Skip to Content
University of Delaware
Education & Human Development

Human Development and Family Sciences

Main Menu
  • About
    • Chair’s Welcome
    • Catalyst Newsletter
    • Contact Us
    • Make a Gift
    • Close
  • News & Events
    • News
    • Events
    • Colloquia Series
    • Podcasts
    • Bulletin Board
    • Close
  • Undergraduate Programs
      • Major in Early Childhood Education
      • Major in Human Services
      • Major in Human Relations Administration
      • Minor in HDFS
      • Minor in Medical Social Services
      • Transfer Information
      • Prospective Students
      • Current Student Resources
      • Scholarships and Awards
      • Academic Advisement
      • Global Opportunities
      • Student Organizations
      • Undergraduate Internship Opportunities
    • Close
  • Graduate Programs
      • 4+1 Programs
      • M.S. in Human Development and Family Sciences
      • M.A. in Early Childhood Development and Programming
      • Interdisciplinary M.A. Leadership in Disability Services
      • Master’s Program Partnerships
      • Ph.D. in Human Development and Family Sciences
      • Prospective Students
      • Current Student Resources
      • PhD Directory
      • Student Spotlights
      • Alumni Success Stories
      • Awards and Scholarships
      • HDFS Grad Student Development and Discovery Series
      • Graduate Student Associations
    • Close
  • Global Opportunities
    • Study Abroad Programs
    • Human Services Internships
    • Student Teaching Abroad
    • Partnerships and Research
    • Close
  • Centers & Services
  • Research
    • Research Areas
    • Graduate Research Opportunities
    • Undergraduate Research Opportunities
    • Steele Symposium (CEHD)
    • Close
  • Faculty & Staff
Two students working on their laptops

M.S. in Human Development and Family Sciences

Students complete an MS through a combination of coursework, service-learning, theory and research. This program is geared toward working professionals and other individuals who are interested in continuing their graduate studies and would like to acquire new or additional expertise in early childhood education, adolescent development and emerging adulthood, nonprofit programs for children, adults, and their families, and management and leadership. The M.S. program emphasizes risk-and- resilience, multi-cultural issues, disabilities, and prevention and intervention. Students are accepted on both a full-time and part-time basis.

This program offers three concentrations.

(Students can also choose electives that provide depth within a specialization area.)

Adolescent and Youth Development/Research

Early Childhood Development and Inclusive Education

Human Services Leadership

Valuable, interdisciplinary training

This program offers advanced research-based training in child development and human services leadership, including a partnership with the School of Public Policy and Administration that provides additional content valuable to students seeking non-profit careers in administration of human services programs. This program is also attractive to students who wish to gain content knowledge related to human development before entering the workforce and professionals seeking to advance in careers in research, non-profit agencies, state government, and early childhood centers.

Two doctoral students speak with a professor
Professional development resources

The HDFS Graduate Student Brown Bag series is a monthly professional development series organized by graduate students. Monthly topics are carefully chosen based on graduate student needs and interests and have included subjects such as writing grants, attending and presenting at professional conferences, navigating sensitive academic conversations, instructing undergraduate courses, and securing non-academic positions post-graduation.

Adolescent and Youth Development/Research Concentration Course Requirements

Adolescent and Youth Development/Research Concentration

Course requirement Credit hours
HDFS 601  Theories of Human Development 3
HDFS 615  Research Methods 3
HDFS 621  Family Studies 1: Empirical and Theoretical Perspectives 3
HDFS 637  Program Planning, Assessment and Evaluation 3
EDUC 665  Elementary Statistics 3
600/800  Statistics Course 3
HDFS 600/800  Electives in area of interest 6
HDFS 869  Thesis or Field Experience with project/portfolio 6
Total 30

Early Childhood Development and Inclusive Education Concentration Course Requirements

Early Childhood Development and Inclusive Education Concentration

Course requirement Credit hours
HDFS 601  Theories of Human Development 3
HDFS 615  Research Methods 3
HDFS 621  Family Studies 1: Empirical and Theoretical Perspectives 3
HDFS 637  Program Planning, Assessment and Evaluation 3
EDUC 665  Elementary Statistics 3
HDFS 600/800  Interest Electives in Early Childhood Education 12
HDFS 869  Thesis or Field Experience with project/portfolio 6
Total 33

Human Services Leadership Concentration Course Requirements

Human Services Leadership Concentration

Course requirements Credit hours
HDFS 601  Theories of Human Development 3
HDFS 615  Research Methods 3
HDFS 621  Family Studies 1: Empirical and Theoretical Perspectives 3
HDFS 637  Program Planning, Assessment and Evaluation 3
EDUC 665  Elementary Statistics 3
600/800  Statistics 6
HDFS 869  Thesis or Theoretical paper w/ Field Experience 6
Restricted Electives: Choose 3 of the following courses Credit hours
HDFS 642  Leadership in Human Services 3
HDFS 669  Supervised Field Experience 3
UAPP 693  Public Economics 3
UAPP 694  Financial Management in Public and Nonprofit Sectors 3
UAPP 696  Human Resources in Public and Nonprofit Organizations 3
UAPP 697  Leading Organizations in Public and Nonprofit Sectors 3
UAPP 698  Management Decision Making in Public & Nonprofit
Sectors
3
Total 33

Student Outcomes

Graduates of the M.S. program have been successful in gaining employment in their chosen career paths, which include research and human services leadership positions. The majority of these graduates remain in an academic setting for their jobs, working to support research or service activities. Others are enrolled in doctoral programs at the University of Delaware or another institution, including the University of Alabama, Virginia Tech, and Drexel University. Nonprofit organizations and consulting firms are also frequent career destinations for our graduates.

Program Admissions Requirements

  • Application Deadline: December 15
  • Transcripts of all previous academic work: Undergraduate cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 with a major GPA of at least 3.25; Graduate cumulative GPA of at least 3.5
  • Three letters of reference;
  • A personal statement essay that demonstrates alignment between the candidate’s statement of objectives and interests and the department’s capacity and available mentors;
  • For international applicants, whose first language is not English, a Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) iBT score of 100 or a score of 7.0 on the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is required.
    • For the coming admission year (2020-2021), HDFS graduate program admissions will accept the virtual language assessment test iTEP Academic-Plus as a valid alternative measure of language proficiency. The minimum score required is 4.5.
  • All candidates must participate in an interview.

Scholarships & Awards

Scholarships & Awards

Full-time graduate students may qualify for financial aid, assistantships, and scholarships to help offset the cost of tuition, housing, and other expenses. Graduate students are also eligible to be nominated for several competitive merit-based financial awards.

Tuition and Financial Aid

HDFS Graduate Awards & Scholarships

Imani Lawson

The academic quality of the University of Delaware, and in particular the human development and family sciences department, is unquestionable. The guidance and advice I have received has been invaluable to my success in this program. My professors set the bar high and then they do everything in their power to help me reach it. I feel supported not only in this program but also as a future researcher that will be in the field one day.

Imani Lawson

Learn More About Imani

Request More Information

Apply Online

Student Spotlights

Schedule A Visit

Human Development and Family Sciences

Department of Human Development & Family Sciences •  111 Alison Hall West •  Newark, DE 19716 • Phone: 302-831-6500 • Fax: 302-831-8776 • hdfs-dept@udel.edu

UD
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • Pinterest
  • Linkedin
©2018 University of Delaware
Comments
Legal Notices
Accessibility Notice