Family Science

The faculty in the Department of Family and Human Development offer a degree program leading to the PhD degree in Family Science. Programs of study are available in child development and family studies.

The PhD degree in Family Science prepares researchers in the fields of family processes, family relationships, and human development within the context of families. Students can receive advanced training in theory, research methodology, and several substantive fields that are part of family and human sciences.

The program is designed to prepare graduates to assume leadership roles in public or privately funded mental health agencies, governmental posts, or as researchers and academicians in universities.

A description of the program, along with opportunities for assistantships and fellowships, may be obtained from the director of the program.

Admission. Admission to the PhD in Family Science is determined by the following criteria:

A Test of English as a Foreign Language score of at least 600 is required of all applicants whose native language is not English.

Program of Study. Each student must prepare and submit a program of study in conjunction with the chair and members of his or her supervisory committee during the first year in the program. The program of study consists of a minimum of 105 semester hours for students entering after the bachelor’s degree and 63 semester hours for students entering after the master’s degree. Of the 105 semester hours for a postbaccalaureate program, six are thesis credit and 24 are research and dissertation credit. Postbaccalaureate students complete a master’s-in-passing before advancing to their doctoral studies. Correspondingly, the 63 semester hours of the postmaster’s program include 24 semester hours of research and dissertation credit. The additional hours in both the postbaccalaureate and postmaster’s tracks involve

Foreign Language Requirements. None.

Evaluation and Comprehensive Examinations. Progress through the program involves (1) annual evaluations of the student’s performance and (2) comprehensive written examinations at the end of the student’s course work.

Dissertation Requirements. The doctoral dissertation must be a work of original scholarship, make a significant contribution to knowledge about families, and reflect a mastery of systemic research methods.

Final Examination. A final oral examination in defense of the dissertation is required.

Research Facilities. The department’s research facilities include a marital interaction laboratory, children’s social development laboratory, child development laboratory, and collaborative arrangements with the ASU Prevention Intervention Research Center. The Department of Family and Human Development also provides access to sophisticated microcomputing technology within the department as well as to centralized computing services at ASU. The department offers several fellowships that provide students with collaborative research experiences under the supervision of faculty members.