Graduate Degree Program Summary

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Graduate Degrees Offered

M.S.; Ph.D.*
M.S. Specializations - what's a specialization?
  • Child Development and Early Childhood Education
  • Family Financial Planning (online only)
  • Family and Community Services
  • Family and Consumer Sciences Education (online only)
  • Human and Family Services Administration
  • International Family Studies
  • Marriage and Family Therapy
  • Youth Development (online only)
Ph.D. Specializations - what's a specialization?
  • Child, Youth and Family Studies
  • Gerontology
  • Medical Family Therapy

*Ph.D. available in Human Sciences with specializations listed above.


Distance Education Opportunities

M.S. with these specializations only:
  • Family Financial Planning
  • Family and Consumer Sciences Education
  • Human and Family Services Administration
  • Youth Development


Child, Youth and Family Studies

  • On the Web
    Department Website
  • Graduate Chair
    Dr. Julia Torquati
  • Graduate Secretary
    Ms. Lisa King
    lking2@unl.edu
    402-472-7787
  • Department Address
    135 Mabel Lee Hall
    Lincoln NE 68588-0236


Application Checklist and Deadlines

Required by the Office of Graduate Studies


See also: US steps to admission or international steps to admission.

Required by Child, Youth and Family Studies in GAMES

After you apply, allow one business day for us to establish your access to GAMES, where you'll complete these departmental requirements:

  • Entrance exam(s):
    Great Plains Idea Online Master's Program:  None - Exception: PPST Required for Family & Consumer Sciences ED
    Otherwise:  GRE required for all PhD applicants and MS applicants to Marriage and Family Therapy; Child Development and Early Childhood Education; and Human and Family Services Administration
  • Minimum TOEFL:  Paper-550  Internet-80
  • Three recommendation letters
  • Department intent form (M.S./Ph.D.)
  • Sample of writing or research (Ph.D. only)
  • Professional goals statement
  • Resume or vitae

Application Deadline

Ph.D. All Specializations
   Fall: January 10
M.S. Specialization in Marriage and Family Therapy
   Fall: January 10
M.S. in Child Development and Early Childhood Education
   Fall: April 15   Spring: October 15   Summer: January 15   

Some master's specializations have rolling admissions, contact the department for more information.

Note: Graduate assistantship and fellowship applications for master's and Ph.D. applicants are due February 1. Contact the department for more information.



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Description

The Department of Child, Youth and Family Studies offers graduate programs leading to the M.S. in family sciences; child development; marriage and family therapy; human and family services administration; and family and consumer sciences education; or the Ph.D. in human sciences with a specialization in child, youth and family studies; gerontology; and medical family therapy. Online master's programs through the Great Plains Interactive Distance Education Alliance (GPIDEA) include specializations in family financial planning, family consumer sciences education, and youth development.

Students have access to the Family Resource Center and the Ruth Staples Child Development Laboratory. The Family Resource Center is a nonprofit facility that provides marriage and family therapy on site and to Western Nebraska through distance delivery. The Child Development Lab's programs are among the 9% in the nation accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and have been in operation since 1925.



Courses and More

The Graduate Bulletin provides course descriptions, program requirements, and more:


Faculty and Research

Adolescent Sexual Behavior; Cross-Cultural Mate Selection
 
Mental Health Services for Underserved Populations; Collaborative Health Care
 
Children's Play; Well-Being of Rural Families; Home and Childcare Connections
 
Marginalized Populations; Prostituted Women; Rural and Immigrant Populations
 
Children's Social Behaviors in Diverse Cultures
 
Latino Adolescent Mental Health Issues; Latino Family Dynamics
 
Early Childhood Education; Academic and Social Competence; Attitude Development
 
Financial Literacy and Planning; Working-Poor Definition and Profile
 
Tori Molfese vCard icon
Childrens Learning; Brain Behavior Indicators of Cognitive Development; Emergent Literacy
 
International Early Childhood Education; Social and Moral Development in Cultural Context
 
Intervention Programs for Vulnerable Children; Language and Literacy Development
 
Family Therapy; Impact of Chronic Stressors; LGBT Families
 
Early Childhood Development
 
Collaborative Healthcare
 
Child Development; Early Childhood Education; Environmental Education
 
Immigrant Youth Behavioral and Mental Health; Adolescent Substance Abuse
 

Departments: Have an update for this page? Contact Justina Clark.

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln does not discriminate based on gender, age, disability, race, color, religion, marital status, veteran's status, national or ethnic origin, or sexual orientation.