Graduate Programs

The School of Family Studies and Human Services offers a multidisciplinary program that provides graduate training for master's and doctoral students. The professional specializations address broad issues concerning individuals and families, and the courses are taught by a faculty of sociologists and psychologists, educators and economists, health specialists and gerontologists, social workers, marriage and family therapists, speech language pathologists and audiologists. Extensive research and professional practice opportunities are provided through the centers operated by the School.

The School offers on-campus graduate work toward M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in a broad range of the human sciences and human services. The M.S. degree in family studies and human services includes specializations in communication sciences and disorders, early childhood education, family studies, life span human development, and marriage and family therapy. The school offers the following specializations leading to the Ph.D. degree in human ecology: family studies, life span human development, and marriage and family therapy.

In addition, the School offers distance and interinstitutional graduate programs in personal financial planning and youth development.

You may, also, apply for non-degree seeking admission. Non-degree admission is intended for students who wish to take graduate courses and who are not working on a graduate degree (M.S. or Ph.D.) at this time. If admitted, you will be assigned an advisor in your area of interest.  Admission as a non-degree graduate student does not assure later admission as a graduate degree student.

To apply for admission as a non-degree student, please submit the following:

• K-State Graduate School Application and Information Form
• Official Transcripts from each college or university you have attended
• Statement of Objectives: Submit a brief statement indicating why you wish to be considered for non-degree admission and in which field within the School of Family Studies and Human Services you wish to take courses
• A Signed and Dated Copy of the Non-Degree Statement Form (Adobe Acrobat)

A variety of graduate research and graduate teaching assistantships are available through the School. If interested, complete the Assistantship Application (Adobe Acrobat) and submit, with your resume, to the School at:

School of Family Studies and Human Services
304 Justin Hall
Kansas State University
Manhattan, KS 66506

Master's Degree Requirements and Programs

The M.S. degree requires a minimum of 30 to 55 semester hours of graduate work, depending upon the specialization. In addition to course work requirements, each student, depending upon his or her area of emphasis, is required to demonstrate competency through written work in the form of either (1) a thesis, (2) a report, or (3) successful completion of a written comprehensive examination. Each student is required to successfully complete both the written requirements and an oral defense.

• Communication Sciences and Disorders
• Early Childhood Education
• Family Studies
• Life Span Human Development
• Marriage and Family Therapy

Ph.D. Degree Requirements and Programs

The Ph.D. degree requires a minimum of 90 semester hours of credit beyond the bachelor's degree, including dissertation research for at least 30 semester hours. There are also specific requirements for each area of specialization. The number of hours from a previously completed master's degree which may be counted toward the 90-hour requirement is decided upon by the student's supervisory committee and reviewed by the K-State Graduate School. However, no more than 30 semester hours can be transferred from a completed master's degree to the Ph.D. program. After completion of most coursework, a student must take written exams and an oral exam for admission to candidacy. After passing all admission to candidacy exams, a student must work with his or her supervisory committee to develop an acceptable dissertation research proposal. After completion of the research and delivery of an accepted draft of a dissertation, a student is eligible to take the final oral exam. The Graduate School requires an interval of at least seven months between completion of the preliminary exams (admission to candidacy) and the final oral defense of the dissertation.

• Family Studies
• Life Span Human Development
• Marriage and Family Therapy
• Personal Financial Planning Doctoral Program

Check out...

• Graduate Course Descriptions
• Distance Graduate Programs