Master's Program Overview

The family sciences master’s (M.S.) program uses an integrative approach to learning about improving individual, family, and community well-being. The program prepares students for immediate employment in their chosen area, and also provides an excellent foundation for subsequent matriculation into a doctoral program.

Four emphasis areas are available in the family sciences master’s program: (a) adoles.educent development, (b) couple and family therapy, (d) family finance and economics, and (e) family processes.

The curriculum for each emphasis area except couple and family therapy requires a minimum of 30 credit hours, comprised of 15 credit hours of core courses, 5 hours of electives, 3 hours of a data analysis or program evaluation course, 1 hour of a professional development seminar, and 6 credit hours for the thesis (Plan A) or scholarly project (Plan B).

The couple and family therapy emphasis area is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE) and requires a prescribed curriculum totaling 53 credit hours (2 years, including one summer), comprised of 15 credit hours of core family sciences courses, 18 hours of core couple and family therapy courses, 10 hours of supervised practicum, 3 hours of a data analysis or program evaluation course, 1 hour of a professional development seminar, and 6 credit hours for the thesis (Plan A) or scholarly project (Plan B). Students also must complete 500 client contact hours, which is primarily accomplished during the 10 hours of practicum.

Funding is ocassionally available on a merit bais for master’s students, in the form of a graduate teaching assistantship. However, doctoral students have priority for this funding so most master's students must fund the master's program themselves.

The application deadline is January 15 to begin fall semester of the same calendar year; admissions are for fall semester enrollment only. Students must have a bachelor’s degree prior to admission into the master’s program, and particularly outstanding applicants who have earned a bachelor’s degree but not a master’s degree may be considered for admission into the doctoral program, upon request. Successful applicants to the master’s program in recent years have generally had a minimum 3.4 undergraduate GPA.

Master's students are required to form an advisory committee within their first year in the program; the table below indicates which positions each faculty member can currently hold on a master's advisory committee. At a minimum, the committee must be comprised of one chair and two members (one of the members must be from outside the department), and at least one person on the committee must be among the faculty members identified in the table below with an asterisk (*). See the faculty page for more information about individual faculty members.



 Master's Advisory Committee
Faculty MemberChairCo-ChairMember
Dyk, TrishaXXX
Hans, JasonXXX
Kim, HyungsooXXX
Ross, BruceXXX
Vazsonyi, AlexXXX
Wood, NateXXX
Bada-Ellzey, HenriettaXX
Briggs, Alissa XX
Farr, Rachal XX
Stockburger, Stephanie XX
Yozwiak, JohnXX


Contact the Director of Graduate Studies, Dr. Hyungsoo Kim (859) 257-7742 or hkim3@uky.edu with any questions or to discuss how the program may serve your needs.