Overview
The 21st century is a period of rapid change as individuals live longer, families take different forms, work environments shift, and families with children struggle economically. The PhD program in the Department of Child Development and Family Studies at Purdue University trains students to address these issues.
Training
The graduate programs prepares scholars to:
- Define social problems worthy of investigation
- Conduct rigorous research that informs policies and practices
- Develop interventions to support the well-being of individuals and families
- Use cutting-edge sophisticated research methodologies
- Consider diversity across cultures and social contexts
- Teach at the college level
Training takes the form of:
- One-on-one training with advisors
- Independent study opportunities with multiple faculty in the department
- Small research seminars inside CDFS and across disciplines at Purdue University
- Attendance at national and international scholarly conferences
- Weekly research seminars with guest lecturers from around the world
- Internship opportunities throughout the U.S.
Research
Faculty and graduate students in our department study important issues to improve people's lives, such as:
- Families coping with health problems
- Closing the large gap between poor and rich children when they enter school
- Programs to encourage literacy in preschool children
- Young adults' increasing dependency on their parents
- The effects of work- including "extreme" work serving in the military- on families
- Cross cultural differences in family patterns
- Family influences on adolescents' and young adults' health risk behaviors
- How "mellowing out" can prolong life
To learn more about research in CDFS:
http://www.cfs.purdue.edu/cdfs/pages/research/index.html
Program Areas
Students apply for admissions to a specific program area:
Developmental Studies
The Developmental Studies area trains students to do research in every segment of the lifespan, from infancy to older adulthood.
Family Studies
The Family Studies program investigates how family members interact, develop, and change over time to better understand challenges and resilience in everyday family life
Marriage & Family Therapy
The Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) aims to develop researcher-clinicians who are excited about the possibility of making significant research contributions to the field of marriage and family therapy. MFT is a Doctoral Program, accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE).
Funding
Students admitted to the CDFS graduate program typically receive funding for 4 years:
- Funding typically covers tuition and fees. It also pays a stipend or monthly salary.
- Graduate students who work 20 hours a week are eligible for health insurance
- Funding is usually awarded in the form of assistantships
- CDFS assistantships (usually 10-month appointments) include:
- Research assistantships to work on faculty research projects
- Teaching assistantships to assist in instruction of college courses
- Special opportunity assistantships in the child development laboratories, center for families, or the college diversity office.
- Fellowships (12-month appointment) may be available to eligible students.
http://www.gradschool.purdue.edu/funding/Fellowships_index.cfm#fellowship
Frequently Asked Questions
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:
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
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
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
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)
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
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)
Application process overview
The application deadline is January 15.
Applications are accepted admission for the following fall semester.
Applications need to be
completed online through the Purdue
Graduate School. The application fee may be paid with a credit card.
U.S. Students
International Students
U.S. Students:
International Students:
Interdisciplinary Programs
Gerontology
Graduate students in CDFS who are interested in aging can simultaneously acquire:
- A dual title PhD in gerontology
- A gerontology minor
http://www.purdue.edu/aging/education/index.htm
Women's studies
Graduate students in CDFS who are interested in feminist studies can simultaneously acquire:
- A minor in women's studies
http://www.cla.purdue.edu/womens-studies/graduate/minor.cfm
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
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