Enjoy a flexible model of training with renowned faculty who provide professional opportunities. Specializations are available in social and emotional development, measurement and statistical analysis, and diversity science.
Program Description
Degree Awarded:
PHD
Family and Human Development
The Doctor of Philosophy program in family and human development is devoted to the study of families, children and youth. The program's research, teaching and service have direct meaning in the lives of children and adults, and for their families and communities.
The faculty share a common commitment to high-quality research that both increases the basic understanding of human and family development and has the potential to contribute to the improvement of the lives of children and families.
Applications for Fall 2025 are closed.
Curriculum
The Ph.D. program in Family and Human Development is designed to train researchers in developmental and family science. Students take core courses in family sciences, human development, research methodology, statistics, and diversity. The aims of the program are to train students to become researchers with an area of specialization in Family and Human Development. Graduate students are expected to develop competencies in research methods and in theoretical orientations relevant to their area of study.
A minimum of 85 hours is required.
Requirements and Electives
Hours
Core courses
25
Elective courses
42
Research (thesis)
6
Dissertation
12
Total
85
Courses and Electives
Training in Family and Human Development involves coursework in theory, research methods, statistics, diversity, and areas related to students' own interests or specialization. The program of study is developed in collaboration with one's doctoral advisor/mentor. The program follows a mentorship model of training. Students work closely with faculty members to develop research skills through involvement in projects.
Additional Information
Sanford School Graduate Student Financial Support
The Sanford School is dedicated to supporting our graduate students. As such, we provide many different funding opportunities to our graduate students.
Assistantships
Currently, the programs in family and human development and sociology have several teaching assistantship (TA) and research assistantship (RA) positions. These positions require that recipients work 10-20 hours per week for faculty to whom they are assigned for the period August-May. The TA is responsible for contacting the faculty to whom they are assigned by the day their contract begins, approximately August 16. Selection of TAs and their assignments is a complex process and is based on meeting the needs of the courses, faculty, students and funding requirements.
Responsibilities
Teaching assistant responsibilities include but are not limited to:
Grading class assignments.
Developing teaching materials.
Conferring with students.
Recording and posting grades.
Assisting with preparation of tests.
Proctoring exams for faculty.
Abstracting research articles.
Updating bibliographies.
In addition, TAs will give classroom presentations as requested.
RAs work with faculty members on research projects. Responsibilities are determined by the faculty member in consultation with the student.
Qualifications
TAs and RAs must maintain a GPA of 3.00 or above, be admitted with regular status to a graduate program, and must complete six hours of graduate work each semester towards on their program of study. Preference is given to those graduate students enrolled in the family and human development or sociology program in the T. Denny Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics.
In addition to the general doctoral degree track in Family and Human Development, students can focus and organize their elective coursework to reflect areas of specialization. At the present time, three areas of specialization are available: Quantitative Methodology, Social and Emotional Development (SED), and Diverstiy and Inclusion Science (DISI). Graduate students may concentrate their studies in one of these areas or may combine two areas to meet their specific research interests.
The PhD in Family and Human Development offers a training specialization for students interested in theoretical, methodological, and research perspectives on children, youth, and families from underrepresented groups. This specialization aligns with a larger Diversity and Inclusion Science Initiative (DISI) in the Sanford School. Students who choose the Diversity and Inclusion Science specialization will take two required courses. One focuses on theory and methods as they apply to the study of underrepresented groups (CDE 598: Introduction to Theory and Methods in the Study of Diversity and Inclusion Science) and a second course involves the in-depth exploration of issues related to study, biases, and interactions with underrepresented groups (CDE 598: Interpersonal Interactions and Perspectives in the Study of Diversity and Inclusion Science). Students who have interest in underrepresented populations in the field of human development and family studies, broadly defined by socioeconomic status, gender, race, culture, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability/health status, or other populations that are underrepresented, are encouraged to specialize in Diversity and Inclusion Science.
18 hours total Core Courses
REQUIRED = 6 hours (instructor approval required)
CDE 598: Introduction to Theory and Methods in Diversity and Inclusion Science. This course will provide an overview of theoretical frameworks and methodological issues as they apply to the study of underrepresented populations in our field.
CDE 598: Interpersonal Interactions and Perspectives in Diversity and Inclusion Science. This course will explore interpersonal experiences, biases, and strategies for working with different populations that are underrepresented in the field.
ELECTIVES = 12 hours
*The below list is not exhaustive.
Sanford School Elective Courses
CDE 610: Gender Development
CDE 598: Latino Families and Children
CDE 598: Culture and Biology
FAS 591: Racial Discrimination and Racial Identity
CDE 598: Poverty
CDE 534: Risk and Resilience
CDE/FAS 590: Readings and Conference (1 to 3 credits)**
CDE/FAS 592/792: Research (1 to 3 credits)**
Elective Courses from other units
AFR 598: Women’s International and Human Rights
AFR 598: Peoples and Cultures of Africa
APA: Graduate Level Courses in Asian American Psychology
AIS 503: Contemporary Issues of American Indian Nations
JUS 560: Women, Law, and Social Control
JUS 691: Sexuality and Social Justice
JUS 598: The Social Construction of Disability
PSY 591: Stereotyping, Prejudice, and Discrimination
WST 502: Gender Research Methods
WST 602: Mapping Intersections Gender
WST 603: Engendering Methodology
*Additional electives will be considered by the Diversity and Inclusion Science faculty as they apply to this area of specialization. Students should submit the course syllabus and a memo explaining the fit of the course within the students’ diversity science specialization for courses not listed above.
**Students are encouraged to take up to three elective credits to propose innovative teaching, service, and research activities that contribute to inclusion and diversity science. Such projects will require supervision by a faculty member and can range from contributing to a course or seminar (e.g., lecture, activities), conducting a case study, supervising an undergraduate or conducting an applied project to enhance one’s experience with an underrepresented group, or developing a manuscript or research project. Innovative ideas proposed by doctoral students are welcome.
Completion of this specialization requires that at least 9 hours of the requirements be taken within the Sanford School. All courses counting toward specialization must be completed with a minimum grade of B-.
The Sanford School (SSFD) offers specialized training for students interested in the study of Quantitative Methodology. The Quantitative Methodology specialization is open to any doctoral student in SSFD. Students choosing the Quantitative Methodology specialization will undertake in-depth study of statistical and measurement methodologies that offer great utility for research in human development, family studies, sociology, and education, among other areas. Faculty and students interested in quantitative methods study, evaluate, and develop statistical and measurement methods applicable to investigating issues in family and human development, sociology, and related fields. Students whose primary interest is in measurement, methods, and statistical modeling should complete the Quantitative Methodology specialization, along with additional coursework and research focused on quantitative methods. Students whose primary interest is in other substantive areas within Family and Human Development or Sociology but who would like to develop strength in measurement and statistical analysis should also consider the Quantitative Methodology specialization.
How to Apply:
The Quantitative Methodology specialization is open to any doctoral student in the Sanford School. Prospective students should apply either through the PhD in Family and Human Development program or the PhD in Sociology program. Please see the Graduate Handbook: Program in Family and Human Development or the Graduate Handbook: Program in Sociology for full descriptions of the application process. Existing students may apply for the Quantitative Methodology Specialization by completing this form.
Faculty affiliated with the Quantitative Methodology Specialization and their methodological interests are as follows:
Dawn DeLay – social network analysis, dyadic analysis, interdependent (nonindependent) data, and longitudinal social relationship models
Masumi Iida – multilevel modeling of longitudinal and dyadic data
Justin Jager – structural equation modeling, latent growth modeling, pattern-centered analysis (e.g., latent class analysis and growth-mixture modeling)
Roy Levy – psychometrics, item response theory, structural equation modeling, Bayesian networks, Bayesian inference, and assessment design
Holly O'Rourke - mediation analysis and statistical performance of mediation models, longitudinal mediation models, latent change score models, structural equation models for longitudinal data, statistical power
Monica Tsethlikai - structural equation modeling, Bayesian statistics for small samples, item response theory
Marilyn Thompson – structural equation modeling, factor analysis, measurement invariance, multilevel modeling of longitudinal and clustered data
Natalie Eggum – longitudinal data analyses within a structural equation model framework
Courses
The Quantitative Methodology specialization requires 18 hours total:
REQUIRED = 6 hours
*Requirements assume Quantitative Methods in the Social Sciences I, Lab I, Quantitative Methods in the Social Sciences II, and Lab II as prerequisites
SSFD's Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analysis for the Social Sciences (introduction to matrix algebra, principal components analyses, exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, fundamentals of structural equation modeling)
SSFD's Structural Equation Modeling for the Social Sciences (theory and application of structural equation modeling; path analysis, latent regression models, multiple group analysis, models for longitudinal data)
ELECTIVES = 12 hours
*The below list is not exhaustive. The Quantitative Methodology specialization elective hours can overlap with courses taken toward a degree program’s statistics electives requirements. Note that Quantitative Methods in the Social Sciences I and Quantitative Methods in the Social Sciences II courses do NOT count as an elective for the Quantitative Methodology specialization.
Advanced Modeling
Pattern-Centered Analysis
Bayesian Methods
Advanced Bayesian Methods
Mediation Analysis
Experimental and Quasi-experimental Designs for Research
Measurement
Item Response Theory
Statistical Methods for Small Group and Longitudinal Designs
Analysis of Dyadic Interaction
Structural Equation Modeling with Longitudinal Data
Latent Growth and Mixture Models with Longitudinal Data
Statistical Methods for Large and Complex Samples
Social Network Analysis
Large/Secondary Dataset Analysis
Appropriate substitutions will be considered by the Methodology faculty if required courses are not offered within a reasonable timeframe (e.g., due to faculty sabbaticals or other leaves of absence). Completion of the Quantitative Methodology specialization requires that at least 12 hours of the requirements be taken within the Sanford School (this does not include the introduction sequence). All courses counting toward the Quantitative Methodology specialization must be completed with a minimum grade of B-.
The PhD in Family and Human Development offers a training specialization for students interested in the study of social and emotional development (SED) across the life span. Students choosing the SED specialization will learn about contemporary theories, methodologies, and bodies of empirical research pertaining to a range of issues in broadly defined adaptive and maladaptive processes in social and emotional development. Students may also become involved in research in other disciplines that informs the understanding of aspects of social-emotional development. Examples of such disciplines include family dynamics, intervention research, social networks, neuroscience, psychophysiology, and developmental psychopathology.
The SED specialization requires 18 hours total:
REQUIRED = 6 hours
CDE 598 Social and Emotional Development
CDE 612 Peer Relationships
ELECTIVES = 12 hours
CDE 534 Risk and Resilience
CDE 612 Gender Development
CDE 634 Prevention and Child Development
EDP 691 Child and Adolescent Psychopathology
CDE 698 Social-Emotional Development in Atypical Children
PSY 578 Development and Psychopathology
CDE/SOC 598 Social Networks
CDE 598 Play and Development
CDE/FAS 590 Readings and Conference (3 hours only)
CDE 598 Bullying/Aggression
FAS 598 Parenting
Others as approved
For additional information, please contact:
Gary Ladd, SED Coordinator Email: Gary.Ladd@asu.edu (480) 727‐6621
Each specialization builds on the basic PhD program in Family and Human Development but provides students with focused coursework and training in areas of strength within the unit. Opportunities to learn from expert faculty within and outside of the Sanford School are reflected in the specializations.
Students do not have to declare a specialization, but those who do will follow the guidelines for the specialization to ensure that training is guided and coherent. Each specialization is designed to enhance students' training and research, such that a programmatic area of expertise is developed.
The Core FHD Graduate Program Faculty are primarily responsible for training FHD doctoral students. In addition, students may also work with other Sanford School faculty members in Family and Human Development and Sociology. See the list below of research faculty members and their interests.
All faculty members are eligible to serve as chairs of master’s committees.
In addition, because ASU sponsors a graduate faculty model, faculty from academic units outside of the Sanford School may also be eligible to serve on the committees of FHD doctoral students.
Resume or curriculum vitae. Must summarize the academic and employment experiences of the applicant.
Personal Statement. Must be four to six pages, double-spaced, and address the following:
State your professional goals and reasons for desiring to enroll in this program.
Describe your strengths that will help you succeed in the program and in reaching your professional goals.
Describe, in detail, your research experience (include a description of your master's thesis if applicable). Describe the relevant responsibilities you have held.
Indicate your personal research interests as specifically as possible.
Identify two or three faculty whose research interest matches your own. Explain why you believe these are good matches (view faculty interests).
Include any additional information that you feel will help the committee evaluate your application.
Three letters of recommendation. Must include at least one from an instructor at the applicant's institution where undergraduate or graduate work was completed. These letters should be from people who know you as a student or in a professional capacity. Letters from family members or friends do not meet this criterion.
As part of the online graduate application you will submit the names and work email addresses for your three recommenders. Your recommenders will be sent instructions on how to electronically send their recommendations.
3. International Students – Required additional materials
Admission to the Doctoral Program in Family and Human Development is competitive. Applicants will be short-listed based on a review of all submitted materials, including official transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate course work, verbal, quantitative, statement of goals relevant to the doctoral program, three letters of recommendation, resume or CV, and complete application for admission to the Graduate College. Those applicants who make the short-list will be invited to visit in the spring for an interview. Final admissions decisions will be made following the interview.
Students are admitted for the fall semester only.
If you have any questions about the online application procedures or about the program, please contact graduatesanford@asu.edu
Degree Requirements
Curriculum Plan Options
85 credit hours, a written comprehensive exam, an oral comprehensive exam, a prospectus and a dissertation
Required Core (1 credit hour) FAS 503 Academic Professional Development (1)
Other Requirements (26 credit hours) CDE 531 Theoretical Issues in Child Development (3) FAS 500 Research Methods (3) FAS 513 Introduction to Regression and Linear Models (4) or PSY 530 Intermed Statistics (4) FAS 514 Advanced Regression and Nonlinear Models (4) or PSY 531 Multiple Regression in Psychological Research (4) FAS 531 Theoretical Issues in Family Sciences (3) two graduate-level courses in advanced methods or statistics (6) one graduate-level diversity course (3)
Research (6 credit hours) FAS or CDE 592 Research (6)
Additional Curriculum Information Postbaccalaureate (students entering after the bachelor's degree): Of the 85 credit hours for a postbaccalaureate program, six credit hours are dedicated to an empirical project, and 12 credit hours are for the dissertation.
Post-master's (students entering after the master's degree): When approved by the student's supervisory committee and the Graduate College, this program allows 30 credit hours from a previously awarded master's degree to be used for this credential. Of the 55 credit hours of the post-master's degree program, 12 credit hours are for the dissertation.
Electives should be chosen in consultation with and approval of the advisor. Electives may be selected within or outside the T. Denny Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics. All elective courses must be 500 level or higher.
Substitutions for all courses listed under other requirements may be made per department approval.
For the diversity course requirement, students should refer to the department for a list of approved courses.
For the advanced methods or statistics requirement, students take two courses with content that advances beyond Quantitative Methods I and II.
Admission Requirements
Applicants must fulfill the requirements of both the Graduate College and The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
Applicants are eligible to apply to the program if they have a bachelor's or master's degree in any field from a regionally accredited institution.
Applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in the last 60 hours of their first bachelor's degree program or a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 in an applicable master's degree program.
All applicants must submit:
graduate admission application and application fee
official transcripts
a resume or curriculum vitae
statement of goals relevant to the doctoral program
three letters of recommendation
proof of English proficiency
Additional Application Information An applicant whose native language is not English must provide proof of English proficiency regardless of their current residency.
The personal statement must be four to six pages, double-spaced, and address the applicant's professional goals, the applicant's strengths that will enable them to succeed in the program, a detailed description of past research experience, relevant professional experiences or responsibilities, and specific personal research interests. The applicant also must identify two or three faculty members whose research interests match their own and explain why they are good matches.
Three letters of recommendation are required. These must include at least one from an instructor at the institution where the applicant completed their undergraduate or graduate work. The letters should be from people who know the applicant in a professional or academic capacity; letters from family members or friends do not meet this criterion.
Students should see the program website for full application deadlines.
Courses and Electives
FAS 531: Theoretical Issues in Family Sciences CDE 531: Theoretical Issues in Child Development
Diversity Course FAS 500: Research Methods ANOVA Multiple Regression
2 Advanced Statistics Courses FAS 503: Professional Development
14 courses
Optional specializations include Diversity and Inclusion Science, Quantitative Methodology, and Social and Emotional Development.
Student will work with their advisor to identify elective courses in the area of expertise that the student would like to develop.
FAS or CDE 592
Empirical Portfolio Project: Students who enter the program with their bachelor's degree will complete a portfolio project in the form of an empirical project to earn their master's in passing. The empirical portfolio project consists of original work on a specific research problem. The problem is decided upon by the student in consultation with the supervisory committee chair. After selection of a research problem, the student develops a research proposal and makes a formal presentation of it to the supervisory committee for critical review and formal acceptance (called the Portfolio Proposal Meeting). The portfolio project can be formatted as a traditional document (i.e., including an introduction, literature review, method, plan of analyses/results, and discussion) or as an empirical article in the format specified for empirical articles in the relevant current edition of the publication manual by the American Psychological Association.
Comprehensive Exam: The comprehensive exam fulfills a number of purposes. On one level, this exam allows students to independently demonstrate the breadth and depth of their knowledge, their ability to think critically, and their readiness to write their dissertation proposal to their supervisory committee. On another level, comprehensive exams should challenge students to utilize and integrate what they have learned in their coursework, and to independently develop a research plan that potentially will sustain their investigative efforts past their doctoral dissertation and into the early years of their career. There are two format options for the exam: students select either (a) grant application or (b) psychological bulletin article.
FAS or CDE 592
FAS or CDE 799
Dissertation: The doctoral dissertation must be the product of original scholarship and must make a significant contribution to knowledge in the field and demonstrate the student's mastery of systematic research methods. The dissertation should be completed using one of two formats: (a) traditional dissertation proposal; or (b) two or three original and distinct empirical articles. For the traditional dissertation option, the prospectus should include a pertinent review of the literature, statement of the problem, the purpose of the proposed study, description of the research design and methods, and discussion of the specific means by which the data will be analyzed (i.e., an introduction and literature review, method, and plan of analysis). For the empirical articles option, the prospectus should include an introduction that provides the broad theoretical rational, statement of the problem and how it will be divided into 2 or 3 studies, and integration of the 2 to 3 planned studies.
Apply research methods, including study design, measurement, and analyses in their final exam and dissertation.
Apply their understanding of theoretical perspectives to the field of child and family development in their final project and/or final exam.
Able to implement a major independent research project that makes a unique contribution to the field of family and human development.
Career Opportunities
Graduates possess knowledge and skills necessary for promoting healthy individual and family development as they study the factors that promote successful relationships and positive outcomes for individuals, families and communities across the life span. Graduates often pursue careers working with children, youth and adults in human, social and government agencies or take on leadership roles as researchers in a university, in a public or privately funded agency, in an industry or in government.
Career examples include:
community support program officials
government agency administrators and professionals
instructors
nonprofit organization administrators
research professionals
Program Contact Information
If you have questions related to admission, please
click here
to request information and an admission specialist will reach out to you directly.
For questions regarding faculty or courses, please use the contact information below.
Concurrent degree programs are specially designed academic programs which provide high-achieving undergraduate students the opportunity to complete two distinct but complementary bachelor degrees at the same time. Students must meet minimum admissions standards for both programs and be accepted individually by both colleges offering the concurrent program.
Students pursuing concurrent degrees earn two distinct degrees and receive two diplomas. ASU offers students two ways to earn concurrent degrees: by choosing a predetermined combination or creating their own combination. Predetermined combinations have a single admissions application and one easy to follow major map. To add a concurrent degree to your existing degree, work with your academic advisor. Either way, concurrent degrees allow students to pursue their own personal or professional interests.
Accelerated bachelor's and master's degree programs are designed for high-achieving undergraduate students who want the opportunity to combine undergraduate coursework with graduate coursework to accelerate completion of their master's degree. These programs feature the same high-quality curriculum taught by ASU's world-renowned faculty.
ASU students may accelerate their studies by earning a bachelor's and a master's degree in as little as five years (for some programs) or by earning a bachelor's degree in 2.5 or 3 years.
Accelerated bachelor's and master's degree programs are designed for high-achieving undergraduate students who want the opportunity to combine undergraduate coursework with graduate coursework to accelerate completion of their master's degree. These programs, featuring the same high-quality curriculum taught by ASU's world-renowned faculty, allow students to obtain both a bachelor's and a master's degree in as little as five years.
Accelerated bachelor's degree programs allow students to choose either a 2.5- or a 3-year path while participating in the same high-quality educational experience of a 4-year option. Students can opt to fast-track their studies after acceptance into a participating program by connecting with their academic advisor.
This is only the first required math course. This program may contain additional math courses; See Major Map for details.
The level of intensity represents a measure of the number and academic rigor of math courses required.
The level of intensity represents a measure of the number and academic rigor of math courses required. Courses included in the General level: MAT 142
The level of intensity represents a measure of the number and academic rigor of math courses required. Courses included in the Moderate level: MAT 117, MAT 119, MAT 170, MAT 210, SOS 101, CPI 200
The level of intensity represents a measure of the number and academic rigor of math courses required. Courses included in the Substantial level: MAT 251, MAT 265. MAT 266, MAT 267, MAT 270, MAT 271, MAT 272, MAT 274, MAT 275
A rolling deadline means that applications will continue to be reviewed on a regular basis until the semester begins. International students should be mindful of visa deadlines to ensure there is time to produce necessary visa documents. Applicants are encouraged to complete and submit application materials as soon as possible for consideration.
A final deadline means that all applications and application materials must be received by Graduate Admissions by the deadline date. Applications that are incomplete may not be considered after the final deadline. Applications that are submitted past the final deadline may not be considered.
A priority deadline means that applications submitted and completed before the priority deadline will receive priority consideration. Applications submitted after the priority deadlines will be reviewed in the order in which they were completed and on a space available basis. An application is complete after all materials are received by Graduate Admissions.