The Family Studies and Human Services department participates in the Ph.D. degree program awarded from the College of Human Ecology with a specialization in Family Life Education and Consultation. The family life education and consultation specialization prepares candidates to conduct, administer, and evaluate programs for enhancing the quality of family life. This specialization requires course work in human development, family studies, family life education, research methods, evaluation, and applied practice in family and community service organizations. Graduates are qualified for positions in colleges and universities, cooperative extension, human service agencies, and similar professions.

Each student plans a program of study to fit personal career goals with a major professor and a graduate committee. Successful graduates have been those who creatively blended previous professional experience. (e.g., social work, pastoral care, medical service, or family and human services) with family life education and consultation theory and skills to become uniquely qualified professionals with expertise in delivering services to families.