Graduate study in HDFS shares foundations in psychology but focuses on human development and interrelationships among families and cultures across the lifespan. Many of our students come from backgrounds in behavioral science, education, and health fields to specialize their skills in individual development, family theories, current research and issues in HDFS, and research methods.

Our master’s program emphasizes the value of research so all our graduate students complete a thesis.

We built flexibility into both specializations so you can focus on particular age ranges, such as early childhood, adolescence, or adulthood and aging. You can also earn an M.S. in Human Development and Family Studies while earning a Ph.D. in Applied Development Science.