The Department of Individual and Family Studies offers programs leading to the Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degrees. All IFS graduate programs offer a strong interdisciplinary background in human development and family studies with an emphasis on relationships in a changing society. All programs provide background in family systems and the relationship of the family and its members to other systems across the life course.

At the Master’s level students choose one of three concentrations. Students who want to focus on research and evaluation in applied human development and family services as well as those who want to continue on into a doctoral level program would enroll in the Family and Human Development Research concentration. This concentration requires the completion of a thesis or theoretical paper. Students who seek a more professional concentration can specialize in either Applied Family and Community Studies, Early Childhood Development and Inclusive Education or Risk and Disabilities.

Course work in the Applied Family and Community Studies area is designed to increase leadership skills, understanding of program and evaluation research, and an understanding of the relationship of the service system to the family. Students in the Early Childhood Development and Inclusive Education concentration focus on the context of early childhood examining the relationship of children to their family, peers, teachers, and learning environments. This concentration is designed for early childhood teachers in the field who wish to increase their expertise as well as individuals who have studied in other areas and now wish to become teachers of children birth to 5 years in inclusive classrooms. Most students with this professional emphasis complete a portfolio as their final scholarly product. However, students planning to continue their graduate studies are encouraged to complete a thesis. Coursework in the Risk and Disabilities concentration is designed to prepare professionals to serve individuals with disabilities or at risk for disabilities across the life span. This concentration will allow for masters level students to specialize in the services needed to support individuals and families with disabilities; to manage those services; and to evaluate those services.

The doctoral program in Human Development and Family Studies is designed to prepare scholars for positions as researchers, professors, or leaders in human service fields. This program has a strong emphasis on understanding theory and research as it relates to individuals and their families. The Ph.D. requires a research based dissertation.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction………………………………………………………………………………………….6

Faculty……………………………………………………………………………………………….7

A. GETTING STARTED...................................................................................... 11

First Steps.................................................................................................... 11

Pre- Registration and Registration.................................................................. 11 Course Selection……………………………………………………………………….............. 11

Selecting an Advisor…………………………………………………………………….12

Financial Support………………………………………………………………………..12

B. PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTING A PROGRAM OF STUDY............................ 13

Course Requirements: M.S. in Human Development and Family Studies........ 13

Course and Residency Requirements: Ph.D. in Human Development

and Family Studies

Time Limits for Completion of M.S. and Ph.D.................................................. 15

Leave of Absence………………………………………………………………………..16

Transfer from the Master’s to the Ph.D. Program............................................. 16

Formation of Committees.............................................................................. 16

Master's Committee.......................................................................... 17

Doctoral Committee.......................................................................... 17

Teaching Requirements................................................................................ 17

Annual Review of Graduate Student Progress................................................ 18

C. COMPLETION OF MASTER'S THESIS, THEORETICAL

PAPER, FIELD PLACEMENT WITH PROJECT, OR PORTFOLIO

AND DOCTORAL DISSERTATION ................................................................. 18

Culminating Experiences............................................................................... 18

Developing the Proposal.............................................................................. 19

Proposal Approval........................................................................................ 19

Human Subjects Approval……………………………………............................... 20

Completing the Research.............................................................................. 20

Submitting the Approved Master’s Written Product/Doctoral Dissertation………...21

D. DOCTORAL CANDIDACY.............................................................................. 21

University Requirements for Candidacy.......................................................... 21

Department Requirements for Candidacy....................................................... 23

Special Registration Prior to Candidacy......................................................... 24

Admission to Candidacy............................................................................... 24

Dissertation Defense…………………………………………………………………….25

Submitting the Approved Doctoral Dissertation………………………………………26

E. Completing Final Requirements..................................................................... 26

INTRODUCTION

Welcome to the graduate program in the Department of Individual and Family Studies at the University of Delaware. You are about to begin challenging and exciting work in the field of Human Development and Family Studies. This handbook is intended to assist you in the procedures to be followed as you progress in your graduate program. This handbook does not replace the official University of Delaware Graduate Catalog. It will be useful for you to retain a copy of the University of Delaware Graduate Catalog of the year of your admission, and this handbook as together they provide the operational guidelines for your study at the University of Delaware. Different forms that you will need can be obtained from the Department Graduate Secretary or you can download them from the Department web site at http://www.udel.edu/ifst/students/. Your suggestions about the handbook and the graduate program are always welcomed. If you have questions or concerns, you may contact your advisor and/or:

Dr. Penny L. Deiner Dr. Martha J. Buell Tamara L. Salzbrenner Tina M. Fontana

Chairperson Graduate Coordinator Assistant to the Chair Graduate Secretary

111B Alison West 316 Alison South 111 Alison West 112 Alison West

302/831-2969 302/831-6032 302/831-1011 302/831-6932

pennyd@udel.edu mjbuell@udel.edu tsalz@udel.edu tfontana@udel.edu

Dr. John B. Bishop Students taking College Counseling or Student

Associate Vice President for Counseling Affairs Practice and Higher Education should

And Student Life contact Dr. Bishop’s office for their graduate

287 Perkins Student Center handbook.

302/831-8107

john.bishop@udel.edu

Some additional departmental information that you may need:

The fax number for the Department of Individual and Family Studies is (302) 831-8776.

Graduate Assistants are housed in 4 different locations in Alison South and Alison West. The office locations and phone numbers are:

113 Alison West- (302) 831-6764

209 Alison South - (302) 831-3386 – Graduate Lounge

308 Alison South- (302) 831-6729

313 Alison South - (302) 831-2055

319 Alison South - (302) 831-3387

326 Alison South - (302) 831-3486 – Graduate Student Commons

Faculty

Penny L. Deiner, Ph.D. (Penn State), Professor and Chair, Family resilience and violence, children with special needs and their families, inclusive early childhood education, infancy.

Aparna Bagdi, Ph.D. (Syracuse University), Assistant Professor, Cultural diversity, early childhood, stress.

John B. Bishop, Ph.D. (Ohio University), Professor and Associate Vice President for Counseling and Student Life. Counseling, adolescent development, administration in higher education.

Martha J. Buell, Ph.D. (North Carolina-Greensboro), Associate Professor and Graduate Coordinator. Early childhood classroom quality; early childhood teacher professional development; and emergent literacy.

Nancy J. Edwards, M.Ed. (Temple), Clinical Faculty/ Instructor, National Board Certified Teacher. University of Delaware Laboratory Preschool. Math and science education.

Alice P. Eyman, M.A. (Columbia), Assistant Professor; Director, University of Delaware

Laboratory Preschool and Student Teaching Coordinator. Professional development; laboratory schools.

Michael Ferrari, Ph.D. (Rutgers), Associate Professor, (Joint appointment, Psychology). Families and neurodevelopmental disorders, brain injury, dementia research, rehabilitation.

Ruth E. Fleury, Ph.D. (Michigan State). Assistant Professor, Community responses to violence against women.

Norma Gaines-Hanks, Ed.D. (University of Delaware), Clinical Faculty/Assistant Professor.

Working with diverse populations, parental satisfaction with schools, mentorship, and cultural diversity.

Michael Gamel-McCormick, Ph.D. (Virginia Commonwealth), Associate Professor, Director of Center for Disabilities Studies. Early childhood development and education, intervention with special needs populations, program evaluation, qualitative analyses.

Judith A. Greene, Ed.D. (Temple), Assistant Professor, Policy Scientist. Conflict management, intercultural communication, community integration.

Myae Han, Ph.D. (Arizona State), Assistant Professor, Early childhood education, reading education, early literacy.

Dene G. Klinzing, Ph.D. (Penn State), Professor. Hospitalized children, child development,

parenting, medical communication.

Laura Morris, M.Ed. (Wilmington College), Clinical Faculty/Instructor. University of Delaware Laboratory

Preschool. Literacy and behavior management.

Christine M. Ohannessian, Ph.D. (Penn State), Assistant Professor. Adolescent development, adolescent problem behaviors, developmental psychopathology, children of alcoholics.

Robin J. Palkovitz, Ph.D. (Rutgers), Professor. Father-child relations across the life-span,

parental development, life-span development.

Cynthia Paris, Ph.D. (University of Pennsylvania), Assistant Professor. Early childhood education, assessment, supervision, mentoring.

Barbara H. Settles, Ph.D. (Ohio State), Professor. Cost and quality issues in family care, family theory,

family life education, family futures.

Bahira Sherif, Ph.D. (Penn), Associate Professor. Culturally diverse families, gender issues,

intergenerational relationships.

Tara M. Sutton, M.S. (University of Delaware), Clinical/Faculty Instructor. University of Delaware Laboratory Preschool. Early childhood education.

Donald G. Unger, Ph.D. (South Carolina), Professor. Social support and family coping, child and family intervention, teenage pregnancy, prevention and empowerment with families.

John Vacca, Ph.D. (Penn State), Assistant Professor. Early Intervention and School Psychology.

Julie Mapes Wilgen, Ph.D. (Texas Tech), Clinical Faculty/Assistant Professor, Human Sexuality.

Lynn Worden, Ph.D. (University of Delaware), Clinical/Faculty Instructor. Parenting, stress and coping in

children; death education.

Secondary Faculty Appointments

Charles L. Beale, Ed.D. (College of William and Mary), Assistant Professor, Associate Director, Center for Counseling and Student Development.

Sally Bould, Ph.D. (Berkeley), Professor, Sociology (Joint appointment), Social stratification, and economic work.

Timothy F. Brooks, Ed.D. (Oregon State University), Assistant Professor, Retired Dean of Students

John P. Brunelle, Ph.D. (Virginia Commonwealth University), Assistant Professor; Psychologist, Center for Counseling and Student Development

Karen A. Curtis, Ph.D. (Temple), Associate Professor, Urban Affairs & Public Policy (Joint appointment). Non-profit leadership in voluntary sector, applied research and public policy analysis.

Mark C. Fleming, Ph.D. (Penn State), Assistant Professor, Psychologist, Center for Counseling and Student Development.

Merris A. Hollingsworth, Ph.D. (University of Maryland), Assistant Professor, Psychologist, Center for Counseling and Student Development.

Patricia T. Nelson, Ed.D. (Columbia), Family and Child Development Specialist, Food and Resource Economics and Associate Professor (Joint appointment). Family stress, family concerns, parenting.

Marilyn S. Prime, ED.D. (University of Delaware), Assistant Professor, Director; Student Centers

Richard S. Sharf, Ph.D. (University of Iowa), Associate Professor, Senior Psychologist, Center for Counseling and Student Development.

Karen Y. Tsukada, Ph.D. (Ohio State University), Assistant Professor; Center for Counseling and Student Development.