Master of Arts in Human Developmental Science
The master's degree program in Human Developmental Science is a multidisciplinary degree intended to provide both breadth and depth in the study of human development. The required portion of the 32 credit program consists of two parts: The classroom component and the cumulative thesis project or non-thesis option (applied internship). The classroom component is divided into content courses and research related courses. In the content courses sequence students will take two semesters of a core class in human development sequence, two semesters of a statistics and design sequence, and three special topics courses (21 credits). The research related courses consist of two semesters of the research colloquium and one course in responsible conduct in research (5 credit hours). The cumulative project has a research and non research applied track–an applied internship. Students in the research track do a research thesis project with a faculty mentor (6 credit hours) and students in the non research applied track take an additional class and an internship that is approved by both the advisor and program (6 credit hours).
Requirements for Admission to the Program:
Students must fulfill the general admission requirements of the Graduate College at Northeastern Illinois University.
In addition, students seeking admission to the M.A. in Human Developmental Science must:
- Submit three letters of reference, a personal statement describing their research interests and future goals, and an official copy of their undergraduate transcript.
- Have a minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0.
- Applicants are additionally encouraged to have a strong background in math, including some statistics.
Requirements for the Degree:
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| PSYC-501 | Human Developmental Science Core I | 3 |
| PSYC-502 | Human Developmental Science Core II | 3 |
| PSYC-509 | Special Topics In Human Developmental Science (must be taken 3 times) | 3 |
| PSYC-510 | Research Design And Statistical Analysis I | 3 |
| PSYC-511 | Research Design And Statistical Analysis II | 3 |
| PSYC-520 | Values, Decision Making For Responsible Conduct In Research | 3 |
| PSYC-521 | Research Colloquium (must be taken 2 times) | 1 |
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | 26 | |
| Required Thesis Experience | 6 | |
Thesis Hours - PSYC 5901, 5902, 5903 | ||
| Total Hours | 32 | |
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Non-Thesis Graduation Option
In lieu of completing a full thesis, with faculty approval students may complete (1) an additional 3 credit hour course (e.g., PSYC-509) and (2) a 3 credit hour applied research internship (PSYC-5903). Students will be required to write an executive summary and do an oral presentation of their applied research internship. This non-Thesis option achieves the goals of the program and the field in training knowledgeable and competent researchers and practitioners.