2009-2010 FSU Graduate Bulletin
College of Human Sciences
Dean: Billie J. Collier; Associate Deans: Jodee Dorsey, Mary Ann Moore; Mack and Effie Campbell Tyner Eminent Scholars: Konrad Bloch (deceased), John Kinsella (deceased), William Ruben, William Jerome Vereen, Richard Lerner, James Banks, Richard Palmiter, Susan Watkins; Eminent Scholar in Family and Child Sciences: Frank Fincham; Deans Emeritae: Penny A. Ralston, Margaret A. Sitton
The mission of the College of Human Sciences is to address global challenges and opportunities related to the physical, behavioral, psycho-social, and economic factors influencing the health and development of individuals, families, and communities. Human Sciences is an interdisciplinary unit that prepares scholars who seek new knowledge and innovative solutions to the challenges of contemporary society.
Historically, the college has been a national leader in graduate education and research. Courses in the human sciences, formerly home economics, have been offered at The Florida State University since 1905. In 1926–27 the first Master of Science (MS) in home economics was offered, and in 1941 the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree program in home economics was approved. Over the years a tradition of excellence has been established to ensure quality graduate study. The school was designated a college in 1976 in recognition of scholarly faculty, outstanding alumni, and nationally recognized programs and research. In 1989, the name was changed to the College of Human Sciences to appropriately describe the breadth and focus of academic study found in the college.
The Florida State University is the only comprehensive doctoral-granting institution in the human sciences in the state of Florida. For more than 15 years, the College of Human Sciences has been one of the top 10 colleges and universities granting the PhD in human sciences in the nation. The College of Human Sciences is organized into three departments: Family and Child Sciences; Nutrition, Food and Exercise Sciences; and Textiles and Consumer Sciences.
In keeping with the University's role as a comprehensive graduate research institution, the college program is based on the belief that sound intellectual development relies on an understanding of the underlying theories, principles, and concepts in each area of study and that research is an integral part of that endeavor. Both faculty and students are provided opportunities to test theories and to generate new knowledge through scholarly contributions to research.
The College of Human Sciences established the Mack and Effie Campbell Tyner Eminent Scholar Chair in 1986, the nation's first million dollar endowed chair in the human sciences. The first Tyner Eminent Scholar was Dr. Konrad Bloch, Nobel Laureate and Emeritus Higgins Professor of Biochemistry at Harvard. Since that time the chair has been held by Dr. John Kinsella, General Foods Distinguished Professor of Food Science at Cornell University (1989); William S. Ruben, former Chief Executive Officer for Jordan Marsh, Florida and Bonwit Teller (1990); William Jerome Vereen, President and CEO of Riverside Manufacturing Company (1993); Dr. Richard M. Lerner, who was then the Director of the Institute for Children, Youth and Families as well as Professor of Family and Child Ecology at Michigan State University (1994–95); James Banks, Professor of Education and Director of the Center for Multicultural Education, University of Washington (1997–98); Richard Palmiter, Professor of Biochemistry, University of Washington (1998–99); and Susan Watkins, professor emeritus, Cornell University (1999–2000). Additionally, the Eminent Scholar Chair for the Director of the FSU Family Institute is currently held by Dr. Frank Fincham.
Facilities and Fellowships
Special laboratories that enhance and enrich the student's education include: 1) Lectra Computer-Aided Design Laboratory; 2) the Burdines Merchandising Technology Laboratory; 3) the Historic Clothing and Textile Laboratory, which houses the Carter Collection of Peruvian Textiles and the most extensive collection of accessories and children's and women's wear in the Southeast; 4) chemical, analytical, and microbiological laboratories for food and nutrition science majors; 5) the exercise physiology laboratory for monitoring the effect of exercise on metabolism for nutrition and fitness majors; 6) the motor learning/control laboratory for the study of cognitive processes and neural mechanisms controlling movement; 7) chemical and physical textile laboratories with a conditioning room and sensory evaluation laboratory; and 8) a state-of-the-art computer laboratory.
The individual departments of the college describe more fully the various facilities available; refer to them in the "Academic Departments and Programs" chapter of this Graduate Bulletin.
A number of states have made arrangements for their residents to have access to the PhD in human sciences and the PhD in marriage and family therapy through the academic common market, which allows their students to pay in-state tuition. Prospective out-of-state students may contact the college to see if their state is a member of the academic common market.
College fellowships as well as graduate teaching and research are available. Nomination for these fellowships/assistantships are made by the department. See the "Academic Departments and Programs" section of this Graduate Bulletin for other scholarships and fellowships available.
Graduate Programs in Human Sciences
Master's Degree Programs
Clothing, Textiles, and Merchandising with major in:
Apparel Design and Technology
Merchandising
Textiles
Exercise Science with majors in:
Exercise Physiology
Family and Child Sciences with major in:
Family and Child Sciences
Food and Nutrition with major in:
Nutrition and Food Science
Doctor of Philosophy Degree Programs
Human Sciences with emphasis in one or more of the following:
Child Development
Family Relations
Nutrition and Food Science
Exercise Science with majors in:
Exercise Physiology
Marriage and Family Therapy
Neuroscience (Biological Sciences 1308)
Requirements
Minimum admission requirements include: 1) a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university; and 2) an academic average of at least 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) on all work attempted while registered as an upper-division undergraduate student, or a 3.0 on a master's degree from an accredited approved institution, or a total quantitative/verbal test score on the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) of 1000 or higher. All prospective students must take the GRE prior to admission regardless of their grade point average. Applicants for the doctoral and masters programs must have three letters of recommendation. The PhD program in Marriage and Family Therapy requires personal interviews at the time of application to the program. Attainment of these minimum requirements does not guarantee admission to any program. Admissions decisions are based on assessments of all aspects of the student's application materials. We reserve the right to increase standards if warranted by enrollment limitations and by the number and quality of applicants.
Master's Degree Program
There are two types of programs for the master's degree: the thesis-type and the course-work type. In the college there are three course-type options: special project, practicum, and all course work. See the "Academic Departments and Programs" section of this Graduate Bulletin for details about the requirements for each of these programs and to determine which options are available in the department.
The College of Human Sciences has developed policies in compliance with University policies for the master's degree program. The college's policies are given to students the first semester they enroll to guide them throughout their studies.
Doctoral Degree Program
The graduate faculty members in the College of Human Sciences have developed policies for the doctoral degree programs in compliance with the University's policies. Refer to the "Graduate Degree Requirements" chapter of this Graduate Bulletin for information about diagnostic examination, residence, program of studies, preliminary examination, prospectus, admission to candidacy, dissertation, and defense. Policies for doctoral degree programs are given to students the first semester they enroll. They give specific information and procedures to guide students throughout their studies.
There is no college-wide minimum course requirement; individual programs are planned to assist students in gaining sufficient mastery of their field to successfully complete the preliminary examination. All doctoral students in the College of Human Sciences, take HOE 6938r, Proseminar in Home Economics (1–2). There is no college-wide foreign language, statistics, or other research tool requirement for the Doctor of Philosophy degree. Each department prescribes its own requirements.
Certificate Programs
The College of Human Sciences participates in the interdisciplinary graduate certificate program in museum studies through the Department of Textiles and Consumer Sciences. Designed to prepare students for museum careers, students are required to take four core courses (twelve [12] semester hours) in museum basics, business, objects and education; and a museum internship (six [6] semester hours) along with their regular departmental degree program.
The graduate certificate in apparel design provides graduate level competency in advanced design of fashionable and functional apparel for academically talented students who are completing an undergraduate degree in apparel design. The culminating activity of the certificate is an internship or supervised research experience in apparel design.
The graduate certificate in retail merchandising provides graduate level competency in retail store management and retail buying for academically talented students who are completing an undergraduate degree in merchandising. The culminating activity of the certificate is an internship with a retail organization.
The apparel design and retail merchandising certificate programs are designed to be completed concurrently with the bachelor's degree and allow students to double-count four graduate courses (12 hrs.) for both the BS and the graduate certificate.
Advocacy for children and families, a graduate certificate program offered through the Department of Family and Child Sciences, is designed for undergraduate and graduate students in human sciences and other social and behavioral sciences who wish to develop competence in advocacy as it relates to children and families. The culminating activity of the certificate is a three (3) credit-hour internship or supervised research experience in the field of children and families. The certificate program is designed to be completed concurrently with the bachelor's degree, and allows students to double-count graduate courses for both the B.S. degree and the graduate certificate.
The graduate certificate in food safety, quality, and promotion is designed to be completed concurrently with a bachelor's degree and allows students to double-count graduate courses for both the B.S. degree and the graduate certificate. It provides graduate level competency for academically talented students who are completing an undergraduate degree in food and nutrition. The culminating activity is an internship or work experience.
Combined Degree Program
The Department of Nutrition, Food and Exercise Sciences offers a combined bachelor's/master's degree program that will enable outstanding undergraduate athletic training/sports medicine majors, through the College of Human Sciences to obtain a bachelor's and a master's degree after successfully completing a minimum of 148 semester hours. The program is designed for the student who wishes to continue his/her education in NFES past the undergraduate level to earn both a bachelor's degree and a master's degree.