Human Development and Family Science Major, MS

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.

Credit Hours Required

30 graduate credit hours

Human Development and Family Science Core (21 credit hours)

All students complete four HDFS required core courses and three HDFS electives selected in consultation with their major professor.

• HDFS 510 - Theories in Human Development
• HDFS 550 - Theories in Family Science
• HDFS 552 - Diversity in Children and Families
• HDFS 570 - Research Methods in Human Development and Family Science

• Human Development and Family Science Electives (9 credit hours)

  • The HDFS graduate credit hours are selected with guidance of the student’s major professor.
  • If approved by the program, students can substitute one HDFS Elective for a non-HDFS Elective.

Thesis Option (9 credit hours)

All students completing the thesis option must complete 3 credit hours in statistics (as approved by the program) and 6 credit hours of thesis.

• HDFS 500 - Thesis

• Approved statistics course (3 credit hours)

Practicum Option with Comprehensive Examination (9 credit hours)

All students completing the practicum option must complete 3 credit hours in statistics or applied research methods (as approved by the program) alongside 6 credit hours of practicum.

• HDFS 564 - Practicum in Human Development and Family Science I

• Approved statistics or research methods course (3 credit hours)

• HDFS 565 - Practicum in Human Development and Family Science II

Non-Course Requirements

• Students must select a major professor and file a plan of study with the HDFS Graduate Program Director after 12 credit hours.

• First year students must document completion of a non-credit Professional Development Checklist designed to ensure they are appropriately oriented to the disciplinary, department, college, and university context in which they will complete their studies. 

• 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.

• Practicum Option with Comprehensive Exam: For students selecting the practicum option, evaluation of core knowledge is achieved through a comprehensive examination of required coursework that allows the student to integrate practicum experience and knowledge across courses, including research methods and statistics. The comprehensive examination should be taken during the final semester of required coursework.

5- Year Accelerated Option - BS in Health and Human Sciences with Major in HDFS / MS in HDFS

The 5-year accelerated BS/MS program is designed for highly motivated and academically outstanding Human Development and Family Science (HDFS) majors who are invested in understanding, analyzing, and applying developmental and family science to promote optimal development and holistic well-being throughout the lifespan.  

This program offers students the opportunity to earn both both a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree with a major in HDFS and a Master of Science (MS) degree in HDFS (practicum option with comprehensive examination) within a five-year timeframe. The program is designed to provide students with the knowledge and skills needed to translate and apply basic and applied research and theory through community engagement, family life education, prevention and intervention sciences, and public policy advocacy. 

The core component of this program is that qualified students can apply up to 9 credit hours of graduate courses toward both their undergraduate and graduate degrees. This accelerates students’ academic and professional journeys and enhances their marketability after graduate school. 

Eligibility

The accelerated program is available to any student pursuing a BS in Health and Human Sciences with a major in Human Development and Family Science. Eligible candidates for conditional admission must:

1. Be declared as an HDFS Major
2. Have a minimum overall UT GPA of 3.3
   
3. Have a minimum overall GPA of 3.3 in all HDFS courses
4. Complete HDFS 210, 211, or 213; HDFS 220; and at least one 300- or 400-level HDFS course with at least a B grade. 

Full admission to the accelerated program may be granted after the completion of

1. 90 hours of required coursework for the BS with a minimum UT GPA of 3.3
2. at least 24 hours of HDFS coursework with a minimum GPA of 3.3
3. a grade of B or higher in in-porgress or completed one HDFS graduate courses.

Application and Admission Process

The application and admission process is a two-step process: 

1. (Spring of Junior Year) Submit Application to the Accelerated Program available on the CHDFS website or through the department office. Applications are due March 1 with notification of conditional acceptance by April 1. Note that acceptance into the accelerated program does not guarantee admission to the Graduate School or to the MS program.
2. (Fall of Senior Year) Submit formal Application to the MS in HDFS via standard Graduate School application procedures. Accelerated students may apply for summer or fall admission. Before selecting summer or fall admission, students should review the course offerings schedule and consult the HDFS Graduate Program Director to verify that a curricular pathway fits the desired timeline. We recommend consulting OneStop to ensure the curricular pathway is financially feasible. Refer to OneStop for Graduate Tuition and Fee schedule.

Approved Graduate Coursework

Students may use the “Senior Requesting Graduate Credit” process to complete up to 9 hours of graduate coursework that applies to both the undergraduate degree and the MS in HDFS.

• HDFS 510 - Theories in Human Development
• HDFS 550 - Theories in Family Science
• HDFS 552 - Diversity in Children and Families

• Another 3 credit hour HDFS graduate course approved by the program

5- Year Accelerated Option - Bachelor’s Degree with Minor in HDFS / MS in HDFS

The 5-year accelerated bachelor’s to MS program is designed for highly motivated and academically outstanding Human Development and Family Science (HDFS) minors who are invested in understanding, analyzing, and applying developmental and family science to promote optimal development and holistic well-being throughout the lifespan.  

This program offers students the opportunity to earn both a bachelor’s degree with a minor in HDFS and a Master of Science (MS) in HDFS (practicum option with comprehensive exam). The program is designed to provide students with the knowledge and skills needed to translate and apply basic and applied research and theory through community engagement, family life education, prevention and intervention sciences, and public policy advocacy. 

The core component of this program is that qualified students can apply up to 9 credit hours of graduate courses toward both their undergraduate and graduate degrees. This accelerates students’ academic and professional journeys and enhances their marketability after graduate school. 

Eligibility

The accelerated program is available to any student pursuing an undergraduate degree with a minor in Human Development and Family Science. Eligible candidates for conditional admission must:

1. Be declared as an HDFS minor
2. Have a minimum overall UT GPA of 3.3 
3. Have a minimum ovearll GPA of 3.3 in all HDFS courses
4. Complete HDFS 210, 211, or 213; HDFS 220; and at least one 300- or 400-level HDFS course with at least a B grade. 

Full admission to the accelerated program may be granted after:

1. completion of 90 hours of required coursework for the bachelor’s with a minimum UT GPA of 3.3
2. completion of at least 15 hours of HDFS courses with a minimum GPA of 3.3 
3. an earned grade of B or higher in in-progress or completed  HDFS graduate courses.

Application and Admission Process

The application and admission process is a two-step process: 

1. (Spring of Junior Year) Submit Application to the Accelerated Program available on the CHDFS website or through the department office. Applications are due March 1 with notification of conditional acceptance by April 1. Note that acceptance into the accelerated program does not guarantee admission to the Graduate School or to the MS program.
2. (Fall of Senior Year) Submit formal Application to the MS in HDFS via standard Graduate School application procedures. Accelerated students may apply for summer or fall admission. Before selecting summer or fall admission, students should review the course offerings schedule and consult the HDFS Graduate Program Director to verify that a curricular pathway fits the desired timeline. We recommend consulting OneStop to ensure the curricular pathway is financially feasible. Refer to OneStop for Graduate Tuition and Fee schedule.

Approved Graduate Coursework

Students may use the “Senior Requesting Graduate Credit” process to complete up to 9 hours of graduate coursework that applies to both the undergraduate degree and the MS in HDFS. Approved graduate courses in HDFS include:

• HDFS 510 - Theories in Human Development
• HDFS 550 - Theories in Family Science
• HDFS 552 - Diversity in Children and Families

• Another 3 credit hour HDFS graduate course approved by the program