Within the semester of its appointment, the Committee will meet to designate and subsequently to file in the Office of Graduate Studies a complete program of studies, including any language or research tool requirements and the general area of research for the dissertation. It is the responsibility of the student to schedule a meeting with the Supervisory Committee within 3 weeks of its appointment. The student‘s program of study must conform to one of the following plans:
- All students in the Child, Youth and Families Studies P.D. program major in Human Sciences. Students are either enrolled in the Child Youth and Family Studies specialization or the Medical Family Therapy Specialization (see also links to the Gerontology Program and UNO).. At least half of the graduate work, including the dissertation, will be done in this field of specialization. The remaining work, subject to the approval of the Supervisory Committee, may include either:
- supporting courses in the same or in a related department; or
- a minor field of study outside of the major department. The minor must include at least 15 semester hours with 6 hours in courses open exclusively to graduate students (900 level or 800 level without 400 level or lower counterparts). It may be taken in any department which has been approved to offer a major leading to a Masters degree. In addition, the minor for the Ph.D. may, in certain departments, be completed in a subdivision of the administrative department. Approved fields of study, which may be selected within each administrative department, must be approved by the Graduate Council for use as a minor and are indicated in the Graduate Bulletin in the sections of the programs for the respective departments.‖ (Bulletin, pp. 14-15)
- "The student may select a field of study which integrates material offered in two or more departments without meeting the specific major requirement as outlined under Plan 1. Such a program of study must be in an approved interdepartmental area for which a special area Graduate Committee representing the departments concerned has been appointed by the Dean of Graduate Studies.‖ (Bulletin, p. 15)
"The committee is not obligated to accept credits beyond the Masters degree which were completed prior to its appointment. At least half the total program of courses and dissertation research must be completed following submission of the program to the Graduate Studies Office. Any subsequent change in the program or in the dissertation topic is approved by the Supervisory Committee and the action is reported to the Office of Graduate Studies.‖ (Bulletin, p. 15)
The CYAF Specialization includes a minimum of 20 hours of dissertation research. A student may register for more than 20 hours of dissertation, although only 20 hours will be counted toward the degree.
"The time limit on granting the Doctoral degree is eight years from the time of filing the student‘s program of studies in the Office of Graduate Studies.‖ (Bulletin, p. 15)
The Supervisory Committee has the responsibility of determining that a student's program of study does meet the guidelines for the approved Ph.D. in Human Sciences with a Specialization in Child, Youth and Family Studies or Medical Family Therapy as follows:
| Track 1— Comprehensive | Credits | Track 2 — Previously Existing | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Specialization/Core Courses Ethics/Philosophy of Science Teaching Practicum (1-3 cr.) | 30-33 | Specialization Courses Ethics/Philosophy of Science Teaching Practicum | 33 |
| Support Courses | 16-22 | Supporting Courses | 16-22 |
| Research & Statistics | 12-18 | Research & Statistics | 12-18 |
| Doctoral Seminar | 12-18 | Doctoral Seminar | 12-18 |
| Dissertation (999) | 20 | Dissertation (999) | 20 |
Students should identify their career and educational goals for their program of study. The courses they select for their program of study should help them to accomplish their goals.
The Supervisory Committee will determine what coursework taken prior to filing of a program of studies, including hours earned toward the Masters degree(s), will be accepted as part of the 90-hour program. The Committee is not obligated to reduce the Doctoral program of studies by applying all coursework taken toward previously earned Masters degree(s). Prior coursework should be assessed in relation to its contribution to framing a research foundation for the doctorate. Each course accepted must be determined to be current and relevant in relation to the desired degree. Any course older than 10 years is evaluated relative to appropriateness for inclusion in the Ph.D. program. (Some courses, such as Ancient History, may not become "dated;" other courses, such as Statistics, may be "dated"; thus, should not be included in the minimum 90+ hour program of studies.)
It is the student's responsibility to justify how the courses selected for the area/discipline outside of Human Sciences interrelate to support her/his goals and the Ph.D. program of studies and dissertation research. The Supervisory Committee has the responsibility of determining that a student's program of studies does meet the guidelines for the approved Ph.D. in Human Sciences—Specialization in Child, Youth and Family Studies or Medical Family Therapy, as well as the goals and objectives of the Ph.D. student.
It is expected that commonalities and interrelations are present in the program of studies, such that the courses selected constitute a means of achieving depth and breadth necessary to support the dissertation research and to meet the professional objectives of the students. The critical issue is relevance and approval of the Supervisory Committee.
After approval of the program of studies by the Supervisory Committee, the “Program of Studies for Doctoral Degree Form” is completed and submitted to the Graduate College Committee. The form should be filed after the completion of 30 hours of graduate study and before the completion of more than half of the total required hours of study.
The Chair of the Supervisory Committee will forward the approved program to the Office of Graduate Studies with his/her signature. Copies will be distributed to all members of the Supervisory Committee.
After the Graduate Dean approves the program of studies for the degree, a minimum of 45 credit hours exclusive of research tools must be completed.
Content of a graduate-level course may be delivered by computers, television, audio or video cassettes, amplified telephone conference, and correspondence, provided that coordinated and interactive communication devoted to the course content be maintained between students and instructor. (Bulletin, p. 24)