Human Development Family Studies - Graduate Admissions - Iowa State University


Graduate Admissions

 

 

Frequently Asked Questions:

Why study in the Human Development & Family Studies graduate program?

The Human Development and Family Studies (HDFS) Department is part of programs nationally known as "human sciences." In a national survey of human science programs, Iowa State University ranked number one in terms of the number of doctoral and master's degrees completed (Family and Consumer Sciences Research Journal, December, 2005). Over the past five years, our human sciences programs at Iowa State have been consistently in the top three. Within the discipline of HDFS, surveyors found the number of graduate students completing degrees emphasizing family relation and child development ranked number one nationally and we were third for human development. Thus, in answer to the question, why study HDFS at Iowa State University, we offer the fact that enrollment in our HDFS programs historically has been strong and our impact on the field significant.

Faculty in Human Development and Family Studies are committed to the three-fold mission of the land grant university: teaching, research, and service. Department faculty are involved in current issues at the local, state, and national level. With external funding from a variety of public and private sources, the department supports over 60 assistantships to current graduate students. These assistantships relate to the teaching, research, and service of the department. Graduate students are involved in the development, assessment, presentation, and publication of materials related to their assistantships. These opportunities prepare students with knowledge and skills for a variety of professional positions in human development and family studies.

What types of jobs do graduates from the HD FS graduate program get?

Graduates from the master's and doctorate programs in HD FS draw upon the knowledge from their coursework, the research and writing skills from their theses and dissertations, and the skills gained from assistantships and practica experiences to obtain positions all over the world. Master's level and doctoral graduates have been successful nationally and internationally in obtaining teaching, research, and service positions in research institutes, human service agencies, colleges, and universities, including the cooperative extension service.

What are my chances of being accepted in the graduate program?

All applicants are reviewed by a faculty committee who review undergraduate and graduate transcripts, GRE scores, the student's goals, professional and academic experiences, and both academic and professional recommendations. Generally, master's students have undergraduate GPA's above 3.0; doctoral students have GPA's above 3.5. Successful graduate students usually have GRE scores of at least 500 Verbal, 500 Quantitative, and 4 on the Analytical Writing Test. Successful students have a strong undergraduate preparation in social sciences in addition to work experience or internships or practica in areas closely related to human development and family studies. When one area of the application is weaker (e.g., GRE scores), other areas of the application need to be stronger. For international students, we require a TOEFL score of 213/550 or IELTS score of 6.

Do I need a masters degree before I apply to the doctoral program?

Students may be admitted to any of our doctoral programs with either a bachelor's or a master's degree.  Students admitted without a prior master's degree complete requirements for a thesis-based master's degree at Iowa State University as part of their doctoral program of study.  This master's degree is viewed as an essential component of the doctoral program, as well as an important quality checkpoint. If a doctoral applicant has a master's degree, evidence must be presented that the master's program included completion of a research thesis.  If an applicant has an advanced degree from a non-thesis master's program, that applicant may be admitted to the doctoral program, but will be required to complete a thesis-like project.

Are there any special pre-requisites to graduate study?

Because our degrees are research based, students are required to take coursework in research methods and statistics.  Pre-requisite to the required Statistics 401 is an introductory level Statistics 101 type course.  If you do not have an undergraduate statistics course, you should take one prior to enrolling in the HDFS graduate program.  You may take an introductory statistics course at the beginning of your HDFS graduate program, but it may delay your progress.

What is the deadline for applications?

For Fall admission, taking into consideration the admissions review process takes 2-3 weeks, it is beneficial for international applicants to submit the required materials no later than May 15 and U.S. citizen's by June 15.
How do I apply?

How do I request additional information?
Email your request to hdfs-grad-adm@iastate.edu or call 515-294-6321 or toll free 877-891-5349, ext. 6321.  We can mail you a hard copy informational packet that includes the HDFS, degree requirements; financial resources; and our application forms.
What kinds of financial support are available?

Assistantships
Assistantships for graduate students include appointments as a teaching assistant, research assistant, administrative assistant, and teaching assistant in the Child Development Laboratory School. Graduate students on assistantship automatically qualify for in-state tuition, health insurance and are given a Graduate College Scholarship Credit covering that tuition proportionate to the percentage of the assistantship (up to a maximum of 50% reduction for M.S. students and 100% for Ph.D. students). Over 60% of students supported receive at least half-time support. Stipends for the 2007-2008 school year are approximately $13,000 for a 9-month half-time appointment.  The application deadline for priority consideration for assistantships is January 1.  Applicants should check their assistantship preference on the Student Information Sheet.  For more information, contact the HDFS graduate office 515-294-6321 or 877-891-5349, ext. 6321 or e-mail at hdfs-grad-adm@iastate.edu.
Scholarships
The College of Family Consumer Sciences has several scholarships available to qualified graduate students. Students may apply for scholarships based on financial need and/or academic record.  Scholarships are awarded to approximately 10% of our graduate students.  A copy of the scholarship application submitted electronically should accompany the self-managed application materials by January 1.   We encourage applicants complete the scholarship application on-line.  For more information, contact the CFCS graduate office , or call 877-891-5349, ext. 6321.
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