The objective of this specialization is to prepare family specialists
with knowledge and skills in family studies, human development, and research
methodology. Graduates of the program work in academic and community settings
with a variety of target populations.
Graduate training in family life education and consultant is offered at both the master's and doctoral levels. Both curricula are designed to meet the course work requirements of the applied professional family specialist. Course areas covered in the curriculum include the following:
Emphasis is on applied work and outcome evaluation. Master students may choose to not write a thesis but do a report, or project, or written exam. The interdisciplinary doctoral program is distinguished from the master's degree program by its emphasis on advanced theory, family studies supervision, and research evaluation skills as they relate to service settings. The requirement for this degree includes a minimum of 90 hours of credit, (30 can be from M.S. degree) and a 30 credit dissertation. Students in the master's program will be considered for acceptance into the doctoral program.
The program application to the NCFR committee on certification as a family life educator unit is currently pending.
Since 1972 the Family Center has provided applied educational training to students while offering counseling, family related educational training to students while offering counseling, family related educational programs, and consultation services to the Manhattan community and the state of Kansas. Practica are also available in community settings including:
M. Betsy Bergen, Associate Professor, received her Ph.D.
from Kansas State University. Her current fields of specialization include
human sexuality, health and AIDS education, marriage and family relationships,
and single parent and reconstituted families. Dr. Bergen is nationally
certified as a sex educator and sex therapist by the American Association
of Sex Educators, Counselors, and Therapists and as a certified family life
educator
(CFLE) by the National Council on Family Relations. She is nationally and
internationally recognized as an AIDS educator and speaker, having conducted
sexuality and AIDS education in China, Mexico, Argentina, Paraguay, Brazil,
and Canada. She is also a past president of the Kansas Council on Family
Relations.
Stephan R. Bollman, Professor and Director of the Family
Center, received his Ph.D. from Iowa State University with a major in sociology
and minors in child development and counseling psychology. His current
field of specialization is human service programming for children and families.
His work has included administration, grant writing, and research dealing
with services for children and families. Dr. Bollman is a certified family
life educator (CFLE), National Council on Family Relations. He has held
offices and appointments in many organizations, including service as president
of the Kansas council on Family Relations (KCFR) and leader of the family
life education certification committee of KCFR.
Charlotte Shoup Olsen, Assistant Professor and Extension
Specialist in Family Systems, develops programming and educational resources
to be delivered through the county extension network as part of the land-grant
university mission. Her areas of specialization include family sturctures,
communication, and diversity. Research interests include program evaluation,
stepfamily development, interracial couple relationships, and the well-being
of African American adolescent females. Dr. Olsen received her Ph.D. from
Kansas State University with a major in curriculum and instruction with
an emphasis in multicultural studies. She is a certified family life educator
(CFLE), National Council on Family Relations.
Walter R. Schumm, Professor, received his Ph.D. from
Purdue University with an emphasis in family studies and methodology.
His research interests include military families, family interaction,
premarital counseling, religion and family life, and cross-cultural
family studies. His teaching interests include family theory, family
research methodology, and family life education. He is past chair of the
Theory Construction and Research Methodology Pre-Conference Workshop
(NCFR) and is a colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve. Dr. Schumm is also a
certified family life educator.
Pamela R. Turner, Assistant Professor, received her Ph.D.
in Consumer Economics from the University of Maryland. Her current areas
of specialization include the economic well-being of families and contemporary
family policy. Dr. Turner is part of the Family and Consumer Economics
unit and is the Director of the undergraduate family financial planning
degree program.
Farrell J. Webb, Assistant Professor, received his Ph.D.
from the University of Minnesota. His areas of interests are family developmental
sociology, adolescents, race and ethnic relations, and human sexuality.
His work examines ecosystemic relationships among social instutions, families,
and individuals. Currently he is involved
in several research projects focused on determining the social and familal
correlates of discrimination and prejudice filtered through race, class,
gender, sexual orientation, disability, and social positioning.
Carolyn S. Wilken, Associate Professor and Director of
the Galichia Institute for Gerontology and Family Studies, received her
Ph.D. in Family Studies from Purdue University where she focused on issues
related to aging within a family context. She also completed a post-doctoral
research fellowship in the department of gero-psychiatric nursing at Rush
University in Chicago. Dr. Wilken holds a joint appointment as both a specialist
in aging and healthcare with the Kansas Cooperative Extension Service and
as a researcher with the Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station. Her current
work focuses on the oldest-old (85+ years of age), family and community
caregiving, health promotion for the elderly, and training for healthcare
para-professionals.
-Dr. Anthony P. Jurich received his Ph.D. from Pennsylvania State University.
-Dr. Richard B. Miller received his Ph.D. from the University of Southern California
-Dr. Candyce S. Russell received her Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota.
-Dr. David Wright received his Ph.D. from the University
of Georgia.
-Stephen Jones, M.S.W., the Menninger Foundation
-David Roberts, Chap., (LTC) Family Life Ministry and Training Center, Ft. Riley
-Terry Pfannenstiel, Ph.D. Pawnee Mental Health Services
The School of Family Studies and Human Services is a multidisciplinary unit in which professionals in Family Studies and psychology, family economics, family health, gerontology, social work, marriage and family therapy, and communication sciences and disorders study broad social concerns of individuals and families. These issues are addressed by faculty members who are involved in teaching, research, human services, and extension activities within the same school. Currently the school has over 150 graduate students, the area of family life education and consultation has had the largest graduate enrollment for the past 30 years.
Dr.'s Bollman, Schumm, Webb, and Wilken, have received major grant
funding in
past years from a variety of sources. In FY-97 they have over two million
dollars which has provided
financial support for many positions. Dr.Bergen has four teaching assistantships.
Teaching and research assistantships are available according to the school
needs. Contact the school for further information.
Address inquiries to: Chair of the Graduate Admissions Committee 305 Justin Hall Kansas State University Manhattan KS 66506-1403 913-532-5510 Fax: 913-532-5505 E-mail: fshs@ksu.edu
You may also contact any of the graduate faculty to discuss your interest in our program.