This is a named option in the Human Ecology M.S.
The Master of Science in Human Ecology offers multi-disciplinary course work that focuses on current theories and strategies for creating, managing and evaluating settings that promote human and community development. Students are exposed to current research and practice that integrates the promotion of human and family development with perspectives on building effective organizations and sustainable communities. Students create their own “master's specialization” through elective courses and the completion of a real-world capstone project. Specializations are designed so that students can name their expertise to prospective employees.
This program is intended as a terminal, applied degree. Students interested in a PhD, MFA or other graduate degrees in the School of Human Ecology may apply separately to these programs.
The master's program is geared toward students who are both new to the field and those who have had some direct practice, applied research, educational or advocacy experience. This M.S. degree can be completed in three semesters of full-time study or four or more semesters if students are part-time. The program prepares students for careers working in a wide range of settings including:
- Community-based organizations (family support, youth work, community organizing, social justice, intervention and prevention programs, consumer and financial coaching)
- Intermediary and “backbone” organizations (technical assistance providers, philanthropic foundations, applied research and evaluation organizations, capacity building providers, community-based economic development)
- Government agencies (child and family services, public health, legislative support)
- University outreach (Cooperative Extension, community partnerships and coalitions, public service, multicultural offices, academic support and education)
Please consult the table below for key information about this degree program’s admissions requirements. The program may have more detailed admissions requirements, which can be found below the table or on the program’s website.
Graduate admissions is a two-step process between academic programs and the Graduate School. Applicants must meet the minimum requirements of the Graduate School as well as the program(s). Once you have researched the graduate program(s) you are interested in, apply online.
| Fall Deadline | December 1 |
| Spring Deadline | The program does not admit in the spring. |
| Summer Deadline | The program does not admit in the summer. |
| GRE (Graduate Record Examinations) | Not required. |
| English Proficiency Test | Every applicant whose native language is not English or whose undergraduate instruction was not in English must provide an English proficiency test score and meet the Graduate School minimum requirements (https://grad.wisc.edu/apply/requirements/#english-proficiency). |
| Other Test(s) (e.g., GMAT, MCAT) | n/a |
| Letters of Recommendation Required | 3 |
master of science in human ecology (Human Ecology Named option)
To be considered for admission to the Master of Science in Human Ecology master's program the department requires the following materials:
- Online application indicating “Human Ecology MS” as your program selection
- $75 application fee
- CV/Resume
- Unofficial transcripts or academic records from each institution attended (official transcripts will be required for students who receive an admission offer)
- Official TOEFL or Melab scores (International students only)
- Three letters of recommendation (Submitted electronically through your Graduate School application)
- Upload your Reasons for Graduate Study/Statement of Purpose. In your statement, please address:
- Your reasons for studying or seeking a Master of Science in Human Ecology degree
- Your relevant current or past work and volunteer experience
- Your professional goals and plans after completing this program
Optional: Upload any other supporting documents that you believe enhance your application (e.g., honors, awards, GRE scores, writing sample, etc.)
Additional information is available here.
Graduate School Resources
Resources to help you afford graduate study might include assistantships, fellowships, traineeships, and financial aid. Further funding information is available from the Graduate School. Be sure to check with your program for individual policies and restrictions related to funding.
Program Resources
Funding opportunities for Human Ecology graduate students are available and made possible, in large part, by generous donations to SoHE. Every year, these funds are used to fund teaching or project assistantships, award academic excellence scholarships, and provide students doing their masters or doctoral research or final MFA project with conference travel scholarships and graduate research scholarships. See the School of Human Ecology Enrollment Policy on Funding Eligibility and view current funding opportunities on our program website for more information.
Minimum Graduate School Requirements
Review the Graduate School minimum academic progress and degree requirements, in addition to the program requirements listed below.
Named Option Requirements
MODE OF INSTRUCTION
| Face to Face | Evening/Weekend | Online | Hybrid | Accelerated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | No | No | No | No |
Mode of Instruction Definitions
Accelerated: Accelerated programs are offered at a fast pace that condenses the time to completion. Students typically take enough credits aimed at completing the program in a year or two.
Evening/Weekend: Courses meet on the UW–Madison campus only in evenings and/or on weekends to accommodate typical business schedules. Students have the advantages of face-to-face courses with the flexibility to keep work and other life commitments.
Face-to-Face: Courses typically meet during weekdays on the UW-Madison Campus.
Hybrid: These programs combine face-to-face and online learning formats. Contact the program for more specific information.
Online: These programs are offered 100% online. Some programs may require an on-campus orientation or residency experience, but the courses will be facilitated in an online format.
CURRICULAR REQUIREMENTS
| Minimum Credit Requirement | 32 credits |
| Minimum Residence Credit Requirement | 16 credits |
| Minimum Graduate Coursework Requirement | 16 credits must be graduate-level coursework. Details can be found in the Graduate School’s Minimum Graduate Coursework (50%) policy (https://policy.wisc.edu/library/UW-1244). |
| Overall Graduate GPA Requirement | 3.00 GPA required. This program follows the Graduate School's GPA Requirement policy (https://policy.wisc.edu/library/UW-1203). |
| Other Grade Requirements | n/a |
| Assessments and Examinations | No additional assessments and examinations. |
| Language Requirements | No language requirements. |
Required COURSES
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Understanding and Translating Research | 3 | |
| Content and Theory | 8 | |
Select courses from any SoHE department (CNSR SCI, CSCS, DS, HDFS, or INTER-HE); must include INTER-HE 801 | ||
| Area of Specialization | 9 | |
Based on one’s professional interests and specific career goals, students develop their own specialization by taking three courses of their own choosing | ||
| Professional Skills | 9 | |
Choose from among the INTER-HE 815 Professional Skills for Community Leaders and Practitioners courses and other courses as approved by Faculty Program Director | ||
| Capstone Project | 3 | |
| Capstone Seminar 1 | ||
| Total Credits | 32 | |
- 1
Students typically take 1 capstone seminar credit in their second-to-last semester and 2 capstone seminar credits in their final semester; alternative approaches can be made with the approval of the Faculty Program Director.
Graduate School Policies
The Graduate School’s Academic Policies and Procedures provide essential information regarding general university policies. Program authority to set degree policies beyond the minimum required by the Graduate School lies with the degree program faculty. Policies set by the academic degree program can be found below.
Named Option-Specific Policies
Prior Coursework
Graduate Work from Other Institutions
With program approval, students are allowed to count up to 9 credits of graduate coursework taken at other institutions. Prior coursework taken at other institutions may not be used to satisfy the minimum graduate residence credit requirement. Credits earned five or more years prior to admission to a master’s degree are not allowed to satisfy requirements.
UW–Madison Undergraduate
With program approval, up to 7 credits numbered 300 or above from a UW–Madison undergraduate degree are allowed to count toward degree credit; undergraduate courses must be numbered 700 or above to count toward the minimum graduate coursework requirement. No undergraduate coursework may count toward the graduate residence requirement.
UW–Madison University Special
With program approval, students are allowed to count up to 9 credits of graduate coursework taken as a UW–Madison Special student. Coursework must be numbered 300 or above for residence and degree credit requirement and 700 or above for minimum graduate coursework (50%) requirement. Credits earned five or more years prior to admission to a master’s degree are not allowed to satisfy requirements. Use of Special student credit may require payment of tuition difference.
Probation
This program follows the Graduate School's Probation policy.
ADVISOR / COMMITTEE
This program follows the Graduate School’s Advisor policy and the Graduate School’s Committees policy.
CREDITS PER TERM ALLOWED
12 credits
Time limits
This program follows the Graduate School's Time Limits policy.
Grievances and Appeals
These resources may be helpful in addressing your concerns:
- Bias or Hate Reporting
- Graduate Assistantship Policies and Procedures
- Hostile and Intimidating Behavior Policies and Procedures
- Dean of Students Office (for all students to seek grievance assistance and support)
- Employee Assistance (for personal counseling and workplace consultation around communication and conflict involving graduate assistants and other employees, post-doctoral students, faculty and staff)
- Employee Disability Resource Office (for qualified employees or applicants with disabilities to have equal employment opportunities)
- Graduate School (for informal advice at any level of review and for official appeals of program/departmental or school/college grievance decisions)
- Office of Compliance (for class harassment and discrimination, including sexual harassment and sexual violence)
- Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards (for conflicts involving students)
- Ombuds Office for Faculty and Staff (for employed graduate students and post-docs, as well as faculty and staff)
- Title IX (for concerns about discrimination)
Any student who feels that he or she has been treated unfairly by a Human Ecology faculty or staff member has the right to complain about the treatment and to receive a prompt hearing of the grievance, following the grievance procedures outlined below. To ensure a prompt and fair hearing of any complaint, and to protect both the rights of the student and the person at whom the complaint is addressed, the procedures below are used in the School of Human Ecology.
The person whom the complaint is directed against must be an employee of the School of Human Ecology. Any graduate student or graduate applicant may use these procedures unless the complaint is covered by other campus rules or contracts.
Note: These procedures do not cover appeals of admissions decisions or other decisions made by departmental or Human Ecology committees. For information on appeals of decisions, students should contact the chair of the committee or the chair of the department that made the decision.
Contacts
Civil Society and Community Studies: Brian McInnes (Graduate Program Chair), Cynthia Jasper (Department Chair)
Consumer Science: J. Michael Collins (Graduate Program Chair), Nancy Wong (Department Chair)
Design Studies: Jung-hye Shin (Graduate Program Chair), Roberto Rengel (Department Chair)
Human Development and Family Studies: Kristin Litzelman (Graduate Program Chair), Janean Dilworth-Bart (Department Chair)
Master of Science in Human Ecology: Sarah Halpern-Meekin (Graduate Program Chair)
Students are encouraged to keep written documentation of their experience of unfair treatment both before and during the grievance proceedings.
Graduate Student Grievance Procedures
STEP 1. The student should first consider talking directly with the person(s) against whom the grievance is directed.
Some issues can be settled at this level, and some cannot be. Although students are encouraged to talk directly with the person(s) involved, we recognize that this may not always be possible. If the complaint cannot be resolved satisfactorily by talking with the person(s) involved, the student may continue to Step 2.
NOTE: In cases of sexual harassment, sexual misconduct, or racial discrimination, students may choose to bypass these procedures and report the conduct directly to either of the following offices:
- SoHE Human Resources Manager: Nancy Andrews
- The Office for Equity and Diversity (179-A Bascom Hall, 608-263-2378, Wisconsin Telecommunications Relay Service: 7-1-1)
STEP 2. Does the complaint involve someone in a Human Ecology academic department (Civil Society and Community Studies, Consumer Science, Design Studies, and Human Development & Family Studies)?
- Yes: The student should contact the chair of the department. The student will submit the grievance to the chair in writing. This must be done within 60 calendar days of the alleged unfair treatment. The department chair will refer the matter to the department’s Graduate Program Committee or to another appropriate departmental committee (standing or ad hoc) for review. The committee will share the student’s written complaint with the person at whom the complaint is directed, and will obtain a written response from this person. This response will be shared with the student filing the grievance. The committee chair will provide a timely written decision to the student on the action taken by the committee (the departmental decision). If either party is unwilling to accept the departmental decision, the department chair will refer the matter to the Associate Dean for Graduate Studies (see contact information below). The Associate Dean will bring the grievance to the Human Ecology Graduate Program Council for review. (NOTE: if the grievance is against the department chair, the written complaint should be referred to the chair of the department’s graduate program committee; contact information given below.)
- No: The student should contact the Associate Dean for Graduate Studies. The student will submit the grievance to the Associate Dean in writing. This must be done within 60 calendar days of the alleged unfair treatment. The Associate Dean will refer the grievance to the Human Ecology Graduate Program Council for review.
STEP 3. Human Ecology Graduate Program Council review.
To ensure fairness, the Graduate Program Council chair may appoint a subcommittee to review the complaint (e.g., excluding faculty from the student’s department). The Graduate Program Council may ask for additional information from the parties involved and may hold a hearing at which both parties will be asked to speak separately in closed session. The Graduate Program Council will then make a written recommendation to the Associate Dean who will render a decision and submit it to the Dean of the School for final approval. The Associate Dean will provide the Dean’s final decision in writing to the student and to the person against whom the grievance was filed. Unless a longer time is mutually agreed upon by the individuals involved, this written decision shall be made within 30 working days from the date when the written grievance was filed with the Associate Dean’s Office.
Students not willing to accept the final decision of the Dean may appeal to the Graduate School.
Questions about these procedures can be directed to Connie Flanagan, Associate Dean for Graduate Studies.
State law contains provisions regarding discrimination and harassment. Wisconsin Statutes 36.12 reads, in part:
“No student may be denied admission to, participation in or the benefits of, or be discriminated against in any service, program, course or facility of the system or its institutions or centers because of the student’s race, color, creed, religion, sex, national origin, disability, ancestry, age, sexual orientation, pregnancy, marital status or parental status.”
In addition, the UW-System prohibits discrimination based on gender identity or gender expression.
Students have the right to file discrimination and harassment complaints with the Office for Equity and Diversity, 179-A Bascom Hall, 263-2378, Wisconsin Telecommunications Relay Service: 7-1-1
Other
Additional school-wide policies are available here.
Graduate School Resources
Take advantage of the Graduate School's professional development resources to build skills, thrive academically, and launch your career.
Program Resources
The School of Human Ecology Graduate Program values the professional development of graduate students and provides financial awards to those who are invited to present at professional conferences/exhibits. The purpose of the support is to encourage participation in professional development, scholarly research, and/or creative endeavor and to help cover expenses not covered by other sources. Students may receive a maximum award of $650 for travel ($750 for international travel) to support conference participation in a single academic year. Students are encouraged to seek conference and travel funding from the Graduate School as a first step and apply for supplemental funds through SoHE as needed.
In addition, each academic department within the School of Human Ecology may offer additional professional development grant opportunities. See the program Events Calendar for the most up-to-date information on professional development opportunities.
Human Ecology Directory: listing of all faculty, staff, and graduate students; searchable by association, department, and name
Department of Civil Society & Community Studies (Civil Society & Community Research: CSCR graduate program)
Department of Consumer Science (Consumer Behavior & Family Economics: CBFE graduate program)
Department of Design Studies (Design Studies: DS graduate programs)
Department of Human Development & Family Studies (Human Development & Family Studies: HDFS graduate program)