Overview

In this Human Development and Family Studies graduate program at Pennsylvania State University there is a strong interest in the ways in which social institutions and settings such as day care facilities, schools, neighborhoods, and social policy institutions facilitate (or inhibit) opportunities for development and change for individuals and families.

Understanding the characteristics and conditions that place individuals or families at risk for developing problems, designing effective prevention programs to address those risks, and mounting rigorous evaluations of such programs is a growing emphasis in the program.

All students, regardless of substantive area, are encouraged to develop strong skills in research methods, a hallmark of our graduate training.

Through course work and apprenticeship experiences, students develop an understanding of the program's multidisciplinary life span/life course, and applied orientation.

As students progress through the program, they are expected to develop specialized expertise in two or more of the department's areas of concentration: individual development, family studies, intervention research, and research methods.

Learning outcomes

Graduates will demonstrate an understanding of core theories and methods related to lifespan development, family process, and prevention science.
Graduates will demonstrate skills in statistics and research methods with an emphasis on selecting and applying methods in conjunction with theory specific to their area of study.
Graduates will demonstrate a mastery of the literature in their research area and an ability to integrate and communicate knowledge across at least 2 core department areas.
Graduates will communicate, in both written and oral formats, the importance and relevance of a research topic as well as the implications research results have for the field.
Graduates will demonstrate the ability to develop independent research questions to be addressed empirically, conduct the empirical analyses, and convey findings in a manner suitable for dissemination to the field.
Graduates will comply with standard ethical regulations regarding the conduct of research, knowledge of ethical guidelines regarding the analysis and publication of scientific research.

Programme Structure

Courses include:

Human Development Across the Lifespan
Human Development Intervention: Analysis of Theories and Approaches
Methods of Research in Human Development
Methods of Statistical Analysis in Human Development
Family Disorganization: Stress Points in the Contemporary Family
Professional Issues in Human Development and Family Studies
Applied Statistics Laboratory

Key information

Duration

Full-time
- 12 months

Start dates & application deadlines

Starting 2027-08-25 00:00:00
- Apply before 2027-04-25 00:00:00 , International

More details

International applicants are encouraged to submit materials at least four months before the beginning of the semester for which they are applying.

Language

English

TOEFL^® IBT

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IELTS

6.5

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Credits

31 SCH

Delivered

On Campus

Campus Location

University Park, United States

Disciplines

Family & Consumer Science View 208 other Masters in Family & Consumer Science in United States

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Academic requirements

GPA

GRE^®

Required

English requirements

TOEFL^® IBT

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IELTS

6.5

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Other requirements

General requirements

Entering students should have some course work in social sciences, such as developmental and family science courses from psychology or sociology programs; and foundational courses in research methods and statistics.
A grade point average of at least 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale)
All international applicants must take and submit scores for the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or the IELTS

Tuition Fees

Tuition fees are shown in and the most likely applicable fee is shown based on your nationality.

International Applies to you

Applies to you

Non-residents

46796 USD / year

≈ 46796 USD / year
Out-of-State

46796 USD / year

≈ 46796 USD / year
Domestic

Applies to you

In-State

25966 USD / year

≈ 25966 USD / year

Living costs

University Park

United States

1000 - 1500 USD / month

The living costs include the total expenses per month, covering accommodation, public transportation, utilities (electricity, internet), books and groceries.

Financing

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Funding

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Win a €10000 Scholarship! Deadline: 30 June 2020

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Scholarships Information

Below you will find Master's scholarship opportunities for Human Development and Family Studies.

Available Scholarships

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On this page

About

Overview

Learning outcomes

Programme Structure

Key information

Duration

Start dates & application deadlines

Language

Prepare for Your English Test

Credits

Delivered

Campus Location

Disciplines

What students do after studying

Academic requirements

English requirements

Prepare for Your English Test

Other requirements

General requirements

Tuition Fees

International Applies to you

Domestic

Living costs

University Park

Financing

Funding

Need help with your student visa?

Scholarships Information

Available Scholarships

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