Pursue a Ph.D. in Human Development and Family Studies

Welcome

Are you interested in studying the societal challenges faced by a diversity of children, youth, and families?

Do you care about research influencing policy and practice?

Would you thrive in a productive and collaborative environment with excellent resources?

Graduate study at Illinois in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies (HDFS) in the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES) focuses on addressing significant societal issues, developing advanced qualitative and quantitative methods skills, and working in research groups with faculty who have distinguished scientific leadership roles.

About Graduate Program

COLLABORATIVE AND COLLEGIAL LEARNING COMMUNITY

Our faculty have diverse academic backgrounds in human development and family studies, psychology, and sociology. Faculty and students work across disciplines, programs, and methodologies, and they collaborate across settings, departments, and institutions. Our faculty, as leading scholars in the field, have made pioneering advances in a variety of domains—LGBT families, family/child health, intimate partner violence, positive youth development, culturally-sensitive obesity prevention efforts, emotional regulation and attachment, adolescent risk/resilience from an international perspective, universitybased child development labs, and more.

WORLD-CLASS FACILITIES

Our department has outstanding research facilities, including the Child Development Laboratory, Christopher Hall (home of The Family Resiliency Center and The Autism Program’s Resources Center), the Early Child Development Laboratory, and Bevier Hall. In addition, dozens of social service and educational organizations in the local community and region provide further opportunities for our students to perform research in diverse national and international contexts.

Inclusion

Extending a spirit of openness, access, and equity brings more people and perspectives to the table, for the benefit of all.

That’s the Power of I.

Admissions

UNIQUE PROGRAM OPPORTUNITIES

Our department offers excellent training for students who wish to combine an M.D. or J.D. with a Ph.D. Students also have the opportunity to pursue minors in areas such as college teaching, advanced statistics, and gender and women’s studies as well as internships in the community.

Financial Assistance

EXCELLENT FINANCIAL SUPPORT

The level of funding our students receive through assistantships and/or fellowships is competitive. All doctoral students are funded through fellowships, research assistantships, or teaching assistantships. This financial support includes a full tuition waiver plus a stipend.

Graduate Research

DIVERSE AREAS OF STUDY

All students are immediately immersed in research projects, guided by faculty mentors. Research methods and theory are emphasized the first year so that students quickly gain the skills and foundation to pursue their own research interests. Key research areas include:

Child and Adolescent Development in Context

Diverse Families, Poverty/Inequality, and Social Justice

Health and Well-Being Across the Lifespan

Interpersonal/Intimate Relations

Professional Development

COMPREHENSIVE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Students have the opportunity to develop teaching and mentoring skills and participate in student professional associations as well as national societies. Our faculty serve national scientific leadership roles in the National Council of Family Relations, the Society for Research in Adolescence, International Association for Relationship Research, American Psychological Association, International Society for the Study of Behavioral Development, and the Society for Family Psychology. They also serve as editors or editorial board members of 20 major developmental and family scientific journals.

Career Opportunities

Students in our program become researchers, professors/educators, policy developers, and professionals who develop, evaluate, and implement programs for children, families, and communities.

GRADUATE STUDENT PLACEMENT

Some recent graduates are employed at these universities: American (Egypt), Harvard, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan State, Missouri, Monash (South Africa), Montclair State, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Carolina A&T, Pennsylvania State, Pusan National (South Korea), San Jose State, Sewanee of the South, Syracuse, Tennessee, Universidad Panamerica (Mexico), and Western (Canada). Others are employed by the Administration of Children and Families in Washington, DC, the Federal Government Accountability Office, SRI International, and Applied Survey Research.

Statistics

GRADUATE STUDENT ACCOMPLISHMENTS

In the past 5 years, our students have…

Published over 60 journal articles and book chapters

Presented 125 conference papers

Rated as excellent teachers in 59 courses

Won 3 national teaching awards

Won 6 national research awards

Received numerous prestigious fellowships

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:

Dr. Brian G. Ogolsky Director of Graduate Programs 217-244-1199 | bogolsky@illinois.edu hdfs.illinois.edu