Students who have just completed a masters degree may use those credits toward the Ph.D. if they were earned within the required period and are acceptable to the Program of Study Committee. A student wishing to apply for the Ph.D. program in Family and Consumer Sciences Education is not required to have completed a research study culminating in a thesis as part of the masters program. However, a student who has not done so may be asked to complete a masters equivalency project to display basic research competence. Minors Students with a major in family and consumer sciences education may choose a minor in another program. A student from another program may also elect to take a minor in Family and Consumer Sciences Education.
Interdepartmental minors are also available.
In both programs the degree is granted when the student fulfills separately the requirements of each major. A joint major requires a minimum of 78 graduate credits. Usually, the 78 credits are distributed with 30 credits in each major and 18 credits on the dissertation divided between the two majors and 12 outside the major. Joint majors are offered in cooperation with designated departments. At the current time, the department has a designated co-major with the Department of Hotel, Restaurant, and Institution Management.