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Graduate
Graduate Study

Current Students

Prospective Students

Graduate Admissions

Program Graduates

Current Graduate Manual

Prior Graduate Manuals
    · 2007 Graduate Manual

 

Contact us:

Becky Harshman
Graduate Program Secretary
Department of Child Development and Family Studies
Purdue University
Fowler Memorial House
1200 West State Street
West Lafayette , IN 47907-2055
Phone: 765-494-2965
Fax: 765-494-0503
Email: harshman@purdue.edu

CDFS Home page news and events giving to CDFS

Frequently Asked Questions


 

1. What is the Advisor/Advisee Ratio?

  • A hallmark of CDFS graduate programs involves individual attention
  • Graduate students work one-on-one with their advisors.
  • Advisors typically have from 1 to 5 graduate students
  • Incoming students benefit from working with one another and with more senior graduate students

Graduate students work with a variety of CDFS faculty through independent study credits.

 

2. What are the average years for a graduate student to earn a PhD in CDFS?

  • Graduate students who enter with a Master's Degree typically take 4 years to earn a PhD
  • Graduate students who enter with a Bachelor's Degree typically take 5 years to earn a PhD

 

3. What are the criteria for admissions to CDFS graduate programs?

An applicant must have:

  • a good academic record
  • strong letters of recommendation from faculty members
  • demonstrated ability to pursue graduate research training
  • results of the Graduate Record Examination Verbal and Quantitative tests
  • research interests consistent with faculty expertise in CDFS

Students for whom English is a Second Language also must:

  • submit official results of TOEFL iBT : A minimum score of 20 is required on each section (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) of the test, as well as a minimum total of 100 is required .
  • participate in a telephone interview

 

4. What types of funding opportunities are available do graduate student typically receive?
  • Graduate students typically receive funding that covers their tuition and fees and also pays a stipend or monthly salary.
  • Graduate students who work at least 20 hours a week are also eligible for health insurance
  • Funding is usually awarded in the form of assistantships
  • CDFS has a wide range of assistantships, including research assistantships, teaching assistantships, and special opportunity assistantships to work in the child development laboratories, center for families, or the college diversity office.
  • Fellowships may be available to eligible students.

http://www.gradschool.purdue.edu/funding/Fellowships_index.cfm#fellowship

 

5. Which professional associations do faculty and graduate students belong to and participate in?

  • American Psychological Association (APA)
  • American Sociological Association (ASA)
  • Association for Psychological Science (APS)
  • Gerontological Society of America (GSA)
  • International Association for Relationship Research (IARR)
  • National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)
  • National Council of Family Relations (NCFR)
  • Society for Research on Adolescence (SRA)
  • Society for Research on Child Development (SRCD)
  • Society for the Study of Human Development (SSHD)

 

6. What can incoming students expect in the first year?

First-year graduate students usually take 9 credit hours (2 graduate classes, research credits, and weekly research seminar), including to those that have fellowships/assistantships (20 hrs/week).

In addition, CDFS provides:

  • A temporary advisor to guide you through decisions and courses the first year
  • A graduate student mentor to provide peer support
  • The ability to select a permanent advisor from the CDFS faculty
  • Seminars in theory of individual development and family development
  • World class training in statistical and research methodologies
  • Opportunities to commence a research project of your own
  • Research seminars and lectures across Purdue's campus
  • MFT students also experience training specialized to their degree Marriage and Family Therapy

http://www.cfs.purdue.edu/cdfs/pages/research/index.html

 

7. What activities are available for graduate students outside of school?

  • Opportunities to interact with other graduate students in CDFS' other program areas (CDFS Graduate Student Association) including multiple social events
  • Over 350 campus student organizations to fulfill anyone's interests
  • Access to major cities and airports (Indianapolis, Chicago, Cincinnati)

 

Email the CDFS Graduate Program

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Contact Information

Child Development and Family Studies
Purdue University
101 Gates Rd.
West Lafayette, Indiana 47907-2020

Phone: (765) 494-2932
Fax: (765) 496-1144
E-mail: cdfs@purdue.edu

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