M
Master’s degree
- Length
- 36 credit hours, 12 courses, including an applied project drawn from your own workplace.
- Entry
- A bachelor’s degree or its equivalent, and professional experience related to the program.
- Status
- In preparation
- Levels
- Master's
- Credit hours
- 36
- Delivery
- Fully online
- Experience
- Assessed course by course
- Status
- In preparation
Overview
About the program
For social, school and community staff. You study family relationships, development across life and the services that help families through change.
The Family Studies program is designed for people who already work in the field. It covers family systems, child and adult development, communication in families, family policy and services, culture and diversity, and ends with research methods and statistics.
Like every Madison program, it is built for working adults. Courses you already master through your work are tested and recorded with a grade; the rest you study online, at your own pace, with tasks carried out in your own workplace.
In preparation. This program is not open for enrollment yet. It opens when its curriculum and courses are in place on the learning platform.
Outcomes
What you will be able to do
- 01Family systemsExplain the core ideas of family systems and use them to read real situations at work.
- 02Child and adult developmentAnalyse a real problem in child and adult development and recommend a course of action backed by evidence.
- 03Communication in familiesApply the methods of communication in families in your own organization and measure the result.
- 04Family policy and servicesPlan and lead work in family policy and services, and document your decisions to a professional standard.
- 05Culture and diversityEvaluate current practice in culture and diversity against recognised standards and propose improvements.
- 06Research methods and statisticsAdvise colleagues and managers on research methods and statistics in clear, well-structured writing.
Curriculum
What you will study
The main areas of the curriculum. Your personal study plan lists the exact courses, their credit hours and those you may claim through assessment.
- 01Family systemsThe family as a system: roles, rules and relationships.Core area
- 02Child and adult developmentDevelopment across the life course within families.Core area
- 03Communication in familiesCommunication patterns, conflict and support in families.Core area
- 04Family policy and servicesPolicies and services that support families.Core area
- 05Culture and diversityHow culture shapes family life and services.Core area
- 06Research methods and statisticsDesigning studies and analysing data in psychology.Core area
Levels
Levels, length and entry
Your experience
How your experience counts
- 01
Send your record
Your CV, certificates and evidence of work are mapped to the courses of this program.
- 02
Sit the course tests
Each course you claim is tested on its own. A pass is recorded on your transcript with its grade.
- 03
Study the rest
The remaining courses become your personal plan, with an expected end date in writing.
Professional titles
The field, by title
Beside the degree, this field is planned as a professional credential, with the title written before it. A title is not a degree. How titles work.
- 01Expert in Family StudiesFor people who have practiced Family Studies for years and want their competence assessed and recorded.
- 02Consultant in Family StudiesFor experienced people who advise organizations on Family Studies.
- 03Trainer in Family StudiesFor experienced people who teach or coach others in Family Studies at work.
- 04Diploma in Family StudiesA focused credential in Family Studies, based on assessed knowledge and evidence of practice.
In preparation. No title is open yet; the requirements are published when it opens.
Careers
Where this program is used
- Family services coordinator
- Community program officer
- Parent education officer
- Social programs manager
Roles this program relates to. A degree supports a career; it does not guarantee a position, and each employer sets its own requirements.