Graduate Program
What is it like to be an HDFS graduate student??Take a look at the websites of these HDFS graduate students! |
In This Section:
The Human Development and Family Studies (HDFS) Graduate Program provides training opportunities at the doctoral level for students interested in learning cutting-edge approaches to the study of individuals and families across the lifespan, the development and evaluation of prevention programs for individuals and families at risk, and the development and application of new methodological approaches for these areas. The HDFS Graduate Program was established in 1969, and has trained more than 400 graduate students who completed their doctorates in the department, and have gone on to leadership roles in academic and applied research settings. The 2008 edition of U.S. News and World Reports: America's Best Graduate Schools, gave Penn State's HDFS program the highest rating among interdisciplinary programs and 6th among all developmental psychology graduate programs.
Reasons to consider HDFS for your graduate studies:
- HDFS is interdisciplinary. We believe that human development can best be understood by looking at the whole person, rather than from the narrow perspective of a single discipline. Our interdisciplinary approach makes use of an outstanding faculty who help students integrate knowledge about development from many perspectives—biological, psychological, sociological, economic, and cultural. <cross-cutting areas>
- HDFS focuses on the whole life span—from birth to old age. We believe that our students need to understand development at multiple stages, and not just one age group. Students who are interested primarily in studying children and adolescents benefit from learning about parenthood and the social, psychological and economic factors that affect how parents care for their children. Students interested in middle and late life learn about how developmental processes and family relationships earlier in life contribute to functioning and well-being in old age, and about how intergenerational relationships foster opportunities for creative interventions.
- HDFS examines development and families “in context”. Rather than only focusing on laboratory studies of development, our students learn about how social settings such as family, day care, schools, neighborhoods and the work place facilitate or inhibit development and change. They also learn how contexts vary by race and ethnicity, socio-economic status, or in urban versus rural geographic locales. Social policy is another important context for development and family life that is examined by faculty and students.
- HDFS provides innovative perspectives on families. Penn State’s HDFS faculty are long-standing leaders in the study of family processes. Current and recent research examines parent-child interaction, sibling relations, how families shape gender roles, marital interactions, family stress, work-family issues and family care of disabled older adults. Multiple levels are examined in each of these projects. For example, biological markers (using cortisol) are used to assess stress, multiple family members are interviewed, neighborhood analyses are conducted, and cultural context is taken into consideration.
- HDFS emphasizes prevention approaches. Students can gain a thorough understanding of Prevention Science. They learn about the characteristics and conditions that place individuals or families at risk for developing problems, how to design effective prevention programs that reduce high risk behavior and introduce new skills, and how to plan and conduct rigorous evaluations of such programs that improve the lives of individuals, their families and their communities.
- HDFS provides cutting-edge training in research methodology. All students develop strong skills in research methodology, which is a hallmark of our program. Unlike many graduate programs where statistics and other methods are taught by faculty outside the program, our methodology faculty understand the research problems that students are working on, and can tailor their teaching approach to highlight the applications that are most relevant to the research our students are doing.
- HDFS has a world-class faculty. Students study with our renowned faculty. We emphasize an apprenticeship model, in which students work closely with faculty to develop their own programs of research, and in preparing presentations and publications based on their research.
- HDFS provides financial support for all graduate students. Our graduate students receive full support as long as they are in good standing in the program. Sources of support include fellowships, training grants and research and teaching assistantships.
Examples of Graduate Student Work
- HDFS Graduate Student Dissertation Defenses
- HDFS Graduate Student Recent Publications
- Upcoming Conference Presentations
- HDFS Graduate Student Presentations at Conferences
Graduate Plans of Study in HDFS
The graduate program is organized into several core areas. Most faculty fit into more than one area, and graduate students are expected to develop special expertise in two or more areas. Graduate training in HDFS offers students a tantalizing smorgasbord of opportunities. Each student makes different choices, and in doing so, defines his or her evolving professional identity. The program areas are:
- Individual Development: Childhood
- Individual Development: Adolescence
- Individual Development: Adulthood and Aging
- Developmental Research Methodology
- Prevention and Intervention Research
- Family Development
In addition, students may elect to participate in a dual degree program with Demography.
Faculty Research Programs
Check out some new research projects that are looking for graduate students!
We believe that the best way to learn research skills is by participating actively in on-going research projects. Our graduate students have the opportunity to be involved in a wide range of studies led by faculty, and develop their own programs of research during the course of their studies. We have identified several cross-cutting themes that highlight the some of the opportunities for our students.
- Adolescence and Emerging Adulthood
- Biological Bases of Behavior
- Cognitive and Intellectual Development
- Cultural Diversity
- Developmental Systems
- Families, Work, and Career Development
- Family Policy
- Gender and Development
- Health, Development and Family Processes
- International Studies
- Marital and Family Processes
- Parenting and Caregiving
- Promoting Successful Aging