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Dec 05, 2025
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2025-2026 Graduate Catalog
Human Development and Family Science Major, MS
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Our human development and family science (HDFS) graduate programs are designed to train highly competent, culturally responsive scientists who will make significant contributions to society as scholars, educators, and professionals. Together, students and faculty in HDFS share a strong commitment to intellectual inquiry, methodological rigor, diversity and inclusion, and community engagement. A cornerstone idea for our HDFS 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.
Our MS in HDFS provides a broad foundation for understanding how individuals develop and families function in their community context. MS students are expected to engage in productive research culminating in a thesis or practicum community context. The degree prepares professionals for doctoral study or careers in community agencies serving individuals and families across the lifespan.
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Concentration (Required) and Option Available
Human Development and Family Science — Thesis, Coursework only with comprehensive exams Campus Code
Knoxville Campus Admissions Standards/Procedures
- 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
- Completion of three Graduate Rating Forms by individuals who can attest to the applicant’s potential for graduate education.
- Admission to the graduate program is contingent upon:
- Undergraduate/graduate GPA
- Rating forms
- Work experience
- 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.
Human Development and Family Science concentration, Thesis or Coursework Only With Comprehensive Exam Options
Credit Hours Required
37 graduate credit hours Required Courses
Human Development and Family Science Foundation Courses (12 credit hours) Non-Course Requirements
- Students must select a master’s committee chair and file a plan of study with the department head after 12 credit hours.
- Thesis Option: A minimum of two semesters is required for Master’s level research and thesis completion. The thesis is a written account of original research conducted by the Master’s student under the direction of their major professor and faculty committee. It serves as the culminating experience for thesis students.
- Coursework Only with Comprehensive Exams Option: Evaluation of core knowledge is achieved through a comprehensive examination of required coursework that allows the student to integrate knowledge across courses, including research methods and statistics. The comprehensive examination should be taken during the final semester of required coursework, typically before the start of the third year of doctoral work and prior to the dissertation proposal meeting.
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