Department of Human & Community Development, University of Illinois

                                                                                                           
                    

Graduate Programs

Marriage & Family Services

Dual Degree (M.S./M.S.W.) Program with the School of Social Work

Orientation & Program Emphasis

The Department of Human and Community Development and the School of Social Work offer a dual Master's degree program in Marriage and Family Services. Students earn an M.S. in HCD with a concentration in Marriage and Family Services. They then transfer into the School of Social Work and earn a M.S.W. degree accredited by the Council on Social Work Education. Completion of both degrees takes a total of 3 years.

The dual focus of the program enables students to acquire theoretical knowledge related to the development and functioning of family systems, research competence, knowledge of social policies and programs that affect families, and practical skills in family-focused prevention and intervention. A unique feature of the program is its emphasis on understanding and working with families from a variety of socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds. The School of Social Work also provides information about the M.S.W. degree.

Programs & Degrees

Master's Degree. Students earn two Master's degrees, one in Social Work and one in Human and Community Development with a concentration in Marriage and Family Services.

Doctoral Degree. The department does not offer a doctoral program in Marriage and Family Services. Occasionally a dual degree student has transferred into our HDFS doctoral concentration.

HCD Faculty

Admissions Requirements

We are looking for diverse, curious, intelligent, and highly motivated students with strong academic records. Students with degrees in behavioral or social sciences, family and consumer sciences, or education are especially encouraged to apply, as are students with experience in human services settings. The minimum grade-point average for admission is 3.0 (A = 4.0). As a guideline, GRE scores should be above 500 for the quantitative and verbal tests, and above 4.0 for analytical writing, though the Admissions Committee may admit candidates below these scores if the student demonstrates compelling strengths in other areas. GRE scores should be no more than 2 years old.

International applicants from non-English-speaking countries must demonstrate English language proficiency to be eligible for admission.

Applicants must have an advanced undergraduate course in statistics that includes descriptive statistics, inferential statistics, probability, correlation, ANOVA or regression. This requirement may be waived under special circumstances. However, if admitted, students who do not have this background will be expected to complete a statistics course in their first year.

In addition to academic potential, we particularly recruit students whose interests and career goals fit the focus of our program and its faculty. Applicants should clearly describe why our program is a good fit for their interests.

Please note that we have a "full time student" department culture and thus do not enroll part-time students or encourage outside employment during the program. As you will see below, we provide excellent financial support to our full-time students.

Application Information

Application Deadline: Jan 15 for following fall admission.

Application fee: $60.00 for USA students; $75.00 for International students. Guide to applying to our program. Complete the online U of Illinois graduate application here.

Dual degree applicants apply to the School of Social Work and indicate on their application that they are interested in the M.S./M.S.W. program. Transcripts, letters of reference, and GRE scores should be sent to the School of Social Work. However, dual degree applicants must submit a supplemental application form directly to the Department of Human and Community Development.

Student Applications

We had 9 applicants for the MS/MSW dual degree Fall 2007 entering class. Four were admitted (44%) and all 4 enrolled.

Student Characteristics Fall 2007 Class

Four new dual degree students were enrolled in Fall 2006. All were women and one was a US Minority. All of the students received fellowship or assistantship funding.

Highlights of Student Accomplishments (2006-2007)

Last year there were 7 students pursuing our dual degree program. Four of them were rated as "excellent" teachers.

Financial Information

Tuition & Fees. 2007-2008 $8,374 (state residents) $21,214 (non-state residents) Most students who receive an assistantship receive a full tuition waiver. (See financial assistance for tuition waiver information).

Financial Assistance

All of our students in 2007-2008 received assistantships and/or fellowships. All applicants who are admitted are considered for every assistantship and fellowship; there is no separate application process.

The financial assistance described here is completely separate from state or federal financial aid. Please visit the Office of Financial Aid for information about grant and loan opportunities.

Students entering our dual degree program are typically guaranteed one year of support at the "25% level." At 2007-2008 rates, this corresponds to 10 hours of work per week as a teaching or research assistantship and a 9-month stipend worth approximately $6,200. Students who have at least a 25% assistantship (10 hours per week) qualify for a full tuition wavier. This applies to both state and non-state tuition rates. The tuition waiver does not apply to student and service fees.

We also have several fellowships that provide support to students. See Financial Assistance for more information.

Though we are unable to support dual degree students through fellowships or assistantships once they transfer into the School of Social Work (after year one), we have sometimes been able to offer grad-hourly employment. Please contact the School of Social Work for information about M.S.W. student funding opportunities.

Employment of Graduates

All of our dual degree graduates have found employment in the human services field. Many report that they feel that their M.S. from HCD gave them an advantage in the job market.

Information for Students with Disabilities

The Disability and Educational Resource Center for students with disabilities provides information to students. http://www.disability.uiuc.edu/

Housing

The Housing Office provides Information about both on-campus and community housing. http://www.housing.uiuc.edu/

Child Care

The Child Care Resource Service provides referral information to students and others who are interested in finding child care in the community. http://www.ag.uiuc.edu/CCRSCare/

Graduate Programs Director

For more information contact the Graduate Program Director: Dr. Ramona Faith Oswald (roswald@uiuc.edu) or the Dual Degree Program Chair, Dr. Constance Shapiro (chshapir@uiuc.edu)