Human Development and Family Studies Applying to Graduate School

CSU offers options for graduate students to apply for free through institutional fee waivers, program affiliation fee waivers, and free application days. Learn about these options.

After submitting the first component of your online application and paying your application fee, you will be asked to submit your supporting materials to finalize the application. Please note the supporting materials submitted through the online application will be provided to our Department.

• Your curriculum vitae or resume.
• Two letters of recommendation from individuals qualified to assess the applicant’s potential for graduate studies.
• Official or unofficial transcripts are accepted. To submit official transcripts, contact your previous institutions to request they submit official transcripts to Colorado State University – institution code 4075.
• Note: the GRE requirement has been waived for applications. Submitting your GRE scores is optional – you may submit them if you choose to but it is not required.
• Recommended academic writing sample (not required by the MFT Program):
  • Undergraduate thesis
  • Manuscript
  • Outstanding research paper, etc.
• For any documents that cannot be uploaded, submit paper copies directly to the Office of Admissions at:
  • Graduate Admissions, Colorado State University – Office of Admissions, 1062 Campus Delivery, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1062

• This application will be used to assign assistantships/fellowships. No additional application is required.

• Finalists for admission into the Marriage and Family Therapy program will be asked to interview with departmental faculty during February. Applicants must cover their own transportation expenses. The department can provide lodging if desired.

You can enter the Applied Developmental Science program with a completed master’s degree or with a completed bachelor’s degree. Based on your coursework and the nature of your degree will determine if you need to fulfill prerequisites before entering the Ph.D. program. It is important to discuss the unique details of your situation with our Graduate Programs Coordinator and your faculty adviser.

• Bachelor’s Degree
  • If you are entering with a bachelor’s, you must earn a master’s in Human Development and Family Studies, with a specialization in Marriage and Family Therapy or Prevention Science.
• Master’s Degree – Different Subject Area
  • If your master’s degree is in a subject area other than Applied Developmental Science, or a closely related field, you will need to complete the master’s coursework in Human Development and Family Studies.
  • If you did a thesis on a topic appropriate for the Applied Developmental Science program, present your thesis for review. You may be granted partial fulfillment of the master’s degree requirement.
• Master’s in a Closely Related Field – No Thesis
  • If you have completed a master’s in Applied Developmental Science, Human Development and Family Studies, or a closely related field, but have not completed a thesis as part of that program, you will need to complete a first-year project that is comparable to a thesis project as a part of the Ph.D. requirements.
• Master’s in Closely Related Field – With Thesis
  • If you have completed a thesis from a previous program in Applied Developmental Science, or a closely related field, we still need to review your thesis.  Our thesis review committee includes the Applied Developmental Science Director, Assistant Department Head, and your adviser or co-advisers.
  • If your thesis is not accepted, you will need to complete a first-year project comparable to a thesis project as part of our Applied Developmental Science Ph.D. program requirements.

If you are entering with a master’s degree and completed a thesis, you will need to satisfy the following criteria:

• Original data collection area of research.
  • We require all our doctoral students to be involved in original data collection efforts as part of your doctoral studies. This data collection does not have to take place in connection with your dissertation research, but it does need to take place during your master’s thesis project to be accepted by the Applied Developmental Science program.  This will fulfill the master’s thesis/first-year project requirement for the Applied Developmental Science program. You need to specify when your data collection occurred or will occur. Ensure your role in data collection is included as part of your research competency examination. This information will play a significant role in determining if you meet the requirements for entrance into the Ph.D. program.
• In-depth analysis of the literature and scholarly writing.
  • We accept three format options for the exam demonstrating your ability to do in-depth literature analysis.
    • Grant application
    • Developmental review article
    • Essay or paper in response to specific examination questions prepared by your committee