Master's Program
Master's Program
Overview
The Family Sciences master’s (M.S.) program uses an integrative approach to learning about improving individual, family, and community well-being. The program prepares students for immediate employment in their chosen area, and also provides an excellent foundation for subsequent matriculation into a doctoral program.
Four emphasis areas are available in the Family Sciences master’s program: Adolescent Development, Couple & Family Therapy, Family Finance & Economics, and Family Processes.
Curriculum
The curriculum for each emphasis area (except Couple & Family Therapy) requires a minimum of 30 credit hours, comprised of 15 credit hours of core courses, 5 hours of electives, 3 hours of a data analysis or program evaluation course, 1 hour of a professional development seminar, and 6 credit hours for the thesis (Plan A) or scholarly project (Plan B).
The Couple & Family Therapy (CFT) emphasis area is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE) and requires a prescribed curriculum totaling 58 credit hours (2 years, including one summer), comprised of 15 credit hours of core Family Sciences courses, 15 hours of core CFT courses, 3 credit hours of human development elective, 3 hours of a data analysis or program evaluation course, 1 hour of a professional development seminar, 12 hours of supervised practicum, and 6 credit hours for the thesis (Plan A) or scholarly project (Plan B). Students also must complete a minimum of 300 client contact hours, which is primarily accomplished during the 12 hours of practicum.
Master's Advisory Committee
Master's students are required to form an advisory committee within their first year in the program; the table below indicates which positions each faculty member can currently hold on a master's advisory committee.
At a minimum, the committee must be comprised of one chair and two members (one of the members must be from outside the department), and at least one person on the committee must be among the faculty members identified in the table below with an asterisk (*).
See more information about individual faculty members.
| Faculty Member | Master's Advisory Committee Chair | Master's Advisory Committee Co-Chair | Master's Advisory Committee Member |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dyk, Trisha | X | X | X |
| Hans, Jason | X | X | X |
| Kim, Hyungsoo | X | X | X |
| Krizova, Katarina | X | X | X |
| Ross, Bruce | X | X | X |
| Vazsonyi, Alexander | X | X | X |
| Wood, Nate | X | X | X |
| Bada-Ellzey, Henrietta | X | X | |
| Briggs, Alissa | X | X | |
| Farr, Rachal | X | X | |
| Herbert, Maddie | X | X | |
| Stockburger, Stephanie | X | X | |
| Thomas, Tess | X | X | |
| Yozwiak, John | X | X |
Quick Links
Apply
The application deadline is January 15 to begin fall semester of the same calendar year; admissions are for fall semester enrollment only.
Students must have a bachelor’s degree prior to admission into the master’s program. Successful applicants to the master’s program in recent years have generally had a minimum 3.4 undergraduate GPA.
Funding
Funding is occasionally available on a merit basis for master’s students, in the form of a graduate teaching assistantship. However, doctoral students have priority for this funding so most master's students must fund the master's program themselves.
Questions?
To ask questions or to learn more about the program, please contact:
Alexander T. Vazsonyi, Ph.D.
Director of Graduate Studies
vazsonyi@uky.edu
859-257-9762
