Human Development and Family Studies, Ph.D.
For information regarding deadlines and requirements for admission, please see https://grs.uncg.edu/programs/.
In addition to a review of the admission materials required by The Graduate School, applicants must submit:
- A 1-3 page professional statement to explain their:
- Reasons for pursuing graduate study in HDFS,
- Previous experience and training in HDFS or related fields,
- Professional goals,
- Primary areas of research interest, and
- 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).
Based on the review of submitted materials, select applicants are invited to visit campus for an interview day, after which final admissions decisions are made. The HDFS Graduate Committee considers the compatibility of the student’s interest areas with those of the faculty and with curriculum emphasis, as well as the student’s availability for full-time graduate study.
Degree Program Requirements
Required: 78-84 credit hours (direct entry with a bachelor's degree); 45-51 credit hours (entry with prior master's degree with a thesis)
Students Entering with a Bachelor's Degree
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core Required Courses (12 credits) | ||
| HDF 651 | Contemporary Research in Human Development | 3 |
| HDF 652 | Theories of Human Development and Family Studies | 3 |
| HDF 653 | Contemporary Research in Family Studies | 3 |
| HDF 656 | Race, Class, and Culture | 3 |
| Foundational Methods and Statistics (9 credits) | ||
| HHS 625 | Research Methods in the Health and Human Sciences | 3 |
| ERM 781 | Design and Analysis of Educational Experiments | 3 |
| ERM 782 | Multivariate Analysis | 3 |
| Professional Preparation and Development (6 credits) | ||
| HDF 640 | Professional Seminar | 1 |
| HDF 661 | Professional Seminar II | 2 |
| HDF 745 | College Teaching in Human Development and Family Studies | 3 |
| Thesis (6 credits) | ||
| HDF 699 | Thesis | 6 |
| Area of Specialization (12 credits) 1 | ||
| Development Area | ||
| Select one course (3 credits) from the following: | 3 | |
| Contemporary Topics in Human Development and Family Studies | ||
| Social and Emotional Development | ||
| Cognitive Development in Young Children | ||
| Infant Development | ||
| Seminar in Adolescence | ||
| Psychobiology of Human Development and Family Processes | ||
| Family Studies Area | ||
| Select one course (3 credits) from the following: | 3 | |
| Contemporary Topics in Human Development and Family Studies | ||
| Seminar in Parent-Child Relations | ||
| Families in Middle and Later Life | ||
| Divorce, Remarriage, Cohabitation | ||
| Close Relationships in Adulthood | ||
| Sociocultural Context Area | ||
| Select one course (3 credits) from the following: | 3 | |
| Contemporary Topics in Human Development and Family Studies | ||
| Cross-Cultural Perspectives on Child Development | ||
| Structured Electives | ||
| Select one course (3 credits) of structured electives from 600- or 700-level HDF content courses 2 | 3 | |
| Statistics and Methodology (12 credits) | ||
| HDF 756 | Advanced Research Design in Human Development and Family Studies | 3 |
| Select one course (3 credits) in quantitative statistics or methodology | 3 | |
| Select one course (3 credits) in qualitative statistics or methodology | 3 | |
| Select one additional course (3 credits) in statistics or methodology | 3 | |
| Professional Development/Teaching Practicum (9 credits) 3 | ||
| HDF 745 | College Teaching in Human Development and Family Studies | 3 |
| HDF 750 | Professional Seminar III | 3 |
| HDF 765 | College Teaching Practicum in Human Development and Family Studies II | 3 |
| Dissertation (12-18 credits) | ||
| HDF 799 | Dissertation | 12-18 |
| Total Credit Hours | 78-84 | |
- 1
Specific offerings of HDF 703 will be eligible for inclusion in target areas specified by the department.
- 2
Students may select structured electives from 600-level HDF content courses with prior approval.
- 3
All doctoral students will complete a two-semester teaching practicum supervised by a graduate faculty mentor. The practicum requires the student to serve as an assistant, then as a co-instructor of a course (or courses) at the 100, 200, 300, or 400 level.
Students Entering with a Master's Degree (with Thesis)
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 direct entry Ph.D. program. Assessment of prerequisite courses occurs at the time of admission to the program. These requirements must be fulfilled in addition to completing the course work and dissertation requirements shown below.
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Area of Specialization (12 credits) 1 | ||
| Development Area | ||
| Select one course (3 credits) from the following: | 3 | |
| Contemporary Topics in Human Development and Family Studies | ||
| Social and Emotional Development | ||
| Cognitive Development in Young Children | ||
| Infant Development | ||
| Seminar in Adolescence | ||
| Psychobiology of Human Development and Family Processes | ||
| Family Studies Area | ||
| Select one course (3 credits) from the following: | 3 | |
| Contemporary Topics in Human Development and Family Studies | ||
| Seminar in Parent-Child Relations | ||
| Families in Middle and Later Life | ||
| Divorce, Remarriage, Cohabitation | ||
| Close Relationships in Adulthood | ||
| Sociocultural Context Area | ||
| Select one course (3 credits) from the following: | 3 | |
| Contemporary Topics in Human Development and Family Studies | ||
| Cross-Cultural Perspectives on Child Development | ||
| Structured Electives | ||
| Select one course (3) credits of structured electives from 600- or 700-level HDF content courses 2 | 3 | |
| Professional Development/Teaching Practicum (9 credits) 3 | ||
| HDF 745 | College Teaching in Human Development and Family Studies | 3 |
| HDF 750 | Professional Seminar III | 3 |
| HDF 765 | College Teaching Practicum in Human Development and Family Studies II | 3 |
| Statistics and Methodology (12 credits) | ||
| HDF 756 | Advanced Research Design in Human Development and Family Studies | 3 |
| Select one course (3 credits) in quantitative statistics or methodology | 3 | |
| Select one course (3 credits) in qualitative statistics or methodology | 3 | |
| Select one course (3 credits) in statistics or methodology | 3 | |
| Dissertation (12-18 credits) | ||
| HDF 799 | Dissertation | 12-18 |
| Total Credit Hours | 45-51 | |
- 1
Specific offerings of HDF 703 will be eligible for inclusion in target areas specified by the department.
- 2
Students may select structured electives from 600-level HDF content courses with prior approval.
- 3
All doctoral students will complete a two-semester teaching practicum supervised by a graduate faculty mentor. The practicum requires the student to serve as an assistant, then as a co-instructor, of a course (or courses) at the 100, 200, 300, or 400 level.
Required Milestones*
- Residency (Immersion)
- Plan of Study
- Research Competency
- Comprehensive Exam (Written & Oral)
- Dissertation Proposal
- Admission to Candidacy
- Dissertation Defense
- Filing the Final Approved Dissertation
- *
General information about milestones for doctoral programs is available in Section III of the Graduate Policies page in the University Catalog. For information about how milestones are accomplished for a specific program, please refer to the doctoral program's handbook.