家庭科学和人类发展是一个多学科领域，它借鉴了一系列社会科学学科，包括社会学，社会工作，教育，老年医学以及社区和发展心理学。家庭科学和人类发展博士学位课程考虑了较大社会文化背景下的家庭生活，并探讨了权力，特权和社会正义问题如何相互作用，以不同方式影响家庭结构。由于该计划具有多学科性和跨学科性，我们的学生来自各个领域，包括家庭研究，人类发展，教育，社会工作，人类服务，心理学，残疾和康复服务，老年病学和社会学。家庭科学和人类发展专业人士专注于家庭部门的优势和挑战，研究各种家庭问题并寻求解决家庭问题的方法。该学科
Family Science and Human Development is a multidisciplinary field, drawing on a range of social science disciplines including sociology, social work, education, gerontology, and community and developmental psychology. The PhD in Family Science and Human Development program considers family life within larger socio-cultural contexts and explores how issues of power, privilege and social justice interact to differentially impact family configurations. Due to the multi and interdisciplinary nature of the program, our students come from a variety of fields, including family studies, human development, education, social work, human services, psychology, disability and rehabilitation services, gerontology, and sociology. Family Science and Human Development professionals focus on the strengths and challenges of the family unit, examining a diverse range of family issues and seeking solutions to family problems. The applied, multidisciplinary focus of the discipline makes PhD graduates very attractive to employers in higher education, government, and nonprofit and private sectors. Graduates of the program will be prepared to pursue a wide range of professional opportunities as faculty members in colleges and universities, as program administrators, researchers and evaluators, and policymakers, and in positions in organizations focusing on children, youth, adults, older adults and families.