Online Human & Family Services Administration, MS: Master's Degree

Program Overview

The online Human and Family Services Administration, MS program is designed to provide students with a comprehensive understanding and the broad-based skills necessary for the development, administration and management of human services organizations.

Students gain knowledge in the following areas:

Family Functioning including principles of family theory, contemporary research and working with diverse populations. 
Program design and evaluation including fundraising, grant writing, data collection, measuring outcomes and cost-effectiveness of interventions. 
Professional issues including ethical and legal issues and a professional internship. 
Administration and management skills and knowledge in the areas of human resources, program management and public policy.

As a graduate of this program, students will be prepared, through practical knowledge and skill-building to design, administer and manage programs, agencies and organizations that shape community impact.

Career Outlook: This unique program is appropriate for anyone interested in advancing their career within the human services industry, such as:

Full-time professionals who want to advance their careers by moving from positions such as direct care staff, caseworkers, program managers and care providers to program directors, agency directors, executive directors, etc.
Field professionals seeking an increased understanding of the most effective methods of agency administration.
Individuals who are interested in blending family-related expertise with the administrative expertise needed to manage human service organizations
Individuals who hold Bachelor's Degrees in family sciences, business, psychology, sociology or related fields.
Professionals who have new ideas but need the skills necessary to manage agencies such as nonprofit organizations, foster care agencies, early childhood intervention agencies, after school programs, and adolescent intervention programs.
Military personnel who are seeking a post-military career in Human and Family Services Administration.

Admissions and Requirements

To be accepted to this program, you must have:

A Bachelor's degree
2.5 GPA or above on a 4.0 scale
Taken the GRE
Taken the TOEFL or IELTS
(Only required if English is not your native language)
A written personal statement
Statement of Professional Goals and Resume
3 letters of recommendation
Official transcripts from all previous schools

NOTE: This program is authorized, exempt, or not subject to state regulatory compliance and may enroll students from all 50 states

To apply to this program:

Apply and be admitted to Graduate Studies at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Pay the non-refundable $50 application processing fee
Submit one set of official transcripts from each college or university you have attended to Office of Graduate Studies
Apply and be admitted to the department

Courses You’ll Take

Course Information

Program of Study:

Family Content Courses - CYAF 972, 893 and 985
Program Design, Evaluation & Research Courses - CYAF 873 and 866
Administration & Management Courses - PA 8050, 8400 or 8480, 8550 and 8580 or 8410 or 8090
Professional Issues Course - CYAF 897D or PA 8470 or 8100
Capstone - PA 8990 or CYAF 996

Core Courses

Course Number	Course Name	Credits
CYAF 866	Family Professionals as Consumers of Research	3
Elements of conducting and reporting research and various research designs. Quantitative and qualitative methodologies. Skills required to effectively evaluate the quality of research reports and how to apply findings to practices in education, counseling, and family policy.
PA 8990	Capstone Project for Public Administration	3
The purpose of this course is to allow students to integrate their graduate public administration course experiences into a project that reflects the cumulative knowledge gained from their class instruction. This class is intended only for students who are completing the master of public administration degree. The course can be taken as an alternative to comprehensive exams. Prerequisites: Completion of at least 30 hours in the M.P.A. program and school permission.
CYAF 893	Special Topics in Contemporary Family Issues	1 - 3
Current issues that today's families experience. Topics vary and include, for example: Gender and family, low-income families, fathers and fatherhood, families with children who have disabilities.
PA 8410	Public Human Resource Management	3
A study of the personnel process in American governmental administration. The processes and problems of recruiting, structuring and operating public bureaucracies are examined as well as problems in personnel leadership, neutrality, accountability and performance. Prereq: PA 8050 or permission of school. Not open to nondegree students.
CYAF 972	Theories of Human Development & Family	3
Theoretical basis of child study and family analysis. Critical evaluation of methods and theories in child development, family relations, and human development from an integrative and holistic perspective.
CYAF 996	Scholarly Practice and Discovery	1 - 6
Prereq: Permission Investigation related to family and consumer sciences.
PA 8106	Fund Raising in Public and Non Profit Organizations	3
The purpose of this course is to introduce students to a variety of fund raising methods, provide the context in which these methods might be used, and provide an understanding of how fund raising operates within public and not-for-profit organizations. Prereq: Graduate standing and permission of instructor, PA 8010, and PA 8090; or permission of school. Not open to nondegree students.
PA 8050	Foundations in Public Service	3
The purpose of this course is to introduce the student to the art and science of public administration and to enable the student to develop the knowledge, skills and abilities requisite to the pursuit of graduate education in public administration. Prereq: N/A Not open to nondegree students.
PA 8480	Seminar in Public Finance Administration	3
The study of public finance administration policy and techniques areas. Emphasis is placed on the technical aspects of public finance administration with particular emphasis on the purposes, processes and issues associated with particular techniques or technique areas. Prereq: PA 8010 and PA 8050; or permission of school. Not open to nondegree students. (Cross-listed with AVN-8480.)
CYAF 895	Special Topics in Family/Cultural Diversity	3
Current topics related to diverse populations, e.g., religion, sexual orientation, ethnicity. Topics vary.
CYAF 873	Program Design, Evaluation, & Implementation	3
Overview of program development process and outcome evaluation of community children and family programs. Theoretical, methodological and programmatic issues in conducting programs and scholarship. Distance education course delivered by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
PA 8090	Seminar in Organization Theory & Behavior	3
Study of the various approaches to understanding public organizations and people in them with special emphasis on the design, functioning and management of public agencies. Not open to non-degree students.
PA 8470	Administrative Ethics and Leadership	3
Ethical action and effective leadership are especially important in public service and they are closely related. This course introduces students to concepts from public sector ethics and from leadership theory. Emphasis is placed on decision-making processes, relationships between public and nonprofit sector professionals and elected officials and citizens, and the role of the career public service professional in a democratic society. Prereq: PA 8050 or permission of school. Not open to nondegree students.
PA 8400	Public Budgeting	3
The purpose of the course is to familiarize public administration students with the basic characteristics and features of public budgets and enable them to deal competently with them. Prereq: PA 8010, PA 8050, or permission of school. Not open to nondegree students.
PA 8100	Advanced Management & Leadership for Public & Non-Profit Professionals	3
This course is designed to advance students’ understanding and techniques about the role of leadership and ethics in the public and nonprofit sectors. Special attention will be paid on the application of theories of leadership and ethics to manage various boundary spanning activities including managing external relationships, collaborations/networks, performance, and innovation and change.
PA 8990	Capstone Project	3
This course is designed as a doctoral seminar that surveys the development of public administration from its earliest antecedents to the present day, taking both a historical and topical approach. Prereq: Admission into the doctoral program or permission. Not open to nondegree students
PA 8500	Issues in Public-Private Cooperation	3
This course introduces students to the organization and processes, as well as the tools and techniques, of public-private sector cooperation. The objective of such a course is to familiarize students with the concepts and skills needed to develop and administer joint activities between the public and private sectors. Such cooperative activies have become an important aspect of public administration in recent years. Prereq: PA 8010, PA 8050, & PA 8090 or permission of school. Not open to nondegree students.
CYAF 897D	Community Internships in Child, Youth and Family Studies	1 - 6
Prereq: 12 hrs CYAF and/or related social sciences Fieldwork in agencies serving children, youth and families.
PA 8580	Management and Administration of Nonprofit Organizations	3
General content course focusing on management and administrative issues relating to nonprofit organizations. Administrative structure and other subjects related to the difference between nonprofit and for-profit organizations will be addressed. Subjects will include constituencies, boards, strategic planning, marketing, financial management, human resources, volunteer management, and resource development. Prereq: Graduate standing and permission of adviser; PA 8050; or permission of school. Not open to nondegree students.

Human & Family Services Administration, MS

Master of Science Degree in Human and Family Services Administration

University of Nebraska - Lincoln

Overview

Admissions and Requirements

Courses You’ll Take

Tuition & Fees

Program Overview

Admissions and Requirements

To be accepted to this program, you must have:

A Bachelor's degree

2.5 GPA or above on a 4.0 scale

Taken the GRE

Taken the TOEFL or IELTS

A written personal statement

3 letters of recommendation

Official transcripts from all previous schools

To apply to this program:

Courses You’ll Take

Course Information

Core Courses

Tuition & Fees

Nebraska Residents

Per Credit Hour

3 Credit Hours

Out of State Residents

Per Credit Hour

3 Credit Hours

Rochelle Dalla, Ph.D.

Professor

Application Deadlines