Graduate Program Overview

Admission and Application
International Graduate Student Center
Scholarship Information
Research and Facilities
Course Descriptions
ITA English Proficency Website for International Students
Graduate Student Handbook Online

    The graduate program in Human Development and Family Sciences (HDFS) consists of 16 primary faculty members, 6 associated faculty members from related departments. and approximately 30 graduate students. As a small program within a large university, it couples an intimate graduate experience with the facilities and intellectual stimulation of a major research university. International students, both undergraduate and graduate should first contact the International Graduate Student Center for information on application to the University of Texas at Austin. They will then assist you with applications to the various programs.

    Initiated in 1962, the program is interdisciplinary and confers both masters and doctoral degrees. It emphasizes advanced study of relationships within families, the development of children and adults in those relationships, and the social and economic conditions that influence both individuals and relationships. As their graduate training proceeds, students in the program tend to emphasize either child development or adult relationships.

    However, the processes that shape children and adults overlap considerably and the interdependencies between them both define families and determine their impact. Thus, the program maintains no separate specializations. Although a variety of applied experiences and internships are available, the program's principal focus is research and research training. Students participate in ongoing faculty research from the moment they enter the program and gradually acquire the skills needed to do research independently. HDFS students use this training to enter teaching and research careers in colleges and universities; in private, governmental, and philanthropic organizations; and in organizations that develop or implement programs for children and families.

    The program brings together a group of faculty members who, on the one hand, are all interested in how children and families function yet, on the other, bring to bear different perspectives and approaches. Aside from an emphasis on the scientific method, the program stresses no one theoretical or methodological slant. Life span developmental, attachment, interdependence, social learning, attribution, information-processing, dynamic family systems, action control, and role theories are just some of the diverse theoretical perspectives represented among the faculty. In terms of methods, the faculty vary from those who specialize in microanalytic approaches - for example, use log-sequential analyses to assess frame-by-frame the interactions of family members - to those who specialize in macroanalytic approaches - for example, use multilevel modeling on large national surveys to understand social conditions that affect child and family well-being. The intersection of these disparate theories and methods in a collegial environment makes for a graduate experience that promotes a broad-based and rigorous understanding of the field. Although the Ph.D. program can be completed in four years, typically students finish the program in five. Students typically complete the masters degree in two years.