3) FAS 513 Introduction to Regression and Linear Models (4) FAS 514 Advanced Regression and Nonlinear Models (4) FAS 531 Theoretical Issues in Family Sciences (3) two graduate-level courses in advanced methods or statistics (6) one graduate-level diversity course (3)

Research (6 credit hours) FAS or CDE 592 Research (6)

Electives (40 credit hours)

Culminating Experience (12 credit hours) FAS or CDE 799 Dissertation (12)

Additional Curriculum Information Postbaccalaureate (students entering after the bachelor's degree): Of the 85 credit hours for a postbaccalaureate program, six credit hours are dedicated to an empirical project, and 12 credit hours are for the dissertation.

Post-master's (students entering after the master's degree): When approved by the student's supervisory committee and the Graduate College, this program allows 30 credit hours from a previously awarded master's degree to be used for this credential. Of the 55 credit hours of the post-master's degree program, 12 credit hours are for the dissertation.

Electives should be chosen in consultation with and approval of the advisor. Electives may be selected within or outside the Sanford School. All elective courses must be 500 level or higher.

Substitutions for all courses listed under other requirements may be made per department approval.

For the diversity course requirement, students should refer to the department for a list of approved courses.

For the advanced methods or statistics requirement, students take two courses with content that advances beyond Quantitative Methods I and II.

Applicants must fulfill the requirements of both the Graduate College and The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Applicants are eligible to apply to the program if they have a bachelor's or master's degree in any field from a regionally accredited institution.

Applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in the last 60 hours of their first bachelor's degree program or a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in an applicable master's degree program.

All applicants must submit:

• graduate admission application and application fee
• official transcripts
• a resume or curriculum vitae
• statement of goals relevant to the doctoral program
• three letters of recommendation
• proof of English proficiency

Additional Application Information An applicant whose native language is not English must provide proof of English proficiency regardless of their current residency.

The personal statement must be four to six pages, double-spaced, and address the applicant's professional goals, the applicant's strengths that will enable them to succeed in the program, a detailed description of past research experience, relevant professional experiences or responsibilities, and specific personal research interests. The applicant also must identify two or three faculty members whose research interests match their own and explain why they are good matches.

Three letters of recommendation are required. These must include at least one from an instructor at the institution where the applicant completed their undergraduate or graduate work. The letters should be from people who know the applicant in a professional or academic capacity; letters from family members or friends do not meet this criterion.

Students should see the program website for full application deadlines.

Program learning outcomes identify what a student will learn or be able to do upon completion of their program. This program has the following program outcomes:

• Apply their understanding of theoretical perspectives to the field of child and family development in their final project and/or final exam.
• Apply research methods, including study design, measurement, and analyses in their final exam and dissertation.
• Able to implement a major independent research project that makes a unique contribution to the field of family and human development.

Graduates possess knowledge and skills necessary for promoting healthy individual and family development as they study the factors that promote successful relationships and positive outcomes for individuals, families and communities across the life span. Graduates often pursue careers working with children, youth and adults in human, social and government agencies or take on leadership roles as researchers in a university, in a public or privately funded agency, in an industry or in government.

Career examples include:

• community support program officials
• government agency administrators and professionals
• instructors
• nonprofit organization administrators
• research professionals

Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics | SS 144 [email protected] 480-965-6875

Marriage, Family, & Human Development

Application deadline.

• Fall: Jan 10

Contact Information

• GRE not required
• Letters of Recommendation: Should be from individuals who can evaluate your current academic and/or professional skills and abilities. Character reference letters from friends, family or acquaintances are not appropriate.
• Resume or Curriculum Vitae (CV)
• Writing Sample: Upload a recent (or as recent as possible) example of academic writing. This should be at least two written pages (no page maximum). This example should reflect the best of your writing abilities and should be written entirely by you. Do not include writing completed with the use of AI.

Department Courses Department Faculty

College of Education and Human Development

Family Social Science

MA/PhD in family social science

A path to a doctoral degree.

If you want to pursue a doctoral degree but have not yet earned a master’s degree, the family social science master’s degree, plan A (requiring a master’s capstone thesis), is your pathway to a doctoral degree. Like the traditional master’s program in family social science, the program uses the insights and methods of the social sciences to examine individual, family, and human development over the lifespan and how families work within various contexts and cultures. You will study:

• conceptual theoretical frameworks
• research and evaluation methodologies
• implementation and translational research
• community collaborations and system change initiatives

Once you have completed your master’s thesis and final oral examination, you will evaluated by faculty to continue into the PhD program.

What students have said in the Student Experience in the Research University (SERU) survey

• W.r.t. (a), I would venture that the vast majority of US citizens are in grad school far from family. At least in my own dept., that number would be about 4%. –  Azor Ahai -him- Commented Nov 3, 2022 at 21:36
• Different but related: academia.stackexchange.com/questions/45855/… –  David Ketcheson Commented Nov 4, 2022 at 8:46
• Let's keep this question about the US; discussion about the possibility of studying in Europe instead has been moved to chat . –  cag51 ♦ Commented Nov 4, 2022 at 20:25
• 5 Another factor to consider: small children get sick a lot, specially once they start going to daycare. That means parents get sick too, and will be unavailable often, at unpredictable times. –  Davidmh Commented Nov 4, 2022 at 21:19

8 Answers 8

Being an immigrant, having gone through graduate school and having had one child, this question throws up all kinds of red flags for me.

• Grad school is not a 40 hr/wk job. It's closer to 60 hr/wk, which will already put a great strain on your relationship with your partner. If you are in a hot field like stats or ML, your hours could be even longer. Children and partners require time, where will that time come from?
• It is possible for one of your visas to be cancelled or one of your visa statuses to change in some other way that requires one of you to leave the country. If you have a child, you will then have to decide if the child stays or goes, which will bring innumerable complications either way.
• The first 15-18 months of a new child will be harrowing, with much crying, many sleepless nights and constant, inescapable stress. I really, genuinely thought grad school had prepared me for having a child, but the latter was more difficult.
• When childcare stress increases, it will probably be your wife who steps up first, probably at the cost of her grad school progress. This will create new stress in your relationship. Eventually, she may get too tired or just unhappy with the imbalance and you will have to take on a greater share of the childcare. Now, you have a problem with your wife and your grad school progress will also take a hit.
• Children are not a model that can be tuned and left to work on their own. They require time every day, and especially so in the first years of their lives. If they do not get that time when they're young, it will affect them for the rest of their lives. There is simply no way around this. To some degree, you can make up for mistakes when they're younger as they get older, but it will require much more time and effort than if they had gotten the time they needed when they were young.

To be fair, I knew people who had kids in grad school, but it was always only one parent who was enrolled, and/or they had a lot of external support (church or family) and/or they were able to retain some time for their family.

Two parents who are both enrolled, both at risk of having to leave at a moment's notice, without any guaranteed external support..., it sounds like a very high risk venture with potentially catastrophic consequences. I would advise against it in the strongest possible terms.

• Thanks for the post! Regarding 1, does the flexibility of grad school after the first year make a difference? As in work hours spent on research could be put in at any available time of the day as opposed to the fixed work hours of a regular job? Also for 2), is it likely that F-1 status could change within the 5 year duration of the PhD? Regarding 3,4,5, is it likely that these issues could be reduced in the case of parents doing regular jobs? –  Yuprik Yuprik Commented Nov 4, 2022 at 19:06
• Comments are not for extended discussion; this conversation has been moved to chat . –  Bryan Krause ♦ Commented Nov 4, 2022 at 21:46
• 1 @YuprikYuprik In answer to your follow-up comment, as I said, I knew families where one parent was a PhD student and the other a stay-at-home parent. The ones that had external support were stressed but made it. The ones that didn't have external support left permanent psychological scars on their kids that made them never want to do it again. If you and your partner are serious about PhD study and starting a family, I would suggest getting the PhDs first, finding jobs, solidifying your immigration statuses, and then starting a family. It would be much easier and less risky. –  matmat Commented Nov 7, 2022 at 6:33
• 1 Comments were moved to chat; they can't be moved twice, so the second time around they just get deleted instead. –  Bryan Krause ♦ Commented Nov 7, 2022 at 15:18

It does not matter what stage you are at in your career; having children is going to make your career harder.

Having children while you are young is likely to be physically easier.

It is highly unlikely that unpaid maternity leave would be denied. Paid maternity leave is unlikely (in the US).

Financial circumstances vary greatly. Let's consider two scenarios.

• The near-best-case scenario is to get two $45,000 engineering PhD stipends at Stanford. The university provides you a two bedroom apartment for $30,000/year. The university provides a $20,000 grant for child care, but it costs $32,000/year. You pay substantial income tax. It probably works out okay.
• You get two $13,000 psychology PhD stipends at University of Nebraska - Lincoln. A two bedroom apartment is $10,000/year. Health insurance is $6600/year. Childcare is $12,500/year. To survive in Lincoln, you have to have a car. You need a third PhD student in your family to make this work.

Do not rely on a tourist visa for child care until that visa has been issued. While the B-2 visa is issued for visiting family, visas can be denied simply because the applicant has family in the US. There is a maximum stay.

• 3 You're not going to see too many stipends below $13K, but there are definitely places with $13K stipends and higher costs of living. –  Alexander Woo Commented Nov 4, 2022 at 0:49
• 9 to make your career harder? You are an extremely optimist person, having children makes your life harder! Disclaimer: I am not joking, I have offsprings and grand offsprings, in retrospect I would still complicate my life exactly the same way. –  EarlGrey Commented Nov 4, 2022 at 9:45
• Assuming that financial circumstances work out, I wonder what your take would be on the childcare aspect of the proposition (given that both parents would be working mainly at home)? –  Yuprik Yuprik Commented Nov 7, 2022 at 21:24
• I do not see why you would think you would be working mainly at home for a job you don't have yet. The only benefit of working from home is you do not have to commute. Working from home does not enable you to do something other than work at the same time you work. –  Anonymous Physicist Commented Nov 9, 2022 at 17:51

I think there are very few universities left in the US that have subsidized housing for married students. If you were at such a place, with a dense core of married students living together, the childcare situation would be easier (my situation - previous century) as some spouses would be happy to do that for a small charge. Otherwise, childcare would be a big expense, potentially.

The advisor problem and maternity leave can probably be managed in a field like math, but possibly harder if constant presence in a scientific lab is required.

Some universities might provide subsidized day-care for children, but not infants. Also make sure that the health insurance enables what you want to do. That isn't obvious in the US as we don't have a national health plan comparable to, say, UK.

But, being in the same department (starting with bachelors degrees) will cause a scheduling issue as the early years of most programs are heavily course oriented and you would probably need to be in the same course at the same time - adding to the childcare issue. The purpose of the (advanced) courses is to get you through qualifying exams, so they aren't optional and there may not be a lot of flexibility unless you were off-by-one in years, with one of you starting a year earlier than the other. But that might bring up visa issues.

At different universities you will have a transportation problem unless you are either wealthy or live in a place with good public transport, which is rare and which also implies high housing costs. A lot of the US is very dependent on cars for transport.

With two TA positions finances should be generally fine, but scheduling worse.

I read this that you don't already have kids. If you can delay that for a few years it would be much easier and, with a couple or three years of experience, you will be in a better position to make a decision and to recognize the issues.

Once you reach the dissertation stage in statistics, I'd guess that the situation changes as you can think and work everywhere and anywhere, even with kids about. Also, if you are the male partner, plan on sharing the childcare burden.

Long ago it was much easier. I had two kids by the time I finished, but we were on the safe side of all the issues I brought up (and not international students). My spouse started studies later than I did. We were in subsidized on-campus housing (very cheap) and we were surrounded by lots of others (including international students) in similar circumstances. We were also in different fields so had different schedules.

• 2 Just on the can-you-wait-a-few-years-for-kids question: if there is a tight window for having children due to medical circumstances, maybe it would be better for for the woman to avoid signing up for a doctoral programme just now but to do all the preparatory grad-level courses possible till the husband's work is well in hand. –  Trunk Commented Nov 4, 2022 at 12:13
• 2 But I suppose doing this would mean having just one stipend going into the household, rather than two . . . which is not viable for maternity bills, medical insurance and all that. But the place I was at in UK gave extra for dependents and other qualifications to allow equality of opportunity to maturer people. 37.5% for a wife, 12.5% for each child. Also it allowed extra 25% for MS holders and 12.5% for each year of work experience to a maximum of 3 years. So a few Middle East students had cars and wives as doing an MS there was seen as a salaried job with assistant professor title. –  Trunk Commented Nov 4, 2022 at 13:16
• 2 Yes, exactly that, though with a TA, you still might need to deal with schedules depending on what your duties are. But in statistics, I assume you can work alone with periodic consultations with the advisor. –  Buffy Commented Nov 4, 2022 at 19:18
• 1 Note that none of what @Trunk describes for UK is likely available in the US, though medical insurance might be for doctoral students with TAs. And, I think they were referring to doctoral student stipends, not MS level. Maybe a clarification is in order. Note "MS holding" means post masters and spouses doing masters doesn't imply funding necessarily. I used to be aware of students from some countries driving "hot beemers", but they were already very wealthy and unlikely supported by the university. Many were actually undergrads. –  Buffy Commented Nov 4, 2022 at 19:19
• 1 That university was a very different type of institution in that the campus was entirely postgraduates. (Its primary degree content was delivered remotely with regional tuition support to the frequently working students.) The additional stipends to postgrads was to give mature/married/experienced people a financially viable means of pursuing advanced degrees. The percentages quoted are not so impressive if you consider the baseline grant was just $100 equivalent a week in those days. But be under no illusion: you will not find another institution that offers anything like this. –  Trunk Commented Nov 4, 2022 at 21:27

The career story in the most recent issue of Science (Oct 28, 2022) is coincidentally very relevant to this. It's from a married couple in academia that eventually ended up working together in the same institution while still maintaining separate labs. They've used their situation to support couples in your situation. The story is here: Better Together (I don't think it is paywalled).

My point: you may want to consider looking for advisors that are married and work in your field. They'll understand and be more sympathetic to your situation. Combined, they also might have more financial flexibility to get both of you hired together.

• 4 One of those one in a million stories that media people love to tell. But reality is quite different most of the time. The couples are in a weak position to argue anything with their bosses. Which may suit the latter. And this scenario seems wide open to discrimination challenge by disappointed uncoupled applicants. –  Trunk Commented Nov 5, 2022 at 0:47

I had two kids during my PhD program, my spouse was a stay-at-home parent during this time.

I would strongly recommend looking at what support your target graduate schools have for parents/new parents. This varies greatly between schools. I went to Princeton for grad school, which provided 12 weeks leave for a new primary parent (new mother, primary caregiver of newly adopted kid) and an additional semester of funding for the primary parent, among other things. They've expanded financial support for students with children since I was there, and it's even better now.

I'm not saying this to say that Princeton should be a school you should choose (there are lots of factors going into that), but just providing an example of what at least one school does provide. (And I acknowledge that Princeton has more financial resources than many schools to be able to provide these things.)

And also, even though the school provided this support and required an advisor to be okay with it, that didn't mean that every advisor on campus would've been okay with it. I didn't hear any stories to this end (which is a good thing), but I imagine some advisors may be resentful to have a student take 12 weeks off even if the university is financially supporting them during that time.

With my spouse staying at home, we never had to look really hard at childcare options. But from what we have seen and heard, on-campus childcare options that would've been available to us skew towards the higher end of costs of all available childcare, on and off campus. But where we were at, public transportation options were limited, so those who used off-campus child care and didn't have cars spent a lot of time transporting everyone even for relatively nearby places.

Cost of living should be a major consideration. Having children means that your housing, food, and transportation costs will be more than your child-free counterparts, and locations with higher costs of living will only compound that effect. Living in New Jersey was expensive and so our housing options were extremely limited (we had to live in low-quality and small on-campus housing), while if we had gone to some other schools we probably could've rented a much larger place, maybe even a single-family house. There were reasons we made the choice we did, but different choices would've had different advantages financial-wise.

By the best study we could put together, we estimated about 4% of grad students at my university had children. There are disadvantages that come with that. We would have friends get Child Protective Services called on them by student neighbors for just normal kid crying, and a lot of students were more annoyed by the presence of children on campus and in housing than anything else. Other universities will have larger fractions of grad students with children, and I imagine will have fewer of these problems.

And in the end, I would advise at least one of you to visit the university and department(s) you'll be at. My wife was pregnant at the time that I was invited to visit departments who had accepted me, and I asked lots of questions about family support at such. The department I ultimately chose had lots of positive things to say and show about being okay with grad students having kids, and that played out in practice. My advisor was supportive of my having children, they would come visit me in my office regularly and it was never awkward, and they were always welcome at department parties and other functions. I know not all departments on campus were like this.

In the end, I'm glad I didn't wait to have children until after grad school, but having them in grad school was much more difficult than I imagined it would be. Having both parents pursue PhDs simultaneously adds a whole other dimension of difficulty and complexity that I can't even imagine what that will be like.

My undergrad research advisor had kids after he finished his PhD. When I told him that we would be having a kid my first year of graduate school, he told me that he wishes he would've started having kids in graduate school. That's his experience, I can't say that that would be everybody's experience, and I don't think he and his spouse were pursuing simultaneous PhDs (they both do have PhDs).

In end, having kids in graduate school definitely decreased the quality of my research output. I performed well enough to graduate without problem, but I had trouble managing my time and mental energies in a way to be completely successful as both a parent and a developing scientist. But I don't regret that sacrifice to have my kids when I did. But it was a sacrifice to the quality of my PhD for me. And in the end, I took a different career path post-grad-school than I imagined pre-grad-school so that I could have a better work/life balance. I "left the field" as my academic colleagues would say, and in that sense having kids in grad school took me completely away from the academics of it all. But I don't (usually) regret that either.

From my experience only pursuing one PhD while having kids, I don't see how pursuing two PhDs while having kids is practicable, unless one of you is willing to be the "primary caregiver" and give much more sacrifice than the other as far as the quality of their PhD education, or you both end up with extremely understanding advisors and programs. And even with that, it's likely that your PhDs may take significantly longer than they would otherwise.

From the kids' perspective, they think those years in the dinky apartment with a busy dad were great, they don't look back on those years with any bad memories. They loved where we lived and the friends we had there, and they were so young the "bad" aspects, at least to me, didn't affect them very much.

• Honest and interesting story. –  Trunk Commented Nov 6, 2022 at 13:22
• Suggestion: Regardless if embarking for Old Nassau, or not, I think the additional provision of a few links (at entry level) how child care at a grad school may look like could serve as a valuable reference to compare with: hr.princeton.edu/thrive/wellness-resources/child-care-resources (though I disagree with the address, child care is not wellness as in going to a spa ), and about the building which by 2017 replaced the previous one just across Broadmead of about the same capacity (in numbers): princeton.edu/news/2017/09/14/… –  Buttonwood Commented Nov 6, 2022 at 15:11
• This is precisely the model of answer I was looking for. Thanks for relaying your personal experiences. In fact, this is one other option we were considering; I have a really high GPA and could probably get into a good grad school (certainly not as high as Princeton though) and my wife could come with me as a dependent, with the intention of having kids during the 5 years of my PhD and her pursuing a PhD afterwards. Perhaps this is what your undergrad advisor was thinking of. –  Yuprik Yuprik Commented Nov 6, 2022 at 20:01
• ...I am glad to hear that there are places where one person's PhD salary could support a spouse and a baby. Is this at least somewhat common in the US or exclusively limited to schools like Princeton? –  Yuprik Yuprik Commented Nov 6, 2022 at 20:03
• @YuprikYuprik, I wouldn't say the PhD salary supported my whole family. We had some savings, and a bit (not a lot) of early inheritance that came in, and we did end up slowly drawing on savings the five years we were there. –  NeutronStar Commented Nov 11, 2022 at 3:18

I'm writing from my own experience and that of several family members doing PhD's in various circumstances (all in the UK). I suggest that a key aspect you and your wife should consider is how many years you may spend on your PhD's. The combination of unforeseen difficulties with your research itself and balancing your time with family and other commitments will perhaps result in your taking much longer than you anticipate.

If that seems possible then three issues arise: a) Would that be acceptable to you, given that it may mean delaying the start of your subsequent careers with consequent financial implications? b) Would it be acceptable to your universities, or do they have rules or expectations about the timescale within which they expect a PhD to be completed? c) Would it fit with your visa conditions? I can't answer those questions for you, but I would suggest that if your answer to any of these is no so that you are committed to a fixed timescale then you may be taking on a very demanding challenge by embarking on PhD's in your circumstances.

• As for the issues you raise: a) It would be acceptable for both of us as long as it covers expenses for a frugal lifestyle until the end of the PhDs, b) and c) I don't know this yet but I know grad student friends who got accepted for PhDs with 6 years of funding but ended up doing 7 instead (with funding). I guess as long as the extension of the timescale is within an year it should be manageable but I should look into this more. Thanks for the suggestion! –  Yuprik Yuprik Commented Nov 6, 2022 at 19:53

lol no way, I was being paid 24k/year, had no dependents and didn't pay rent and I was still living close to the poverty line in my area.

Modern man has lost all perspective

This is a variation on a question I encounter maybe once every year or two and it makes me cringe every time. People lived through the Great Depression in one or zero-bedroom houses and had families of six children while they scraped for work and food. People lived in the middle ages labouring in fields all day without running water or a working sanitation system and they had families of ten children. People lived in bondage in the Roman and Persian empires and managed to pump out a few children in between whippings. People lived in caves before the wheel or language was invented and had families. So yes, this same feat is manageable for two parents in the modern world living on a leafy university campus and doing academic research while sipping chai-lattes.

The point is, there is no perfect time to have children and there is no time at which conditions are so adverse that it is infeasible to have children. The entire history of the human race attests to these facts. If you want to have a family, have a family. If it matters, I went through my PhD while raising two young daughters. I was in different situation since I was a single parent (so one person doing PhD instead of two, but same essential issue). Raising children while doing a PhD full-time is not trivial, but it is probably no more difficult than raising children while working a full-time job. It is manageable and enjoyable if you are sensible about the trade-offs and make appropriate arrangements with supervisors, etc. to ensure that you are able to respond to childcare requirements. You will probably find that you need to work some nights after the children go to bed. With two people you will have the ability to juggle child-rearing duties to help each other out when needed.

• 18 "People lived through the Great Depression in one or zero-bedroom houses and had families of six children while they scraped for work and food" this is hardly a healthy or desirable way to live and clearly something OP is trying to avoid. By ignoring the implied requirement of wanting to not live in poverty/hardship this does not answer the question and is not a useful answer. –  ljden Commented Nov 4, 2022 at 5:55
• 11 The point is, there is no perfect time to have children and there is no time at which conditions are so adverse that it is infeasible to have children. * correct. * People lived through the Great Depression in one or zero-bedroom houses and had families of six children while they scraped for work and food. wrong, Great Depression heroes did not have a choice, here we have someone that is dreaming of pursuing a PhD and do not want to end up enjoying the Great Depression lifestyle. I understand that science require sacrifice, but OP is doing a very reasonable (and rare) assesment! –  EarlGrey Commented Nov 4, 2022 at 8:46
• 12 You are aware that the 'success rate of raising children' in your examples was often on the order of 50% or even lower? Meaning families had 4, 6 or even more children precisely because they knew many would die before becoming adults and you needed that many to bring up 2 children all the way to adulthood. –  quarague Commented Nov 4, 2022 at 9:58
• 8 @Ben In all the cases you cite, people lived in communities where free shared childcare was available. In all historical situations where shared childcare was not available, most children died of malnutrition. The lucky ones had surviving older children whose early childhood consisted of looking after the younger children and later working 16 hours a day alongside their parents. I regularly see people posting what you've just said, and it makes me cringe every time. If you're going to cite historical examples, know enough history to present them correctly. –  Graham Commented Nov 4, 2022 at 10:21
• 14 As a data scientist, you do know about selection bias, don’t you Ben? The problem with the “our ancestors survived [X], so can you - we have lost all perspective etc” argument is that the survivors of X you are taking as your purported proof that X can be survived are literally the ones who survived. What about those who didn’t? Or the ones who survived but at great cost to their and their children’s physical and mental well-being? Btw your argument could also be repeated with X being not wearing seat belts, smoking a lot of cigarettes, using leaded gasoline and paint, etc. … –  Dan Romik Commented Nov 4, 2022 at 18:31

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Balancing PhD and family life – tips for balancing a busy life

With the increasing demands of academic life, balancing a PhD while also juggling family responsibilities and obligations can be a daunting task.

From the never-ending workloads to constant research, it is easy for PhD candidates to feel like they are unable to maintain a work-life balance.

However, it is not impossible to balance a busy life whilst pursuing a doctoral degree. Some simple tips and strategies can go a long way to balancing family life and academic work.

In this article, we explore some effective techniques that can help PhD candidates balance their workload and still have time for their family, friends, and personal aspirations.

Balancing Family Life, Work and School: Top Tips

Here are the top 10 tips from PhD students balancing their studies and their life.

If you want to know more about PhDs as a mature age student or with kids, check out my other articles:

• What is the PhD student average age? Too late for your doctorate?
• Older PhDs student experiences – should you pursue a PhD later in life?

How to balance PhD study and home life – tips for balancing

Balancing PhD study and home life can be challenging, but with proper planning, support, and time management, it is possible to achieve a harmonious balance. Here are some tips and examples to help maintain equilibrium between your academic and personal life:

• Prioritize and create a schedule : Set priorities for your academic and personal responsibilities, and create a schedule that accommodates both. Allocate specific time blocks for studying, research, and writing, as well as for personal activities such as exercise, hobbies, and socializing. A well-structured routine will ensure you stay productive and maintain a healthy work-life balance.
• Plan and prepare ahead: When it comes to household tasks, planning and preparation can make a significant difference. For instance, cooking large batches of food during the weekend can save you time and energy during the weekdays. Similarly, preparing your children’s snacks and school materials in advance can help streamline your mornings.
• Establish a support system: Having a strong support system is crucial for balancing PhD study and home life. This can include family members, friends, or even colleagues who can help with childcare, household chores, or simply lend a listening ear during stressful times. For example, one PhD student mentioned having help from her mother and mother-in-law during the first months of her child’s life, which allowed her to focus on her studies.
• Utilize on-campus resources: Many universities offer resources to support graduate students, such as writing centers, childcare facilities, and mental health services. Take advantage of these resources to help you manage your academic and personal responsibilities more effectively.
• Communicate with your supervisor: Keep an open line of communication with your PhD supervisor, informing them about your personal circumstances and discussing any potential challenges that may arise. This will enable them to better understand and support you throughout your PhD journey.
• Set boundaries: Establish clear boundaries between your academic and personal life to avoid burnout. This might include setting aside specific times of the day or week when you disconnect from your studies and focus on your personal well-being.

By implementing these strategies and drawing upon the experiences of others who have successfully balanced PhD study and home life, you can create a more manageable and fulfilling experience as you pursue your academic goals.

What Is Work/Life Balance for PhD Students?

Work/life balance for PhD students is a delicate equilibrium between academic responsibilities and personal life, essential for overall well-being. First-hand experiences highlight the importance of time management, planning, and self-care in maintaining this balance.

PhD students often face immense pressure in their PhD program to meet academic expectations, which can lead to neglecting personal relationships and self-care.

One student shared the importance of setting a structured daily routine, allocating specific hours for research, writing, and personal responsibilities.

This allowed them to effectively manage their time and achieve their academic and personal goals.

Another PhD student emphasized the benefits of planning and preparing for the week ahead.

Cooking in bulk, organizing childcare, or planning social activities in advance can alleviate daily stress and free up time for both academic and personal pursuits.

Forming a support system, such as involving relatives or friends, can provide much-needed assistance and encouragement.

Engaging in hobbies, exercise, and relaxation is also crucial for maintaining work/life balance. Some PhD students shared the importance of setting boundaries, ensuring they allocate time for non-academic activities that help them recharge and maintain their emotional and mental well-being.

Work/life balance for PhD students involves a combination of effective time management, planning, and self-care strategies, fostering an equilibrium that allows them to excel academically while maintaining a fulfilling personal life.

How PhD Students Can Maintain Work/Life Balance

Maintaining work-life balance is essential for PhD students, as it promotes academic success and overall well-being. PhD students can achieve this balance through prioritization, boundary setting, and stress management.

Dr. James Smith, a recent PhD graduate, shares his insight:

“Setting boundaries between work and personal life helped me manage stress and maintain focus during my PhD journey. I made sure to schedule regular breaks, engage in hobbies, and spend time with friends and family.”

Another PhD candidate, Laura Johnson, highlights the importance of time management:

“I started using a planner to organize my tasks and allocate time for both academic and personal pursuits. This helped me feel more in control and prevented me from becoming overwhelmed.”

In addition to setting boundaries and managing time effectively, it’s essential for PhD students to be mindful of their emotional and mental well-being. Dr. Alice Brown, a psychologist specializing in graduate student mental health, states:

“Taking breaks, practicing mindfulness, and seeking support from peers or mental health professionals can greatly benefit PhD students in maintaining work-life balance.”

Part-time work or reducing course loads can also provide PhD students with more flexibility, allowing them to focus on research or dissertations at a sustainable pace.

Maintaining work-life balance for PhD students involves prioritization, boundary setting, and self-awareness. By adopting these practices, students can achieve academic success while maintaining a fulfilling personal life.

 Wrapping up – Recap 

Balancing work, school, and family can be a daunting task, especially for PhD students. Pursuing a PhD requires dedication, time, and energy, which can often leave little room for other aspects of life. However, with proper planning, prioritization, and self-care, PhD students can maintain a healthy work-life balance – even when writing up their thesis.

This blog has explored different tips and first-hand experiences to help PhD students achieve this balance. From effective time management and setting boundaries to forming a support system and utilizing on-campus resources, there are many strategies that students can use to balance their academic and personal responsibilities.

By incorporating these tips and drawing upon the experiences of others who have successfully balanced PhD study and home life, students can create a more manageable and fulfilling experience as they pursue their academic goals.

Achieving a balance between work, school, and family requires discipline, self-awareness, and perseverance, but the results can be well worth it: increased productivity, academic success, and overall feelings of well-being.

Dr Andrew Stapleton has a Masters and PhD in Chemistry from the UK and Australia. He has many years of research experience and has worked as a Postdoctoral Fellow and Associate at a number of Universities. Although having secured funding for his own research, he left academia to help others with his YouTube channel all about the inner workings of academia and how to make it work for you.

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How to Balance Grad School and Kids

Starting a family during grad school can be tough.

1. Take advantage of your flexible schedule

2. build your time-management skills by using every minute efficiently, 3. make the most of the resources your university offers, 4. attend academic events when necessary, 5. apply newly acquired decisiveness to your craft, 6. channel your parental confidence, 7. look forward to your kids being older and more self-sufficient as you build your career, 8. talk about your work with your kids.

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How to Bring Your Family to the USA as an International PhD Student

Coming to the U.S. with your family welcomes many exciting opportunities. Traveling thousands of miles to create a new home can feel incredibly overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. We’ve found ways to help you feel supported throughout your journey of earning your PhD in the USA and connected to the Dallas community.  

There are many resources available and lots of people who would love to help you. Read below and learn about four great resources we offer through SMU to assist international students with housing, immigration advising, exploring the Dallas community, and local learning opportunities for the whole family.

Navigating the Student Visa Process: Bringing Your Family Along

As an international student pursuing a PhD in the United States, you may wonder if it’s possible to bring your family with you. The good news is that many students can bring their families to the U.S. on a dependent visa. 

In this section, we’ll guide you through the process of obtaining a student visa and explore the options available for your family to join you. 

Dependent Visa Options for Your Family

Once you secure your student visa, it’s important to understand the dependent visa options for your family. The most common type of dependent visa is the F-2 visa, which allows your spouse and children under 21 years old to accompany you.

We recommend working with our International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) to navigate the application process for the dependent visa.

Immigration Advising Support

At SMU, we understand the importance of supporting our international students and their families. We provide many resources and services to help you and your family transition smoothly to life in the US. From orientation programs and academic support to cultural events and community engagement opportunities, we are committed to ensuring a positive experience for everyone. SMU’s International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) understands that sometimes it’s easier to speak directly with a person rather than email. Advisors are available on a walk-in basis (no appointment necessary) from Monday-Thursday 9 am - 11 am and 2 pm - 4 pm. During this time, you can ask any questions about your transition or immigration status.

The Advantages of Bringing Your Family to the US

Bringing your family to the US while pursuing your PhD has numerous benefits. First and foremost, it provides invaluable emotional support as you navigate through the challenges of your academic journey. Additionally, having your loved ones by your side allows for shared experiences and cultural exchange, enriching your time in the US. 

Settling In: Adjusting to Life in the U.S.

Once you and your family arrive in the US, adjusting to a new environment can be both exciting and challenging. We recommend taking advantage of the various support services offered by SMU and exploring campus resources and organizations that cater to international students and families. 

Engaging in campus activities and seeking community connections will help you create a fulfilling and enriching experience for yourself and your loved ones. 

Finding Your Home in Dallas

Many graduate students search for off-campus housing, but those who need accommodations for their family as well will probably need more assistance than most. Knowing where to start can seem like a confusing task, but there is support available to help you begin your search.  

On-campus housing options can be found through the SMU Residence Life and Student Housing website: 

• Houses/Dorms

To   apply for on-campus housing , contact the Office of Residence Life and Student Housing ( [email protected] ).

Whether you are an international student looking to live off-campus in a larger space that is more accommodating to your family, or you just want the privacy of living on your own, there are several options for graduate students. Check out this list of nearby apartment complexes, or search websites like   Very Apt ,   Zillow ,   Trulia , or   Redfin   to find homes or apartments for rent near campus:

• Cedar Lodge Apartments
• Cambridge Court Apartment Living 
• The Caruth Townhome Apartments 
• The Village Dallas
• The Avery on Southwestern
• Grand Reserve Townhomes
• The Standard
• Mockingbird Flats  

There's also an internal housing portal to connect with off-campus roommates, ask for housing advice, and buy/sell furniture. 

Special Events for International Students

If you have a spouse, the ISSS team can also share ways for your spouse to get involved in things such as the Intensive English Program at SMU.  Emailing the ISSS team with questions is still a quick way to connect ( [email protected] ). 

The ISSS also hosts many special events throughout the year open to the whole family. Some of these events include a Tour of Dallas, our Welcome Party, Getting your Texas State ID, and more! These can be found on the ISSS website’s Event Calendar .

Explore the City with Guidance from the Dallas Regional Chamber

The best way to become a part of the Dallas community is by exploring it. The Dallas Regional Chamber has a great resource called, Say Yes to Dallas . It’s designed to help you feel more informed and involved in your new hometown. It features information regarding neighborhoods, schools, outdoors, culture, events and more.

You can even request a free copy of their Dallas Region Relocation + Newcomer Guide (the ideal publication for new residents) be mailed to your home. It is also available as a digital guide . Once you’re done reading, it’s time to get out there as a family and experience it!

Opportunities for the Whole Family through the Dallas Public Libraries

Step into the community and explore a fun learning environment as a family. Your local Dallas Public Library is a great option for all ages. It is important first to find your local branch and register with the required identification for a library card. A Dallas Public Library card is available for free to anyone who lives in or attends a public or charter school in the City of Dallas.

Children can also get a library card when visiting their local branch with a parent or guardian. With this card, you can check out books for free, gain free computer/Wi-Fi access, utilize homework help services, take adult learning courses and more! Libraries will also have designated areas for children, teens and adults. From traditional books to new technologies, there are various options. Check out your local library calendar for special events like Family Story Time.

Life at SMU

The most important thing to remember is that you and your family are not alone in this new adventure. Don’t forget that unless you ask for help, others may not know you need it. So don’t hesitate to reach out to SMU’s International Student and Scholar Services Office if you need help preparing for your family’s move to Dallas in the near future.

To further assist you, we have prepared an International Student Guide that covers essential information and resources tailored specifically to international students and their families at SMU. Download the guide to access valuable insights and tips for a successful transition.

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Degree Programs in Family Science

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Interested in a career related to families?

Search and filter below to find the right academic degree program, minor, or certificate for you in Family Science — the scientific study of families and close interpersonal relationships.

Scroll down to see complete program listings. Click any degree program name to open more information about that program. 

You can also learn why you should earn a Family Science degree , including the unique skills you'll gain and career opportunities for Family Science graduates.

“Area(s) of Study” is a filtering option in this guide. The area of study for a listing indicates the main curricular focus of that program. Options include:

• Child/Human Development and Family Science/Studies : includes human development and Family Science curricula
• Development (child, adolescent, human, gerontology, or family) : focuses on one of more areas or stages of human development, such as the examples listed in parentheses
• Family Life Education : focuses on Family Life Education, a practice area of Family Science that equips families to develop knowledge and skills to enhance their well-being and relationships
• Family Policy : focuses on the development and evaluation of family policies, laws, and advocacy efforts
• Family Resource Management : focuses on addressing decisions families make about developing and allocating resources
• Family Science/Studies/Relations/Ecology/Services : focuses primarily on Family Science curricula. Programs may be titled with terminology other than Family Science, such as “family studies” or “family relations.”
• Parent Education : focuses on the practice of parent education, one type of Family Life Education that centers on parenting practices, skills, and relationships
• Therapy/Counseling (individual, couples, marriage, or family) : focuses on therapy or counseling that considers the family, couple, and/or marital relationships in which a person exists
• Youth, Family, and Community Services : focuses on development, administration, and management of family and community service organizations/programs

Use NCFR's interactive map to see at a glance where Family Science programs are located in the U.S. and Canada.

Click any pin on the map to see bachelor's, master's, and doctoral programs at that institution. (Minors and certificates are included in the full guide below.)

• Programs with curricula approved for the Certified Family Life Educator (CFLE) credential are noted in this guide.
• A separate list of  CFLE-approved programs and checklists  also is available.
• With questions about CFLE approval or the CFLE credential, please email NCFR's Emily Vang .
• To update an existing degree program listing, use the  Update a Listing form   to submit your changes.
• To request to add a new listing to this guide, use the  New-Listing Request form to fill out all applicable information about the program.

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CFLE Approved

Child and family services (b.s.), abilene christian university, child and family services (minor), marriage and family therapy - online (mmft), marriage and family therapy (mmft), couple and family therapy (m.a.), adler university - chicago, couple and family therapy (ph.d.), marital and family therapy (m.a.), alliant international university-irvine, marital and family therapy (psy.d.), alliant international university-los angeles, alliant international university-sacramento, alliant international university-san diego, family development (minor), american public university system, family studies (certificate), human development and family studies (b.a.), family science (b.a.), anderson university - indiana, anderson university - south carolina, discipleship and lifespan education (m.a., m. div., d. min., ph.d.), family life education focus, andrews university, antioch university-new england, couple and family therapy (post-master's certficate), antioch university-seattle, child development (b.s.), appalachian state university, family and consumer sciences (minor), marriage and family therapy (m.a.), family studies (b.a.), arizona christian university, family studies (minor), family and human development (b.s.), arizona state university, family and human development (m.s.), family and human development (minor), family and human development (ph.d.), family communication (certificate), marriage and family therapy (m.a.s.), working with military families (certificate), child and family studies (minor), ashland university, advanced research methods for developmental and family studies (graduate certificate), auburn university, human development and family science (b.s.), human development and family science (m.s.), human development and family science (minor), human development and family science (ph.d.), marriage and family therapy (m.s.), clinical psychology: marriage and family therapy (m.a.) (mft), azusa pacific university, youth and family ministries (b.a.), youth and family ministries (minor), family and child (b.a. or b.s.), ball state university, family engagement (minor), child and family studies (b.s.), baylor university, general family and consumer sciences (b.s.).

Family Science is a vibrant and growing discipline. Visit Family.Science to learn more and see how Family Scientists make a difference.

NCFR is a nonpartisan, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose members support all families through research, teaching, practice, and advocacy.

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Pursuing a PhD with young children: Life as a student parent – how I make it work

This blog post is a little different than my previous ones but the topic is one I am most asked about: being a student and parent at the same time. I am currently expecting my fourth baby…yes, my fourth! When I first applied to the program I had no children, when I started I had one child, and in the time that has passed since then (five years) I’ve had two more. Now, in my sixth year here in Montreal, I am expecting my fourth child.

Most people respond with shock or awe to my situation. On the one hand, some assume I must not be thinking straight to attempt to have a family and pursue a PhD simultaneously. On the other hand, some assume I have super powers that make this all happen. The truth is that neither perspective is correct and, to some extent, both perspectives are harmful if they hold the person back from pursuing their own passions because of false beliefs. I have thought rationally about my choices and I am not super human. Having a family and pursuing higher education is not only absolutely possible but, in my opinion, can be mutually beneficial. It does require support, planning, discipline, flexibility and forgiveness, but as with any other job, finding a balance that works well for you is incredibly satisfying.

Some people may be holding themselves back from their dreams because they don’t think it is possible. I wanted to address here some of the practical ways I’ve found to help me find this balance in the hopes that some of it may help other student parents or working parents in general. 

The Benefits

For me, having children has given me greater focus on what I feel is important in this world and my kids are a huge source of motivation for me. I strive to create work that will make a difference in this world for them and consequently my research investigates sustainability accounting, that is accounting by organizations that track and report its effects on society and the environment. By focusing on something that I feel has meaning for my life and theirs, this has also improved my focus. I aim to ensure that every minute I am away from my children is a productive one.

I talk to my kids all the time about my work and why I feel it’s important. Even though they are young (all age six and under) they understand that Mommy is working to try to help businesses be better so that they have a better world to grow up in. This means helping businesses treat people well and respect the environment. These are values that are important to my family and my work, as such, there really is no line between the two. When I'm done, I'll be working in a career I love and contributing to improving the world around me through my research, teaching and service. 

One of the additional benefits for my children is that they see me engaged in work that I find meaningful and that I am passionate about. As a key role model in their life, I believe this gives them an example to follow, to drum up the courage and confidence to pursue their own passions in life and strive to make a difference in the world. Additionally, they see that both moms and dads can work and share household chores which I hope will translate into fewer gender biases in them as they grow.

One cannot embark on such a journey without support. This has been absolutely critical to my success. I have a husband who supports my work, encourages me and we both pitch in wherever possible to get through each day. We also have access to excellent daycare and schooling for our children. This enhances our childrens' lives on a daily basis exposing them to French as a second language, new friends, and amazing new experiences. As such, I can focus on my work daily knowing that I have a partner to share in their care and a wonderful team of early educators working to ensure my children are safe, well-educated, socialized and are having fun at the same time.

Planning & Discipline

The planning portion is the part that takes the most effort by far, but is possible and, I don’t believe, is any more challenging for a PhD than having a traditional job. Lunches must be made, clothing and homes cleaned and arrangements made to transport the kids to daycare, school and extra-curricular activities. I utilize two main calendars to keep me on track.

One is our family calendar that I update weekly. It remains on the wall on a chalkboard and lays out exactly who needs to be where every week and who is in charge of what task. It does not take a lot of time to create but keeps us well organized. I probably spend about 30 minutes a week putting the calendar together but that 30 minutes has saved us many more and reduces the stress and thought that goes into each week by organizing us in advance so that we just need to execute when the time comes. 

For my work, I’ve begun utilizing a Focus Matrix. There are a number of products on the market but essentially what this allows me to do is organize my tasks into those that are 'Urgent and Important', 'Urgent but Not Important', 'Not-Urgent but Important' and 'Not-Urgent and Not Important'. For me, anything that relates to my thesis is Important and anything not related to my thesis is Not Important. This doesn’t mean other tasks are not important but it’s a method of organizing my tasks to stay focused and disciplined during the work day on those things I should be focused on. It’s easy to look around at the dishes or baskets of laundry or any other of 100 tasks that need to be done but I promise you, if you don’t focus on your work, it won’t get done.

In our house, there’s always more laundry to be done and always something that could be cleaned so I try to stay focused on my work during working time and family stuff during family time. I usually focus on the Urgent Important tasks first thing in the morning (those with a clear upcoming deadline usually within the month) and then take on any Urgent Not Important tasks later in the day. This keeps my work progressing and helps me control my natural inclination to deal with every other little task that may come up. My program also includes a timer so that you focus for 25 minutes and then take a five-minute break. I’ve found it to be a very productive method.

I set tangible goals that are small enough to be achievable but that keep me on track. The thought of completing an entire thesis can seem overwhelming at times, but collecting data for 25 companies is something I can achieve because it’s smaller. Over time, I look back at all these little goals and realize how far I’ve come. This helps me to persevere even when the end doesn’t seem like it’s near. Some days I move forward an inch, and some days it’s more. Over time though, those little movements forward add up.

Flexibility

One advantage to being a student is the flexibility I have in my own schedule. But, as with any benefit comes responsibility. I try to work ahead so that I am ready for the inevitable stomach bug that will come for one or more of my children. This helps me to reduce the stress level when something happens because I build a buffer in my timeline.

Sometimes, like many of us, I work in the evenings or on the weekend to catch up or get ahead to meet my deadlines but this allows me to create a schedule that works for my family and I while continuing to do work that I love. I’ve also found that building in extra time to get places reduces the pressure I put on myself and my kids.  When I know I have extra time, I’m not as stressed.  This does mean sacrificing other things. You simply cannot fit as many things into your day when you need to build in these buffers but it becomes a choice of what is important enough to make the cut.

Forgiveness

Forgiveness is really important. I always attempt to adopt an attitude of forgiveness. I don’t always move things forward and I don’t always achieve what I want. Most of the time there is laundry in baskets waiting to either be washed, folded or put away. My home does not look like Martha Stewart’s home. Most importantly though, I forgive myself for not being able to do it all and when I don't live up to my own expectations. No-one can do it all and feeling down about it is definitely not productive. Forgive yourself, address the situation and move on. We order prepared meals sometimes to give ourselves a break. We also pay for housekeeping services when the budget will allow for it. I know these are luxuries on a student budget but, like everything in life, we make other choices to allow these to happen.  

Speaking of choices. As an accountant, I had a pretty good income before I gave it up to become a student again. That means we’ve made sacrifices to make this happen. We have two older vehicles and don’t buy new clothes very often. We find as many free activities to do as possible (playing outside, going for a walk or to the park, free activities offered by the city) and we try to stretch every dollar we have. I use money saving apps for all our purchases and I monitor our budget every day.

I’m lucky, I have received scholarships that help greatly and I am forever thankful for this support. Our family income fluctuates due to contract income and the timing of scholarship payments but we work diligently to stretch every dollar we can. We meal plan to avoid wasting both food and money and generally cook for ourselves as opposed to buying more expensive pre-packaged food or going to restaurants. If we do go out to a restaurant, we order water (beverages are so overpriced!). We don’t take lavish vacations and we try to direct our money where it will have value for us and our lives (less takeout means we can hire housekeepers occasionally!)  We try to be conscious about where we spend our money so that it adds value to our lives.

Executing all of this can certainly be difficult at times, but when you love something you find a way to make it work.  Follow your passion, it's worth it.

About the author

Leanne Keddie is a Concordia Public Scholar, PhD Candidate in Accountancy and also a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CMA).  She has a Bachelor's degree in Commerce from Mount Allison University and a Master of Business Administration from McMaster University. Her current research investigates why companies use sustainability goals in executive compensation packages, what kinds of firms use these and what impact these incentives have on a firm’s sustainability performance.  She came to the PhD program with over ten years of work and teaching experience in accounting and finance.

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How do I balance getting a doctoral degree with my family and career?

December 22, 2017

Undertaking doctoral study can be an overwhelming process, especially for students who are working part- or full-time during their studies.

Many students are also growing their own families, or dealing with aging parents. How can a firm commitment to a doctoral program be balanced with the needs of the family and a career?

The first step may be understanding that while it’s not always possible to achieve a perfect balance, you can still strive for it. Several Capella University doctoral advisors and alumni offer valuable suggestions.

1. Micro-manage your time

Capella Senior Doctoral Advisor Michael Franklin says, “You have to be very intentional. You’ve got to micro-manage your time, and be very clear with yourself and others. Getting a doctorate is like having a second full-time job—it takes planning and goal-setting.”

Capella PhD graduate Ardith R. agrees, and describes how she used micro-management to keep the work in control: “I reviewed the syllabus carefully before the start of each class, planned out self-imposed due dates on the calendar as to when I would complete discussion responses, drafts of assignments, etc., so that I had time to review and revise if necessary. I would also do a little bit of writing and researching every day.”

2. Establish school time

Capella PhD graduate Mark L. says: “Carve out a specific time to focus on your schoolwork—preferably a time when you are at your most productive. Let your family know that this is your time for schoolwork and you don’t wish to be disturbed. Keep to that time each day or week so that it’s easy for everyone to remember.”

Explain to friends and family that you won’t respond to emails, texts, and calls then, and have a system in place for reaching you if an emergency arises.

3. Establish family time

Plan on having some family time every day, and schedule a special family event once a week. Not only will they appreciate it, but involving your family in what you’re going through might lead to unexpected support, as Capella graduate Alana S. discovered. “When I started my PhD program, my daughter had just entered Pre-K,” she says. “Whenever I asked her about her homework, she asked me about my homework, too. Before we made any plans, she always asked about my school work!”

4. Re-evaluate and reflect

As much as you may want to plan out every day so that you know exactly how much time you can devote to each part of your life, it’s not always going to work that way. No matter how hard you plan, things will inevitably come up that throw your schedule off kilter.

Re-evaluation and reflection will help you understand what is and isn’t working, so you can readjust schedules and commitments to get back on track.

 5. Connect with others going through the same thing

Doctoral students often find online support groups helpful. For example, Capella has a private Facebook community for students, where everyone understands what you’re going through. And, in dissertation and capstone courserooms, doctoral students working with a particular mentor can interact with and support one another.

6. Use your time wisely

Mark L. says, “When you find yourself with a little spare time between meetings, classes, or the kids’ soccer games, use it to your advantage. Do a few minutes of research for an upcoming assignment, check in with your professor with any questions that you may have, make a quick call for work—anything that you check off your to-do list can free up time later in the day.”

Capella University offers PhD and professional doctoral degree programs ranging from business to education and nursing to psychology. Learn more about Capella’s online doctoral programs .

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Doing a PhD while raising a family

Find out more about  Postdoc and Academic women with families .

Her research focused on the analytical modelling of near wellbore effects during carbon dioxide injection into saline aquifers. Ana has a first class degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Belgrade, Serbia.

Before moving to London in 2007 she worked for the same University as a teaching assistant in Fluid Mechanics and Hydrometry. In 2009 she obtained a masters degree in Hydrology for Environmental Management with distinction from Imperial College London.

She was awarded two prizes: for the best dissertation on hydrology and for the best overall MSc student in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. Ana graduated in October 2012 and then became a postdoctoral researcher in Civil Engineering. She became a lecturer in Civil Engineering in October 2013.

Ana has three children. During her MSc and first year of PhD, before all the children have started the school, she had an au-pair. Since then she has had a nanny helping her three days a week in the afternoons.

“The most important thing to manage everything is a belief that all you want is possible, but you also need support from the family, organisational skills and of course financial support. If the circumstances allow, having an au-pair is a great option for young children, especially when there are more of them. Nowadays, I don’t need someone helping me during the day, so having a nanny enables me to stay longer at work whenever needed and she is a valuable help to my husband while I am away for conferences and meetings.

"Organisation-wise, as a PhD student I came to College usually three days a week, while the rest of the time I worked from home while the kids are at school. That way I managed to fulfil all my obligations as a student and still spend some quality time with my children.

"The Earth Science and Engineering Department was extremely supportive during my studies. It awarded me with John Archer and ORSAS Scholarships that hugely helped me, both financially and morally. I deeply believe that if you want to be a good mother, you have to be fulfilled as a person. So, if doing a research makes you happy, don’t give up on it!”

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The goals of the University of Michigan School of Social Work’s PhD in Social Work and Social Welfare are to:

• Prepare the future social work professoriate with a specific focus in the solution of social problems through rigorous scientific methodological and integrative, transdisciplinary social science inquiry.
• To prepare leaders of the social work profession with expertise in social policy and social intervention that is based in rigorous scientific methods and theoretical and empirical inquiry.

The PhD program in Social Work and Social Welfare is focused on developing scholars who are transdisciplinary experts (i.e., masters of a broad array of applicable methods not in a specific to a social science but drawing from an array of disciplines) with the education and training to understand, develop, and evaluate social interventions, including service systems and policies.  The PhD Program in Social Work and Social Welfare applies appropriate transdisciplinary perspectives to focus specifically on problems at the heart of social work: to promote human adaptation, social change, and social justice. The distinctive elements of the PhD program in Social Work and Social Welfare are its transdisciplinary perspective and its greater emphasis on the science of multi-level individual and social change and social justice in a diverse and pluralistic societal context.

The PhD program in Social work and Social Welfare trains students to be able to create and evaluate interventions designed to solve societal problems. As social work is an applied profession, the PhD program in Social Work and Social Welfare prepares students to discover new methods for helping people and society overcome the problems they face. Coursework aligns with this focus and the preliminary examination required for candidacy asks students to synthesize research on practice interventions in their area of research, critique it, identify gaps, and make suggestions on addressing these gaps. 

Beginning in Fall 2024, the program will admit five (5) Social Work and Social Welfare PhD students to start in the Fall of 2025. 

Please note that applicants can apply to both the doctoral program in Social Work and Social Welfare and the SSW Joint Doctoral program in Social Work and Social Science but must complete specific applications for each program. Students are encouraged to thoroughly review materials about both PhD program options to ensure alignment between the program(s) and their research interests and scholarly goals.

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Master of Science in Nursing

Our accredited Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program is designed to prepare students for leadership roles in adult-gerontologic or family health nursing.

Increase Your Expertise

With a hybrid model, this flexible program is accessible for currently working nurses who would like to take their careers to the next level. No matter where your interests lie, our rigorous program will help you succeed — and help you become a decision-maker in the nursing field.

Throughout the program, you'll integrate knowledge and theory of health policy, organizations, and health care financing and use it as a basis for the provision of quality, cost-effective care. Our program's core curriculum is curated to develop and increase your competencies in theory analysis and evaluation; concept clarification and development; research and refined skills in clinical inquiry; leadership; and analysis of contemporary issues. Building on the core curriculum, you'll apply your new knowledge and skills in a clinical setting. This will prepare you well for a variety of advanced nursing roles across health care settings and help you demonstrate effective advocacy for diverse populations.

Students select a population focus of either adult-gerontologic or family health nursing and are prepared for the role of nursing educator or nursing administration/leadership and management. If you are interested in pursuing the nurse practitioner or nurse executive role preparations, you should apply to our post-baccalaureate Doctor of Nursing Practice (BSN-to-DNP) degree option.

No matter which focus you choose, we are here to support you and your goals with an accredited program and expert faculty to guide you on this exciting journey.

Program Details

Accreditation information.

The baccalaureate degree program in  nursing, master's degree program in nursing, and Doctor of Nursing Practice program at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) , 655 K Street NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20001, 202-887-6791, through December 31, 2031.

The programs are also approved by the Wisconsin State Board of Nursing.

At UW-Eau Claire, we understand that you may have other things to juggle in addition to graduate school, such as working full time or family obligations. Advisors are here to help you plan your schedule each step of the way. We offer both full-time and part-time program plans, and you can take up to seven years to complete your degree — all while being supported by knowledgeable and caring faculty. 

UWEC’s collaborations with renowned health care organizations allow students to be a part of innovative research while also networking with a wide array of health care providers. Education and health science graduate students also have access to a variety of research opportunities while working with clients in on-campus clinical facilities using state-of-the-art technology.

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Where can the master of science in nursing program lead me after graduation?

A master's degree in nursing opens the door to new and exciting career opportunities. Our CCNE-accredited program will increase your leadership skills, update your health care provider knowledge and help you stand out when applying for jobs. A master’s degree in nursing also allows you to become a nurse educator, shaping the future of professional nursing.

Example Careers

• Nurse Educator
• Nursing Faculty
• Nurse Administrator
• Nurse Manager

Courses throughout the MSN program are designed to build on your core nursing knowledge, helping you to become an expert in your field. You can personalize your studies to focus on education or administration career goals and take courses that align best with your passions and interests. Together, you and your advisor will select courses to increase your knowledge, population focus and functional role preparation. In the classroom, you'll examine health policy, personal and professional transitions, and ever-evolving, advanced nursing roles. 

Students can select full-time or part-time programs of study. You can find information on potential course sequencing in the MSN Sample Program Plan . Courses are offered during fall semester, Winterim, and spring semester. The program plan begins in the fall semester. 

Here are a few courses in Master of Science in Nursing at UW-Eau Claire.

Leadership and Health Policy in Nursing

Leadership application for the graduate-prepared nurse with an analysis of external and internal influences. Examination of health policy, personal and professional transitions, and evolving advanced nursing roles.

Conceptual and Theoretical Foundations of Nursing

The basic philosophies, concepts and theories, and ethical decision-making frameworks underlying the development of the discipline of nursing are examined. Emphasis is focused on the development of nursing knowledge.

Nursing Research: Methods

Philosophies of science, research methodologies, and qualitative and quantitative data analyses are examined. Legal and ethical issues applicable to nursing research are discussed.

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Related Programs

Thinking about studying master of science in nursing? You might also be interested in exploring these related programs.

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‘Beyond Barriers’ program helps students with disabilities acclimate to college life

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August 12, 2024 : By Abigail Degnan - Office of Communications & Public Engagement

When Liberty University students arrive on campus for the first time, the first few days are filled with new adjustments. For students with disabilities, this transition period can present additional challenges. That’s why the Office of Disability Accommodation Support (ODAS), under LU ONE , created the Beyond Barriers Summer Transition Program , an immersive 10-day early orientation program.

Fifteen new students arrived on campus on Sunday, Aug. 4, to participate in the Beyond Barriers program. Although residence halls don’t officially open to new students until Aug. 14, the students in the program were able to move in early to their residence halls, eat in the dining hall, and connect with fellow students in a variety of engaging activities. Families were invited to a parent dinner on Sunday night, and during the week, students have been attending workshops, information sessions on key services and departments across the university, interactive training to improve self-regulation and self-determination, and fun group events, including bowling and arts and crafts.

The program helps students through every step, from moving in and touring buildings to familiarizing themselves with LU Transit Services. Volunteers from different departments meet with each student one-to-one to walk them through their daily class route. Students also pick up their textbooks early, learn about some of the software and programs that Liberty uses, and can complete UNIV 101, a 1-credit introduction to college course required for all new Liberty students.

The Beyond Barriers program involves an application process and is open to any student with a documented disability, including autism, ADHD, chronic illness, and more.

“ODAS exists to ensure that all students with disabilities have equal access to the learning environment, so it is free from barriers,” ODAS Senior Executive Director Ester Warren said. “We are very committed to developing and implementing new initiatives and programs to help students in an individualized and student-centered way. My hope is that more students will learn about Beyond Barriers, and as they decide to come to Liberty, if they are diagnosed with a disability they will take advantage of this program.”

Warren created Beyond Barriers after seeing how her son, who was diagnosed with autism at the age of 2, struggled to adjust to college life.

“This program really answers all the questions that I would’ve wanted answered during my son’s transition to Liberty,” Warren said. “They can experience everything that there is to experience before it gets really, really crowded.”

This is the second year of the program, with last year’s students having an 87.7% success rate of completing their first year on campus.

Each student receives a peer mentor that will help walk alongside them as they acclimate to campus life. Joelle Frazee, a sophomore pursuing a B.S. in Psychology , completed the Beyond Barriers program in 2023. The empowerment she felt from the program led her to become a peer mentor herself this year.

“The program really made something possible that once seemed impossible. My peer mentor continued to be a very close friend and amazing mentor throughout the entire year,” Frazee said. “I want to be able to impact people the way I had been impacted, because having somebody that you can lean on going into an experience as unknown as college is huge, especially when you have a disability.”

Frazee went on to become the president of the Autism Advocates Club at Liberty, as well as an honors student. She said she wouldn’t have been so successful if it were not for the faith of her fellow Beyond Barriers students and the ODAS staff.

Angel Andino, an incoming freshman pursuing a B.M. in Commercial Music , said he is very grateful for the early transition program.

“It’s definitely helped me with the moving in aspect that I’m able to slowly move into college life and meet people who have similar interests as me,” he said. “For anyone with a disability, this is a really good program to choose. It’s incredible.”

Fellow freshman Gentry Rose Dowdy, who is pursuing a B.A. in History , said she was pleased to discover what is offered through ODAS.

“A lot of schools, when I looked into them, I didn’t see any program or club for people with disabilities,” Dowdy said. “At Liberty they have ODAS and the Autism Advocates club, and I thought, ‘This is where I want to go,’ because they have stuff for me. For any accommodations I need, they don’t say, ‘No, you can’t have this.’ They say, ‘OK, we will get this to you as soon as possible.’”

Cyndie and Tim Sullivan dropped off their son, Chase, on Aug. 4 and felt immense comfort knowing he was in good hands after meeting Warren and her team on a campus visit last April.

“When we reunited with Dr. Warren and her team on Sunday, we immediately felt at home and had a wonderful feeling of peace about leaving without Chase,” Tim said. “This can be a stressful transition for a young person, and the love and care shown by the Beyond Barriers team, giving each student personal attention, provides a pathway to success.”

Andino said he feels confident starting college because of the early assistance he has received.

“Liberty is different. There’s something special about it,” he said. “I went to different colleges, and they weren’t ‘it.’ Then when I went to Liberty, I just had such a good feeling when I stepped on campus. When I said goodbye to my parents, I felt safe and secure that I had something to stand on going forward. This program has given me everything I’ve needed.”

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