Child and Family Studies

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https://cfs.utk.edu/

Mary Jane Moran, Head

Professor Emeritus
Barber, B., PhD – Brigham Young
Blanton, P., EdD – Tennessee
Fox, G., PhD – Michigan
Nordquist, V.M., PhD – Tennessee
Twardosz, S., PhD – Kansas

Professors
Fouts, H., PhD – Washington State
Moran, M., PhD – New Hampshire
Stolz, H., PhD – Brigham Young

Associate Professors
Jaekel, J., PhD – Ruhr University Bochum
Johnson, E., PhD – Michigan
Madrid Akpovo, S., PhD – Ohio State
Olmstead, S., PhD – Florida State
Rauer, A.J., PhD – Michigan
Smith, D., PhD – Oklahoma State

Assistant Professors
Haselschwerdt, M., PhD – Illinois (Urbana-Champagne)
Quinn, M., PhD – Georgia State

Affiliated Associate Professor
Devereaux, M., PhD – Tennessee

Affiliated Assistant Professor
Wallace, H., PhD – Tennessee

Clinical Assistant Professor
Fitzgerald, K., PhD – Tennessee
Hunter, S., PhD – Tennessee

ECE Internship Coordinators
Adkins, J., MS, EdS – Tennessee (Lincoln Memorial)
Stott, A.M., MS - Tennessee

Early Learning Center, Director
Brookshire, R., PhD – Tennessee

Community Outreach Practicum Coordinator
Sams, J., PhD – Tennessee
 

The Department of Child and Family Studies provides both master’s and doctoral degrees. Our graduate programs are based on the model of the empirically-based professional or social scientist. Graduate students learn to conduct research on child development, family studies, and educational environments in accordance with established standards of scientific inquiry and evaluation. Child and family studies graduate programs seek to produce researchers, scholars, and educators who are capable of independent investigation of family and developmental processes. Students also receive training in how to conduct scientifically-based assessments of prevention, intervention and educational strategies. Many opportunities exist in child and family studies for graduate students to become involved in research on children, youth, and families. The central premise of graduate programs in child and family studies is the idea that scientific inquiry provides the most effective means to improve the welfare of children, youth and families.

A cornerstone idea for child and family studies graduate programs is development in context, or the perspective that human development is best understood in terms of interconnections among families, neighborhoods, schools, communities, cultures, and international environments. A more specific focus within this development in context perspective is an emphasis on children, youth, and families at risk.  Together, these two themes, development in context and children, youth, and families at risk, are the foundations upon which our graduate curriculum options are structured.

Admission

Complete and submit formal online application to the Graduate Admissions Office, along with the application fee. For the department, a completed file for review includes a departmental application, Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores for the general section, and completion of three Graduate Rating Forms by individuals who can attest to the applicant’s potential for graduate education. Forms may be obtained from the department or departmental link on the college website. Note: the GRE is not required for applicants to the MS- Teacher Licensure Pre-K-3 concentration.

Admission to the graduate program is contingent upon faculty evaluation of GRE scores (Not Applicable for Teacher Licensure (PreK-3) concentration), undergraduate/graduate GPA, rating forms, work experience, and the match between student’s goals and department’s foci. Prerequisites for admission to the master’s program are 9 credit hours of upper-division undergraduate social science.

Prerequisites to the doctoral program are a master’s degree from a regionally accredited institution or equivalent, completion of the 12 credit hour foundation core in the child and family studies master’s program, 3 credit hours of computationally-based, graduate-level statistics, and completion of a thesis as part of the master’s degree.

Exceptional applicants with only an undergraduate degree may be considered by the CFS Graduate Committee for direct admittance to the Ph.D. program if they wish. Such applicants must have undergraduate research experience relevant to Child and Family Studies, focused research interests, and a strong academic record. Students who are admitted without a master’s degree will complete requirements for the thesis-based MS degree as part of their program of study. If in good standing after completing the MS program requirements, and under the recommendation of their MS committee, these students will proceed directly into the PhD program.

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