Graduate Course Catalog 2012-2013
Graduate School
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Family Studies (FS)
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This program is offered in Durham.
Degree Offered: M.S.
Certificates Offered: Adolescent Development, Child Advocacy and Family Policy
The Department of Family Studies offers two programs of study leading to a master of science degree in family studies: the Core Areas of Study Program and the Marriage and Family Therapy Program.
The goal of both programs is to provide students with an understanding of theory and methods relevant to child and family studies and to prepare them to work with families in therapeutic, educational, and community or corporate settings. The Core Areas of Study program has three foci: Adolescent Development, Child Advocacy and Family Policy, and Child Development. Students may elect a thesis or comprehensive exam. The Marriage and Family Therapy Program is accredited by the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy and requires a minimum of two years of full-time study, including two summers.
The Department of Family Studies also offers a one-year, 14 - to 15-credit, multidisciplinary program of study leading to a graduate certificate in Adolescent Development or Child Advocacy and Family Policy (CAFP). The certificate program is intended for individuals who are working in the field but who lack specific knowledge about adolescence or child advocacy and family policy, as well as those who are changing careers or who are already working in related fields and need to meet continuing education requirements or desire additional academic preparation.
Admission Requirements
Students in good standing with undergraduate degrees in any field and a specific interest in working with individuals and families are encouraged to apply.
Candidates for the master’s degree program must have completed an introductory statistics course or the equivalent as part of their undergraduate program. If their undergraduate program did not include such a course, students who are accepted into the M.S. program must successfully complete an introductory statistics course before they graduate. (Note: Students in the M.S. program must also complete a graduate statistics course; see “Program Requirements” for the Core Area of Study and MFT programs.)
In lieu of the standard UNH Graduate School personal statement, applicants to the MFT program must answer the questions listed on the department's MFT admissions website at http://www.chhs.unh.edu/fs/mftadmiss.html. Responses to the MFT questions should be submitted in numbered format, and should address each question separately and explicitly. Answers to the MFT questions should be submitted with the application (either online or in hard copy).
Individuals applying to the Core Areas of Study and Certificate programs should submit a standard personal statement with their applications.
MS Degree: Core Areas of Study Program
Adolescent Development: This core area of study is designed to develop general competence in understanding and applying theory and research regarding adolescents within the context of their families and communities. Students are expected to participate in projects involving adolescents and to complete a practicum in a program that serves adolescents.
Child Advocacy and Family Policy: This core area of study is designed to develop general competence in understanding theory and research regarding advocacy and policy issues impacting children and families. Those accepted into the program for this core area of study are expected to complete two practica with selected state, national, and international agencies as child advocacy and family policy interns, develop expertise on at least one advocacy/policy issue, and conduct research on an advocacy/policy related topic.
Child Development: This core area of study is designed to develop an understanding of theory and research regarding children from infancy through the early school years and to prepare students to work in a variety of social science positions focused on children's family and school experiences. Students are expected to complete a practicum in a child-focused setting.
MS Degree: Marriage and Family Therapy Program
The Marriage and Family Therapy Program specifically prepares students to work in mental health, family service, medical, and human service settings. The emphasis is on structural, strategic, and systemic approaches to marriage and family therapy. Clinical training is provided under the direction of an approved supervisor of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy in the department's Marriage and Family Therapy Center. The clinical training emphasizes treating the individual, couple, and family in relationship to the larger systems that influence them. Supervised practica continue throughout the program. The program is fully accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE) and meets the academic requirements for clinical membership in the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT). AAMFT standards require five hundred (500) hours of clinical practice during the program. Additional hours of clinical practice under supervision will be required to meet AAMFT standards for clinical membership after graduation. See www.aamft.org for information on clinical membership.
Certificate Program
The certificate in adolescent development builds general competence in understanding and applying theory and research regarding adolescent development, with particular emphasis on the influences of families and communities. The program is grounded in an ecological approach that focuses on supporting the health and well-being of all adolescents, with special attention to using a developmental perspective to develop programs, policies, and other interventions that address contemporary risk and protective factors.
The certificate in child advocacy and family policy (CAFP) develops general competence in understanding theory and research regarding advocacy and policy issues impacting children and families. CAFP certificate students will develop competency in planning for, implementing, and evaluating family policies, as well as identifying barriers to effective advocacy and policy-making.
M.S. Degree Requirements: Core Areas of Study Program
Program requirements for the Core Areas of Study include:
1. Completion of the 12-credit core curriculum that includes FS 991, Professional Issues for Family Specialists; FS 993, Theoretical Approaches to Family Studies; and FS 994, Research Seminar;
2. Twenty-two (22) hours of coursework including four (4) semester hours of practicum or internship (FS 911C), and a graduate-level statistics course; and
3. Successful completion of a research thesis (6-10 credits in FS 899) OR a comprehensive written examination, plus eight (8) credits of approved electives in place of FS 899. Students in the Child Advocacy and Family Policy core area of study must complete an additional four (4) hours of practicum/internship, for a total of eight (8) hours.
Thesis Option: Students electing to complete a research thesis must write and defend a thesis based on original research. Students must earn a minimum of 6 credits of FS 899 (Master's Thesis).
Comprehensive Examination: Students electing to complete a comprehensive examination must take an additional 8 credits of approved electives in place of thesis credits. The comprehensive examination consists of a timed, three-hour closed-book portion and a one-week take-home exam.
A graduate student who fails a course must immediately attend a mandatory meeting with the instructor of the course, the family studies graduate coordinator, and, if desired, the student's adviser. If a graduate student receives grades below "B-" in two or more courses, the family studies graduate coordinator will make a recommendation to the Graduate School that the student be dismissed from the family studies graduate program.
MS Degree: Core Areas of Study Courses
| Abbreviation | Course Number | Title | Credits |
| FS | 807 | Practicum | 1 TO 6 |
| FS | 808 | Child and Family Center Internship | 1 TO 6 |
| FS | 809 | Child Study and Development Center Internship | 1 TO 6 |
| FS | 833 | Supervising Programs for Young Children | 4 |
| FS | 834 | Curriculum for Young Children | 4 |
| FS | 843 | Families, Schools, and Community | 4 |
| FS | 846 | Human Sexuality | 4 |
| FS | 857 | Race, Class, Gender, and Families | 4 |
| FS | 860 | Family Programs and Policies | 4 |
| FS | 871 | Observation and Assessment of Young Children | 4 |
| FS | 872 | International Approaches to Child Advocacy | 4 |
| FS | 873 | International Perspectives on Children and Families | 4 |
| FS | 876 | Children, Adolescents and the Law | 4 |
| FS | 894 | Families and the Law | 4 |
| FS | 897 | Special Topics | 1 TO 4 |
| FS | 899 | Master's Thesis | 1 TO 6 |
| FS | 911 | Graduate Internship | 2 TO 8 |
| FS | 930 | Child Development in Context | 4 |
| FS | 950 | Contemporary Issues in Adolescent Development | 4 |
| FS | 991 | Professional Issues for Family Specialists | 4 |
| FS | 993 | Theoretical Approaches to Family Studies | 4 |
| FS | 994 | Research Seminar | 4 |
M.S. Degree Requirements: Marriage and Family Therapy Program
Program requirements include:
1. The 12-credit core curriculum (FS 991, Professional Issues for Family Specialists; FS 993, Theoretical Approaches to Family Studies; and FS 994, Research Seminar);
2. Thirty-two (32) semester hours of coursework, including FS 841, Marital and Family Therapy; FS 930, Child Development in Context (or an approved elective); FS 942, Advanced Systems of Marital and Family Therapy; FS 945, Family Therapy Practice I; FS 946, Critical Problems in Family Life; FS 947, Family Therapy Practice II; FS 952, Couples Therapy; and FS 954, Sex Therapy;
3. Successful completion of 24 credits of FS 898, Marriage and Family Therapy Practicum (500 hours of supervised clinical practice); and
4. Successful completion and presentation of an integrative paper and video representing the student's theory of change.
A graduate student who fails a course must immediately attend a mandatory meeting with the instructor of the course, the family studies graduate coordinator, and, if desired, the student's adviser. If a graduate student receives grades below "B-" in two or more courses, the family studies graduate coordinator will make a recommendation to the Graduate School that the student be dismissed from the family studies graduate program.
MS Degree: MFT Program Courses
|
Abbreviation |
Course Number |
Title |
Credits |
|
FS |
841 |
Marital and Family Therapy |
4 |
|
FS |
897 |
Special Topics |
1 TO 4 |
|
FS |
898 |
Marriage and Family Therapy Practicum |
1 TO 8 |
|
FS |
930 |
Child Development in Context |
4 |
|
FS |
942 |
Advanced Systems of Marital and Family Therapy |
4 |
|
FS |
945 |
Family Therapy Practice I |
4 |
|
FS |
946 |
Critical Problems in Family Life |
4 |
|
FS |
947 |
Family Therapy Practice II |
4 |
|
FS |
952 |
Clinical Interventions in Couples Therapy |
4 |
|
FS |
954 |
Human Sexuality, The Treatment of Sexual Problems, and the Clinical Applications of Sexual Therapy |
4 |
|
FS |
991 |
Professional Issues for Family Specialists |
4 |
|
FS |
993 |
Theoretical Approaches to Family Studies |
4 |
|
FS |
994 |
Research Seminar |
4 |
Certificate Requirements: Adolescent Development
A certificate in Adolescent Development is awarded upon completion of: (1) a 2-course core curriculum; and, (2) an additional two elective courses, one of which must be a Family Studies course.
Core Curriculum Courses
|
Abbreviation |
Course Number |
Title |
Credits |
|
FS |
950 |
Contemporary Issues in Adolescent Development |
4 |
|
FS |
995E |
Seminar & Special Problems - Human Development |
3 |
Family Studies Electives (choose at least one)
|
Abbreviation |
Course Number |
Title |
Credits |
||
|
FS |
846 |
Human Sexuality |
4 |
||
|
FS |
860 |
Family Programs and Policies |
4 |
||
|
FS |
857 |
Race, Class, Gender, and Families |
4 |
||
|
FS |
876 |
Children, Adolescents, and the Law |
4 |
||
|
FS |
897 |
Special Topics (prior approval required) |
4 |
||
|
FS |
991 |
Professional Issues for Family Specialists |
4 |
||
|
FS |
993 |
Theoretical Approaches to Family Studies |
4 |
||
Multidisciplinary Electives
|
Abbreviation |
Course Number |
Title |
Credits |
||
|
EDUC |
810C |
Youth Organizations |
4 |
||
|
EDUC |
817 |
Growing Up Male in America |
4 |
||
|
RMP |
805 |
Management and Policy in Therapeutic Recreation |
3 |
||
|
RMP |
830 |
Camp Administration and Leadership |
3 |
||
|
RMP |
860 |
Community Sports Organizations: Administration and Leadership |
3 |
||
|
SOC |
815 |
Criminological Theory |
4 |
||
|
SOC |
820 |
Sociology of Drug Use |
4 |
||
|
SOC |
840 |
Sociology of Mental Health |
4 |
||
|
SOC |
876 |
Family Violence Research Seminar |
4 |
||
|
SOC |
975 |
Sociology of the Family |
4 |
||
|
SW |
805 |
Child and Adolescent Risks and Resiliency: Program, Policy and Practice |
3 |
||
|
SW |
815 |
Practice with Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender People |
3 |
||
Other Family Studies or multidisciplinary electives may be selected with advisor approval.
Certificate Requirements: Child Advocacy and Family Policy
A certificate in Adolescent Development is awarded upon completion of: (1) a 2-course core curriculum; and, (2) an additional two elective courses, one of which must be a Family Studies course.
Core Curriculum Courses
|
Abbreviation |
Course Number |
Title |
Credits |
||
| FS | 860 | Family Programs and Policies | 4 | ||
| FS | 995E | Seminar & Special Problems - Human Development | 3 | ||
Family Studies Electives (choose at least one)
|
Abbreviation |
Course Number |
Title |
Credits |
||
| FS | 857 | Race, Class, Gender, and Families | 4 | ||
| FS | 872 | International Approaches to Child Advocacy | 4 | ||
| FS | 873 | International Perspectives on Children and Families | |||
| FS | 876 | Children, Adolescents, and the Law | 4 | ||
| FS | 894 | Families and the Law | 4 | ||
| FS | 897 | Special Topics – Families in Poverty | 4 | ||
| FS | 991 | Professional Issues for Family Specialists | 4 | ||
| FS | 993 | Theoretical Approaches to Family Studies | 4 | ||
Multidisciplinary Electives
|
Abbreviation |
Course Number |
Title |
Credits |
||
| RMP | 912 | Non-Profit Administration and Leadership | 3 | ||
| RMP | 924 | Grantwriting and Fund Development | 3 | ||
| SOC | 820 | Sociology of Drug Use | 4 | ||
| SOC | 842 | Sociology and Social Policy | 4 | ||
| SW | 805 | Child and Adolescent Risks and Resiliency: Program, Policy and Practice | 3 | ||
| SW | 815 | Practice with Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender People | 3 | ||
Other Family Studies or multidisciplinary electives may be selected with advisor approval.
Graduate Courses in Family Studies – All Programs
Courses
| Abbreviation | Course Number | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| FS | 807 | Practicum | 1 TO 6 |
| FS | 808 | Child and Family Center Internship | 1 TO 6 |
| FS | 809 | Child Study and Development Center Internship | 1 TO 6 |
| FS | 833 | Supervising Programs for Young Children | 4 |
| FS | 834 | Curriculum for Young Children | 4 |
| FS | 841 | Marital and Family Therapy | 4 |
| FS | 843 | Families, Schools, and Community | 4 |
| FS | 846 | Human Sexuality | 4 |
| FS | 857 | Race, Class, Gender, and Families | 4 |
| FS | 860 | Family Programs and Policies | 4 |
| FS | 871 | Observation and Assessment of Young Children | 4 |
| FS | 872 | International Approaches to Child Advocacy | 4 |
| FS | 873 | International Perspectives on Children and Families | 4 |
| FS | 876 | Children, Adolescents and the Law | 4 |
| FS | 894 | Families and the Law | 4 |
| FS | 897 | Special Topics | 1 TO 4 |
| FS | 898 | Marriage and Family Therapy Practicum | 1 TO 8 |
| FS | 899 | Master's Thesis | 1 TO 6 |
| FS | 911 | Graduate Internship | 2 TO 8 |
| FS | 930 | Child Development in Context | 4 |
| FS | 942 | Advanced Systems of Marital and Family Therapy | 4 |
| FS | 945 | Family Therapy Practice I | 4 |
| FS | 946 | Critical Problems in Family Life | 4 |
| FS | 947 | Family Therapy Practice II | 4 |
| FS | 950 | Contemporary Issues in Adolescent Development | 4 |
| FS | 952 | Clinical Interventions in Couples Therapy | 4 |
| FS | 954 | Human Sexuality, The Treatment of Sexual Problems, and the Clinical Applications of Sexual Therapy | 4 |
| FS | 991 | Professional Issues for Family Specialists | 4 |
| FS | 993 | Theoretical Approaches to Family Studies | 4 |
| FS | 994 | Research Seminar | 4 |
| FS | 995 | Seminar and Special Problems | 2 TO 4 |
| FS | 997 | Advanced Research Seminar | 4 |
