North Dakota State University

Program Description

The Family Financial Planning (FFP) option is a collaborative, inter-institutional program offered through web-based distance education. The FFP option is a 42 credit program with a specific curriculum approved by the Certified Financial Planner (CFP) Board of Standards. The program requires one of the following: practicum, practicum and Master's paper, or a Master's thesis. For students not needing a full Master's degree, a Graduate Certificate in Family Financial Planning is also available, with 18 credits of coursework required. 

The Gerontology option is a collaborative, inter-institutional program offered through web-based distance education. The Gerontology option requires 30 to 33 credits of coursework and a thesis or masters paper for a total of 36 credits. The program can be completed in two to three years. For students not needing a full Master's degree, a Graduate Certificate in Gerontology is also available, with 21 credits of coursework required. 

The Youth Development option is a collaborative, inter-institutional program offered through web-based distance education. The program requires 37 credits, including a Master’s paper or thesis. Students can complete the program in two to three years. Youth development is an emerging professional field. It has a positive orientation, meaning its focus is on promoting the positive development of youth, and it is an applied field, with professionals who put developmental research and theory into practice in structuring and implementing programs and services for adolescents.

Admission Requirements

The Department of Human Development and Family Science graduate program is open to qualified graduates of universities and colleges of recognized standing. To be admitted to the program with full status, the applicant must meet the Graduate School admission requirements. Students applying for the CFT option must complete the Couple and Family Therapy application. An interview conducted by the CFT faculty to determine readiness for the program will also be required after initial application materials are received. The interview will address professional interests and goals, perceived ability to complete the program, emotional and personal stability, and self-evaluation of clinical skills. Near the end of the first semester after admission, a second interview which focuses on clinical readiness will be conducted prior to admission into the practicum.

Financial Assistance

A limited number of assistantships are available to qualified students with priority given to first year students. Graduate assistants work for a faculty member usually for 10 hours per week. The student receives a full waiver of all tuition, as well as a stipend. To be considered for a departmental assistantship, a student must first make application to the Graduate School and be accepted in full or conditional status. The student must then submit a letter to the HDFS department indicating interest and special skills/experiences that would qualify him/her for an assistantship.

Degree Requirements

*Any other 700-level developmental science course may be substituted with adviser and course instructor approval.

During the final year of study, students will have a choice of the following requirements:

• Six credits of practicum OR
• Three credits of practicum (HDFS 796) and three credits of Master's paper (HDFS 797) OR
• Six credits of Master's thesis (HDFS 798)

Note: The courses in Insurance, Investment, Personal Taxation, Estate Planning, Retirement and Employee Benefits, and Real Estate and Housing will satisfy the education requirements for students who wish to sit for the Certified Financial Planner exam.

Graduate Certificate in Family Financial Planning Requirements:

Financial Planning Option: HDFS 762, 763, 765, 766, 769 and 771

Financial and Housing Counseling: 677, 764, 768, 770, plus 6 credits from 762, 763, 765, 766, 771, 772,781 or 794

Students completing the certificate are eligible to sit for the CFP. Certification Examination. The CFP Board website at www.cfp.net provides information relating to CFP Certification Examination. 

During the final year of study, students will have a choice of the following requirements:

A. Six credits of HDFS 798 Master's thesis plus 6 elective credits approved by advisor and committee.

B. Three credits of HDFS 797 Master's paper plus 9 elective credits approved by advisor and committee.

Graduate Certificate in Gerontology Requirements

HDFS 790 Perspectives, HDFS 660, HDFS 722, HNES 652, HDFS 790 Professional, plus two courses from HDFS 760, HDFS 682, or ADFH 790 or from electives approved by advisor and committee. 

 *This course may be taken more than once, as long as the topic areas are different each time. 

During the final year of study, students will have a choice of the following requirements:

A. Six credits of HDFS 798 Master's thesis plus 3 elective credits approved by advisor and committee.

B. Three credits of HDFS 797 Master's paper plus 6 elective credits approved by advisor and committee.

Click here for course descriptions.

Graduate Student Handbook
Department Website
How to Apply
Online Application

Kristen Benson, Ph.D.
Virginia Polytechnical Institute and State University, 2008
Research Interests: Gender Identity and Family/Partner Relationships, Diversity Issues in Family Therapy, Collaborative Approaches to Family Therapy Education and Training, and Qualitative Methodology 

Elizabeth Blodgett Salafia, Ph.D.
University of Notre Dame, 2008
Research Interests: Family and Peer Influences on Adolescents' Disordered Eating Attitudes and Behaviors 

Sean Brotherson, Ph.D.
Oregon State University, 2000
Research Interests: Parenting; Family Life Education 

Thomas Carlson, Ph.D.
Iowa State University, 2000
Research Interests: Family Therapy Training & Supervision; Fathering 

James E. Deal, Ph.D.
University of Georgia, 1987
Research Interests: Personality Development in Children; Research Methods 

Margaret Fitzgerald, Ph.D.
Iowa State University, 1997
Research Interests: Birth-timing & Economic Outcomes; The Interface Between Family Business & The Family 

Heather Fuller-Iglesias, Ph.D.
University of Michigan, 2009
Research Interests: Social Support and Family Dynamics Across the Lifespan; Psychosocial Aging; Cultural Contexts 

Joel Hektner, Ph.D.
University of Chicago, 1996
Research Interests: Alcohol/Drug Abuse Prevention; Delinquency; Peer Affiliation Patterns/ Influences on Behavior 

Virginia L. Clark Johnson, Ph.D.
Pennsylvania State University, 1984
Research Interests: Work and Family 

Christie McGeorge, Ph.D.
University of Minnesota, 2005
Research Interests: Family Caregiving; Family Wellness; Premarital Counseling 

Melissa Lunsman O'Connor, Ph.D.
University of South Florida, 2010
Research Interests: Cognitive and Functional Aging in Healthy and Clinical Populations; Older Drivers; Research Methods; Attitudes toward Dementia 

Brandy A. Randall, Ph.D.
University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2002
Research Interests: Prosocial & Moral Development; Relationships; Positive/Problem Behaviors 

Gregory F. Sanders, Ph.D.
University of Georgia, 1983
Research Interests: Later Life Families; Family Strengths 

Rebecca Woods, Ph.D.
Texas A&M University, 2006
Research Interests: Perception and cognition in infancy; object processing; multimodal processing; early gender differences 

Adjunct 

Wendy Troop-Gordon, Ph.D.
University of Illinois, 2002
Research Interests: Peer Relationships in Childhood; Social-cognitive Development; Psycho-social and School Adjustment