The information that follows deals only with admission to the HDFS program. Applicants should also consult the current CMU Graduate Studies Bulletin for information about University admission requirements which must also be met. 

Beginning with the 2010-2011 academic year, a March 15 application deadline has been implemented.  Any student applying for the MS in HDFS program must submit all applications materials no later than March 15 to be considered for admittance for the upcoming fall.  Letters of recommendation must be signed across the seal and sent directly to:  Candace Maylee, 128A Wightman Hall, CMU, Mt. Pleasant, MI 48859.  All other application materials must be sent to:  the College of Graduate Studies, 100 Foust Hall, CMU, Mt. Pleasant, MI  48859.  

The following materials are required:

• Application form available at:  https://apply.cmich.edu/
• Application fee
• Official transcript(s) that demonstrate successful completion of a bachelor's degree with at least fifteen (15) credit hours in Human Development and Family Studies or the social and behavioral sciences.
• An undergraduate grade point average of at least 3.0 in the last 60 semester hours of course work.
• Three (3) letters of recommendation are required, including two letters from faculty. If it is not possible to obtain references from two faculty, references should be from professionals who can address your capacity to succeed as a graduate student.  (Please see the information in red above regarding submission of the letters of recommendation.)
• Evidence of successful completion of an undergraduate statistics and research methods course is strongly recommended.
• A 2-4 page, typed, double-spaced essay is required that:
  • Describes how your previous experiences and training have prepared and led you to pursue a degree in Human Development and Family Studies.
  • Identifies likely professional goals and how HDFS graduate training can help you accomplish these goals.
• A current resume
• Official Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores are optional. Applicants who do not meet the minimum G.P.A. requirement for admission may submit GRE test results. The GRE scores will be used as a supplementary screening device to determine potential for graduate school success.
• Application for a Graduate Assistantship is optional.  Applicants applying for a graduate assistantship must complete the Graduate Assistantship Application and the Graduate Assistantship Skill Assessment.

Conditional Admission: Per university policy, conditional admission may be considered for applicants with background or grade point average deficiencies. Undergraduate courses taken to make up admission deficiencies can not be counted toward graduate degree requirements. Regular admission status should be requested upon completion of all deficiencies.

Once all of the application materials are received, files are started for students in the HDFS and Graduate School offices. Together the graduate school and the department make a decision about each application. After an evaluation period of approximately six weeks, the College of Graduate Studies will officially notify students of the status of their application.

General Questions
If you have general questions about graduate studies at CMU, you can contact the staff in the College of Graduate Studies at:

College of Graduate Studies
Central Michigan University
Mt. Pleasant, MI 48859

(989) 774-GRAD grad@cmich.edu