The graduate program prepares scholars to define problems and conduct innovative and rigorous research that informs policies and practices aimed at promoting the health and well-being of individuals and families.

A central focus of the program is to develop skills to study the complex interplay of biological, developmental, interpersonal, and contextual determinants that protect and/or undermine the health and well-being of individuals and families across their life course. The doctoral program emphasizes integration and critical evaluation of research as well as the use of sophisticated methodologies that advance discovery and implementation of novel approaches to better the lives of individuals and families across multiple social contexts.