Master of Arts in Human Development and Family Sciences - Couples, Parents and Families

A strength of the department is the number of faculty who conduct both basic and translational research with a focus on close relationshipswhether within couples, parent-child relationships, or families broadly defined. Several of our faculty have leadership roles in the National Council on Family Relations (NCFR), an international society devoted to the study of families and couples.

Our department has a remarkable breadth and depth in the area of Couples, Parents, and Families. A large and strong group of faculty and graduate students examine one or more aspects of these relationships. Strengths of UConn HDFS research in this area include:

Range of relationships considered: Researchers examine heterosexual and LGBTQ couples, interracial marriages and families, parent-child relationships at different stages of the lifespan, foster and step-parenting, remarriage, and caregiving between children and their aging parents
Lifespan perspective: ranges from infancy to older adulthood
Studied in context: addresses multiple aspects of social contexts, including culture, economic status, family structure, gender, caregiving, parent work environment
Basic and translational research: Examines both theoretical and applied research questions, including intervention programs for parents and families, clinical processes and outcomes in couples therapy, interventions to promote the physical and mental health of children and families
Various aspects of family studied: Couples parenting priorities, parenting biracial teenagers, parental acceptance and rejection, post-divorce adjustment for parents and children, identity formation and negotiation during family transitions, high conflict couples
Range of outcomes: Addresses a large number of outcomes associated with couple, parenting, and family interactions, such as young children's empathy and temperament, risk of divorce, and sexual and reproductive healthples.

Our department has a remarkable breadth and depth in the area of Couples, Parents, and Families. A large and strong group of faculty and graduate students examine one or more aspects of these relationships. Strengths of UConn HDFS research in this area include:

Range of relationships considered: Researchers examine heterosexual and LGBTQ couples, interracial marriages and families, parent-child relationships at different stages of the lifespan, foster and step-parenting, remarriage, and caregiving between children and their aging parents
Lifespan perspective: ranges from infancy to older adulthood
Studied in context: addresses multiple aspects of social contexts, including culture, economic status, family structure, gender, caregiving, parent work environment
Basic and translational research: Examines both theoretical and applied research questions, including intervention programs for parents and families, clinical processes and outcomes in couples therapy, interventions to promote the physical and mental health of children and families

Three letters of recommendation
Official transcripts from all institutions attended
Unofficial transcripts uploaded to the online application site
Personal Statement highlighting your desired area of specialization, research interests, as well as your preferred advisor, uploaded directly to the application site
Resume or Curriculum Vitae

You must hold a baccalaureate degree or its equivalent from a regionally accredited college or university.
A cumulative GPA for their most recent degree of 3.0 or higher for the entire degree
Minimum overall scores of 79 (Internet-based test – iBT/ iBT Home Edition), 550 (Old Paper-based test – PBT) or 22/30 on each of the Listening, Reading, and Writing sections (''New'' Paper-based test- PBT) or higher on the TOEFL test. (TOEFL Essentials is not accepted.)
Personal Statement
A minimum overall score of 6.5 or higher on the IELTS Academic Test
A minimum overall score of 53 or higher on the PTE Test.