Master of Science in Family Studies
Website: https://twu.edu/human-development-family-studies-counseling/graduate-programs/family-studies/
A master's degree in Family Studies prepares students for careers that involve strengthening families and creating positive futures for everyone. Potential career fields include human services, family and social service agencies serving families, and parent or family life education.
The M.S. in Family Studies has been approved by the National Council on Family Relations (NCFR) as meeting the Standards and Criteria required for the provisional Certified Family Life Educator (CFLE) designation.
The M.S. in Family Studies may be completed up to 100% online as well as in an accelerated format.
Marketable Skills
Defined by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board's 60x30 Strategic Plan as, "Those skills valued by employers that can be applied in a variety of work settings, including interpersonal, cognitive, and applied skills areas. These skills can be either primary or complementary to a major and are acquired by students through education, including curricular, co-curricular, and extracurricular activities."
- Critically consume research literature.
- Leadership skills.
- Written communication skills.
- Critical thinking skills.
Admissions
All students must meet the University requirements as outlined in the Admission to the TWU Graduate School section of the catalog.
The academic program may have additional admission criteria that must also be completed as outlined on the program's website.
Degree Requirements
Total Semester Credit Hours Required
Thesis or Professional Paper Option: 33 semester credit hours (SCH)
Professional Portfolio Option: 34 semester credit hours (SCH)
Special Requirements
No grade below B is accepted towards any graduate degree in the Department of Human Development, Family Studies, and Counseling (HDFSC). If more than one grade below B is earned while enrolled in any HDFSC graduate program, the student will be dismissed from the program and will be ineligible to re-enroll in any program within the department for a period of six years.
Final Examination
In addition to the completion of a thesis, professional paper, or professional portfolio, students must participate in an oral defense of their product. The student's advisory committee reviews and evaluates the product and determines the outcome. The advisory committee should consist of three faculty members, all of whom must hold Graduate Faculty status, and at least two of whom must be faculty from the Family Studies program.
Certified Family Life Educator
The M.S. in Family Studies has been approved by the National Council on Family Relations (NCFR) as meeting the Standards and Criteria required for the provisional Certified Family Life Educator (CFLE) designation. Courses noted with an asterisk (*) must be completed in order to qualify for the abbreviated CFLE application process.
Thesis Option (33 SCH)
| Code | Title | SCHs |
|---|---|---|
| Core I | ||
| To be completed in first 2 semesters | ||
| HDFS 5003 | Lifespan Human Development (*) | 3 |
| HDFS 5123 | Theories of the Family (*) | 3 |
| Core II | ||
| HDFS 5823 | Families and Public Policy (*) | 3 |
| HDFS 5833 | Family Economics (*) | 3 |
| Core III | ||
| HDFS 5193 | Statistics for Family Sciences | 3 |
| HDFS 5693 | Research Methods in Family Sciences | 3 |
| Content Specialization | ||
| Select three of the following | 9 | |
| Family Sexuality (*) | ||
| Families as Consumers | ||
| Family Changes and Diversity (*) | ||
| Communication in Marriage and Family (*) | ||
| Adolescent Development Within the Family | ||
| Gender Role Development | ||
| Parenting Education (*) | ||
| Family Crises | ||
| Aging in Families and Society | ||
| Leadership and Staff Development in Family Sciences Programs | ||
| Housing and Families | ||
| Time Management for Families | ||
| Teaching Family Sciences (*) | ||
| Practicum in Family Sciences (*) | ||
| Professional Competency | ||
| Taken in final semesters | ||
| HDFS 5983 | Thesis | 3 |
| HDFS 5993 | Thesis | 3 |
| Total SCHs | 33 | |
Professional Paper Option (33 SCH)
| Code | Title | SCHs |
|---|---|---|
| Core I | ||
| To be completed in first 2 semesters | ||
| HDFS 5003 | Lifespan Human Development (*) | 3 |
| HDFS 5123 | Theories of the Family (*) | 3 |
| Core II | ||
| HDFS 5823 | Families and Public Policy (*) | 3 |
| HDFS 5833 | Family Economics (*) | 3 |
| Core III | ||
| HDFS 5193 | Statistics for Family Sciences | 3 |
| HDFS 5693 | Research Methods in Family Sciences | 3 |
| Content Specialization | ||
| Select four of the following | 12 | |
| Family Sexuality (*) | ||
| Families as Consumers | ||
| Family Changes and Diversity | ||
| Communication in Marriage and Family (*) | ||
| Adolescent Development Within the Family | ||
| Gender Role Development | ||
| Parenting Education (*) | ||
| Family Crises | ||
| Aging in Families and Society | ||
| Leadership and Staff Development in Family Sciences Programs | ||
| Housing and Families | ||
| Time Management for Families | ||
| Teaching Family Sciences (*) | ||
| Practicum in Family Sciences (*) | ||
| Professional Competency | ||
| Taken in final semester | ||
| HDFS 5973 | Professional Paper | 3 |
| Total SCHs | 33 | |
Professional Portfolio Option (34 SCH)
| Code | Title | SCHs |
|---|---|---|
| Core I | ||
| To be completed in first 2 semesters | ||
| HDFS 5003 | Lifespan Human Development (*) | 3 |
| HDFS 5123 | Theories of the Family (*) | 3 |
| Core II | ||
| HDFS 5823 | Families and Public Policy (*) | 3 |
| HDFS 5833 | Family Economics (*) | 3 |
| Core III | ||
| HDFS 5193 | Statistics for Family Sciences | 3 |
| HDFS 5693 | Research Methods in Family Sciences | 3 |
| Content Specialization | ||
| Select five of the following | 15 | |
| Family Sexuality (*) | ||
| Families as Consumers | ||
| Family Changes and Diversity (*) | ||
| Communication in Marriage and Family (*) | ||
| Adolescent Development Within the Family | ||
| Gender Role Development | ||
| Parenting Education (*) | ||
| Family Crises | ||
| Aging in Families and Society | ||
| Leadership and Staff Development in Family Sciences Programs | ||
| Housing and Families | ||
| Time Management for Families | ||
| Teaching Family Sciences (*) | ||
| Practicum in Family Sciences (*) | ||
| Professional Competency | ||
| Taken in final semester | ||
| HDFS 5931 | Professional Portfolio | 1 |
| Total SCHs | 34 | |
Family Resource Management Emphasis Option or Content Specialization
| Code | Title | SCHs |
|---|---|---|
| Family Resource Management Emphasis Option or Content Specialization | ||
| HDFS 5103 | Families as Consumers | 3 |
| HDFS 5713 | Housing and Families | 3 |
| HDFS 5803 | Time Management for Families | 3 |
| HDFS 5833 | Family Economics | 3 |
| HDFS 5843 | Teaching Family Sciences | 3 |
| HDFS 5933 | Practicum in Family Sciences | 3 |
| Total SCHs | 18 | |
