Master of Science
Child, Youth, and Family Studies Degree
Elevate your knowledge and skills to bring more hope to children and families.
Child, Youth, and Family Studies Degree
Amplify your impact on children, youth and families with applied, real-world coursework.
The demand for caring individuals with the knowledge and credentials required to assist needy children and families is always growing. Bellevue University’s master’s in child, youth and family studies degree equips you to better the lives of those in need. With the child, youth, and family studies degree, you will gain insight and experience in the field, gain knowledge needed for leadership roles, and learn procedure and policy, all while developing your career and focusing on children, youth and families.
Take one course at a time in our child and family studies master’s.
Choose to follow the cohort path for child and family studies , and simplify your study experience with a course load that’s more manageable for busy professionals. You’ll register for classes once at the beginning of the program and take one course at a time with the same group of peers online—having more collaborative experiences and graduating with a stronger network to start your career.
No internship or experience required.
Through online or on-campus courses, your child, youth and family studies degree will be overseen by an experienced faculty that will provide essential feedback and hands-on curriculum. There is no internship required, nor a history of human services, allowing you easily transfer or dive right in to focused work with families and children.
Take the next step in your child, youth and family studies degree. We’re ready to help you get there.
Courses
What You’ll Learn
Graduates of the Master of Science in Child, Youth, and Family Studies program should be able to:
- Analyze youth policies and best practices
- Apply principles and practices in program leadership, management, and evaluation
- Analyze child and youth development, exceptionalities, and sociocultural context
- Examine multiple influences that impact child and youth development and family interactions, including race, ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic, and cross-cultural issues
Child, Youth, and Family Studies Degree Courses
Current students please login to BRUIN and select “Academic Progress” for your curriculum requirements.
Requirements (36 credit hours)
(Click a course name below to view course details)
This course emphasizes the skills and knowledge needed to successfully work with children, youth and their families. The concepts of nature vs. nurture and the theories of cognitive, social, physical, emotional, and identity development are explored.
This course examines the connections between families and the community services available and how these services are successfully accessed. This course emphasizes the partnerships among school, family, and community services.
This course introduces students to state and federal policies that directly affect children and youth. Students apply critical thinking skills to policies and problem solve, if the policies are barriers to the successful development of children and youth.
The course focuses on families and their function and dysfunction. Models of family interventions are emphasized. Family interactions and child development across the lifespan are explored.
This course introduces children, youth, and families in cultural context. The cultural heritages of different families are explored. The emphasis is on identifying successful strategies when working with culturally diverse families.
Contemporary issues affecting children, youth, and their families are explored. Topics covered include technology, violence, addictions, child abuse, and bullying.
This course provides an introduction to and analysis of the principles for successful program design, evaluation, and implementation. Assessment of developed program outcomes is emphasized.
This course introduces the administration and management of programs serving children, youth, and their families. Supervisory challenges and leadership competencies are discussed.
This course is designed for students to apply the knowledge and skills attained during the CYFS Program. Each student develops and completes a detailed project-based activity related to child, youth, and family studies.
University Accreditation
Bellevue University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (hlcommission.org).
Whether a college, university, or program is accredited is important to students with financial aid, employers who provide tuition assistance, donors, and the federal government.
This program is considered a non-licensure degree/certificate program and is not intended for those seeking licensure or the practice of licensed profession. This program may be relevant to multiple occupations that do not require licensure and was not designed to meet educational requirements for any specific professional license or certification.
*Consult with an admissions counselor to determine your eligible credits, as well as to verify minimum graduation requirements for this degree. Transfer credits must be from a regionally accredited college or university. Bellevue University makes no promises to prospective students regarding the acceptance of credit awarded by examination, credit for prior learning, or credit for transfer until an evaluation has been conducted.
We work with the experience you bring to the table for your child and family studies degree.
Format
100% Online learning that works for your life and your goals.
Our flexible online courses are designed to bring quality learning into a format that fits your schedule, without sacrificing meaningful faculty feedback and collaboration with peers across the country. Stay on track with the help of your Student Coach — with you from day one to graduation.
On-campus classes offered on a convenient schedule.
If you prefer an in-person learning experience, our Omaha-area campus offers classes that accommodate the working professional’s schedule.
Graduate with a stronger professional network.
Get to know a consistent group of peers as you earn your family studies degree. As a master’s cohort program, you’ll move through courses one at a time on the same schedule as your classmates—making it possible to develop a stronger network and enjoy a more collaborative learning experience along the way.
Level up quicker with online or on-campus learning, making a child and family studies degree more convenient for you and your schedule.
Tuition & Financial Aid
Graduate degrees can be more affordable than you think.
Earning a degree is an investment in yourself. We want to help you make sure it’s a wise one.
2024 / 2025 Academic Year
$660 In-Class or Online Cost Per Credit
(Additional fees may apply to individual courses within your major requirements)
Curious about financial aid? We’ve got the answers.
As a graduate student, you may be eligible for up to $20,500 per year in unsubsidized Direct Student Loans.
And, students often apply for graduate program scholarships through Bellevue University or tuition reimbursement through their employers. Talk to us and we’ll help you explore your options.
Admissions
Start on the path to your master’s. No GRE or GMAT required.
We believe in reducing roadblocks to education. That’s why our admissions requirements focus only on what matters—helping hardworking students access the education they deserve.
For admission to Bellevue University, applicants must:
- Possess a bachelor’s or master’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university, or a U.S. equivalent degree from a nationally or internationally accredited college or university.
- Have maintained a GPA of 2.5 or better from the most recent 60 credits of coursework earned toward the bachelor’s degree or have maintained a GPA of 3.0 or better in previous graduate level coursework earned toward the graduate degree.
If you haven’t already, take a moment to request information about your masters program and get in touch with our admissions team. We’ll help make sure you have what you need and answer your questions.
When you’re ready to apply, start your application online. You’ll then:
- Submit your deposit to Bellevue University. (You can do this at any point in the process.)
- Submit your transcripts from past institutions and any other required documentation.
- Complete the FAFSA and see what grants and loans you’re eligible for.
If you are an international student, please see the following specific information: International Student Master Admissions.
You'll just need to create an account and complete a pre-application to Bellevue University through Guild. Once you receive confirmation that your pre-application to Bellevue University has been approved, you'll need to complete the required steps to get fully accepted and registered. These include:
- Submitting transcripts from past institutions
- Submitting related documentation
Ready to get started?
Reach out to admissions.
- Get your questions answered about the Child, Youth, and Family Studies Degree
- Understand your financial aid and scholarship options
- Map out a schedule that fits with your priorities
