Graduate Programs
The School of Family Studies and Human Services offers a multidisciplinary program that provides graduate training for master's and doctoral students. The professional specializations address broad issues concerning individuals and families, and the courses are taught by a faculty of sociologists and psychologists, educators and economists, health specialists and gerontologists, social workers, marriage and family therapists, speech language pathologists and audiologists. Extensive research and professional practice opportunities are provided through the centers operated by the School.
The School offers on-campus graduate work toward M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in a broad range of the human sciences and human services. The M.S. degree in family studies and human services includes specializations in communication sciences and disorders, early childhood education, family life education and consultation, life span human development, and marriage and family therapy. The school offers the following specializations leading to the Ph.D. degree in human ecology: family life education and consultation, life span human development, and marriage and family therapy.
In addition, the School offers distance and interinstitutional graduate programs in gerontology, personal financial planning and youth development.
Master's Degree Requirements and Programs
The M.S. degree requires a minimum of 30 to 55 semester hours of graduate work, depending upon the specialization. In addition to course work requirements, each student, depending upon his or her area of emphasis, is required to demonstrate competency through written work in the form of either (1) a thesis, (2) a report, or (3) successful completion of a written comprehensive examination. Each student is required to successfully complete both the written requirements and an oral defense.
- Communication Sciences and Disorders
- Early Childhood Education
- Family Life Education and Consultation
- Life Span Human Development
- Marriage and Family Therapy
Ph.D. Degree Requirements and Programs
The Ph.D. degree requires a minimum of 90 semester hours of credit beyond the bachelor's degree, including dissertation research for at least 30 semester hours. There are also specific requirements for each area of specialization. The number of hours from a previously completed master's degree which may be counted toward the 90-hour requirement is decided upon by the student's supervisory committee and reviewed by the K-State Graduate School. However, no more than 30 semester hours can be transferred from a completed master's degree to the Ph.D. program. After completion of most coursework, a student must take written exams and an oral exam for admission to candidacy. After passing all admission to candidacy exams, a student must work with his or her supervisory committee to develop an acceptable dissertation research proposal. After completion of the research and delivery of an accepted draft of a dissertation, a student is eligible to take the final oral exam. The Graduate School requires an interval of at least seven months between completion of the preliminary exams (admission to candidacy) and the final oral defense of the dissertation.