Human Development and Family Science
| www.ndsu.edu/hdfs/ |
Department Head: Dr. James Deal
Graduate Coordinator: Dr. Joel Hektner
Department Location: Evelyn Morrow Lebedeff Hall
Telephone Number: (701) 231-8268
Degrees Offered: M.S., Certificate
Application Deadline: One month prior to the beginning of each term. Applications accepted for fall, spring, and summer.
English Proficiency TOEFL ibT 100 (subscores of at least 24 for speaking and 21 for writing)
Requirements: IELTS 7
Program Description
Programs of study leading to a Graduate Certificate or the Master of Science degree are offered in 3 options: Family Financial Planning, Youth Development, and Gerontology. All of these options are available via a collaborative, inter-institutional program offered through online distance education. Each program requires a capstone practicum experience to complete the M.S. degree. Students can complete the M.S. programs in 2 to 3 years and the certificate programs in 1 calendar year.
The Family Financial Planning (FFP) M.S. option is a 36 credit program with a specific curriculum approved by the Certified Financial Planner (CFP) Board of Standards. Graduate certificates (18 credits) are available in Financial Planning and in Financial and Housing Counseling.
The Gerontology M.S. option requires 36 credits, and the Graduate Certificate requires 21 credits. An advanced degree in the field of Gerontology can benefit the professional in social work, nursing, counseling, recreation, public policy, long-term care administration, medicine, architecture, interior design, psychology, adult education, and rehabilitation therapy.
The Youth Development M.S. option requires 36 credits. Graduate Certificates (13 credits) are available in Youth Development and in Youth Program Management and Evaluation. Youth development is an emerging professional field. It has a positive orientation, meaning its focus is on promoting the positive development of youth, and it is an applied field, with professionals who put developmental research and theory into practice in structuring and implementing programs and services for adolescents.
Admission Requirements
In addition to the Graduate School’s required application requirements, the statement of purpose indicating reasons for pursuing graduate study, specifying your special interests within your chosen discipline and including your background preparation in that area. Mention any relevant skills or experience you have acquired. In addition, be sure to address the following, in 500 words or less:
- How your interest in this field developed.
- Why you chose our program at NDSU.
- The experiences you have had (e.g. informal, academic, employment, volunteer) that you see as related to this graduate program or your professional goals.
- What your professional goals are and how this graduate program will help you accomplish your professional goals.
Family Financial Planning Degree Option
| HDFS 677 | Financial Counseling | 3 |
| HDFS 740 | Theories & Research in Family Financial Planning I | 3 |
| HDFS 762 | Retirement Planning, Employee Benefits and the Family | 3 |
| HDFS 763 | Personal Income Taxation | 3 |
| HDFS 765 | Insurance Planning for Families | 3 |
| HDFS 766 | Estate Planning for Families | 3 |
| HDFS 769 | Financial Planning Case Studies | 3 |
| HDFS 770 | Fundamentals of Financial Planning | 3 |
| HDFS 771 | Investing for the Family's Future | 3 |
| HDFS 794 | Practicum/Internship | 6 |
| 3 addtional credits from | 3 | |
| Professional Practices in Family Financial Planning | ||
| Housing/Real Estate | ||
| Total Credits | 36 | |
Certificate in Family Financial Planning
| Financial Planning Option | ||
| HDFS 762 | Retirement Planning, Employee Benefits and the Family | 3 |
| HDFS 763 | Personal Income Taxation | 3 |
| HDFS 765 | Insurance Planning for Families | 3 |
| HDFS 766 | Estate Planning for Families | 3 |
| HDFS 769 | Financial Planning Case Studies | 3 |
| HDFS 771 | Investing for the Family's Future | 3 |
| Total Credits | 18 | |
| Financial and Housing Counseling Option | ||
| HDFS 677 | Financial Counseling | 3 |
| HDFS 764 | Family Economics | 3 |
| HDFS 768 | Housing/Real Estate | 3 |
| HDFS 770 | Fundamentals of Financial Planning | 3 |
| Select 6 credits of the following: | 6 | |
| Retirement Planning, Employee Benefits and the Family | ||
| Personal Income Taxation | ||
| Insurance Planning for Families | ||
| Estate Planning for Families | ||
| Investing for the Family's Future | ||
| Military Personal Financial Readiness | ||
| Issues and Theories in Family Science | ||
| Practicum/Internship | ||
| Total Credits | 18 | |
Gerontology Degree Option
| ADHM 665 | 3 | |
| HNES 652 | Nutrition, Health and Aging | 3 |
| HDFS 682 | Family Dynamics of Aging | 3 |
| HDFS 721 | Adult Development and Aging | 3 |
| HDFS 722 | Methods and Theories in Gerontology | 3 |
| HDFS 723 | Perspectives in Gerontology | 3 |
| HDFS 729 | Professional Seminar in Gerontology | 3 |
| HDFS 760 | Aging Policy | 3 |
| HDFS 794 | Practicum/Internship | 6 |
| 6 additional credits to be approved by advisor and committee | 6 | |
| Total Credits | 36 | |
Certificate in Gerontology
| HNES 652 | Nutrition, Health and Aging | 3 |
| HDFS 721 | Adult Development and Aging | 3 |
| HDFS 722 | Methods and Theories in Gerontology | 3 |
| HDFS 723 | Perspectives in Gerontology | 3 |
| HDFS 729 | Professional Seminar in Gerontology | 3 |
| Select two of the following (or from electives approved by your committee): | 6 | |
ADHM 665 | ||
| Family Dynamics of Aging | ||
| Aging Policy | ||
| Total Credits | 21 | |
Youth Development Degree Option
| HDFS 710 | Foundations of Youth Development | 1 |
| HDFS 711 | Youth Development | 3 |
| HDFS 712 | Community Youth Development | 3 |
| HDFS 713 | Adolescents and Their Families | 3 |
| HDFS 714 | Contemporary Youth Issues * | 3 |
| HDFS 715 | Youth in Cultural Contexts | 3 |
| HDFS 716 | Youth Professionals as Consumers of Research | 3 |
| HDFS 717 | Program Design, Implementation and Evaluation | 3 |
| HDFS 718 | Administration and Program Management | 3 |
| HDFS 719 | Youth Policy | 3 |
| HDFS 794 | Practicum/Internship | 5 |
| 3 additional credits to be approved by adviser and committee | 3 | |
| Total Credits | 36 | |
Certificate in Youth Development
| HDFS 710 | Foundations of Youth Development | 1 |
| Select 4 courses from the following | 12 | |
| Youth Development | ||
| Community Youth Development | ||
| Adolescents and Their Families | ||
| Contemporary Youth Issues | ||
| Youth in Cultural Contexts | ||
| Youth Policy | ||
| Total Credits | 13 | |
Certificate in Youth Program Management and Evaluation
| HDFS 710 | Foundations of Youth Development | 1 |
| Select 4 courses from the following: | 12 | |
| Contemporary Youth Issues | ||
| Youth Professionals as Consumers of Research | ||
| Program Design, Implementation and Evaluation | ||
| Administration and Program Management | ||
| Youth Policy | ||
| Total Credits | 13 | |
| * | This course may be taken more than once, as long as the topic areas are different each time. |
Kristen Benson, Ph.D.
Virginia Polytechnical Institute and State University, 2008
Research Interests: Gender Identity and Family/Partner Relationships, Diversity Issues in Family Therapy, Collaborative Approaches to Family Therapy Education and Training, and Qualitative Methodology
Elizabeth Blodgett Salafia, Ph.D.
University of Notre Dame, 2008
Research Interests: Family and Peer Influences on Adolescents' Disordered Eating Attitudes and Behaviors
Sean Brotherson, Ph.D.
Oregon State University, 2000
Research Interests: Parenting; Family Life Education
Thomas Carlson, Ph.D.
Iowa State University, 2000
Research Interests: Family Therapy Training & Supervision; Fathering
James E. Deal, Ph.D.
University of Georgia, 1987
Research Interests: Personality Development in Children; Research Methods
Margaret Fitzgerald, Ph.D.
Iowa State University, 1997
Research Interests: Birth-timing & Economic Outcomes; The Interface Between Family Business & The Family
Heather Fuller-Iglesias, Ph.D.
University of Michigan, 2009
Research Interests: Social Support and Family Dynamics Across the Lifespan; Psychosocial Aging; Cultural Contexts
Joel Hektner, Ph.D.
University of Chicago, 1996
Research Interests: Alcohol/Drug Abuse Prevention; Delinquency; Peer Affiliation Patterns/ Influences on Behavior
Virginia L. Clark Johnson, Ph.D.
Pennsylvania State University, 1984
Research Interests: Work and Family
Christie McGeorge, Ph.D.
University of Minnesota, 2005
Research Interests: Family Caregiving; Family Wellness; Premarital Counseling
Melissa Lunsman O'Connor, Ph.D.
University of South Florida, 2010
Research Interests: Cognitive and Functional Aging in Healthy and Clinical Populations; Older Drivers; Research Methods; Attitudes toward Dementia
Brandy A. Randall, Ph.D.
University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2002
Research Interests: Prosocial & Moral Development; Relationships; Positive/Problem Behaviors
Gregory F. Sanders, Ph.D.
University of Georgia, 1983
Research Interests: Later Life Families; Family Strengths
Rebecca Woods, Ph.D.
Texas A&M University, 2006
Research Interests: Perception and cognition in infancy; object processing; multimodal processing; early gender differences
Adjunct
Wendy Troop-Gordon, Ph.D.
University of Illinois, 2002
Research Interests: Peer Relationships in Childhood; Social-cognitive Development; Psycho-social and School Adjustment
