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Applications

M.S. in CFS • Ph.D. in CFS • Applications • Assistantships • Graduate Courses • Graduate Handbook

 

Welcome to the Department of Child and Family Studies at The University of Tennessee. We are delighted that you have chosen to pursue graduate opportunities within our department. Please read through the application procedures and then follow the appropriate links to download the application materials for our department.

Application Procedures

  1. Students applying for admission to the PreK-3 Teacher Education concentration should click on the link in the first line and follow the directions listed on that page.

  2. Prospective students are encouraged to submit all application materials at least 6 months before anticipated matriculation.

    Applications will be reviewed February 1, June 1, and November 1. Applications for financial assistance through the department must be submitted by February 1 for the following academic year.

  3. To have a packet of application materials mailed to you, e-mail Barbara Bright, our graduate secretary, or call her at (865) 974-3173.

  4. Please note that you must apply both to the Department of Child and Family Studies and the Office of Graduate Admissions at The University of Tennessee.

  5. UT Application: Complete and submit an application to The Office of Graduate Admissions at The University of Tennessee. You may apply online or send your application materials to:

    Graduate Admissions and Records
    218 Student Services Building
    Knoxville, TN 37996-0220

    In the section of the application form labeled "Type of Admission", you will be asked to identify a major and the degree you seek. Enter "Child and Family Studies" as the major and either "MS" or "PhD" as the degree. In addition to the completed form, they will ask that you send all of your college transcripts and your GRE scores (we do not accept any other test scores as substitutes for the GRE). Click here for information about the GRE. International students must submit current TOEFL scores.

  6. CFS Application: Complete and submit the CFS departmental application. This includes the departmental application form, a letter describing your research interests and professional goals, your resume, and three completed rating forms. Click here to download the CFS Application Materials. Please send these materials to the following address:

    Graduate Program Secretary
    The University of Tennessee
    Department of Child and Family Studies
    Rm. 115 Jessie Harris Building
    Knoxville, TN 37996-1912

  7. Letters of Recommendation: At least 2 of the 3 letters of recommendation must come from persons who can speak to the applicant's potential for graduate work based on first-hand knowledge of the applicant's past academic performance, as in taking exams, writing papers, giving class presentations, participating in class discussions, etc.

  8. After the Office of Graduate Admissions reviews your application and approves your admission to the graduate school, they will send your Graduate School application, your college transcripts, and your GRE (and for international applicants TOEFL) scores to the Department of Child and Family Studies.

  9. We will review your application as soon as we have received the completed CFS departmental application, all other required documents, and all the materials that the Office of Graduate Admissions must forward to us. All of your materials must be in the department for us to be able to review your application.

    GRE scores are a required component of the application package. Preference in admission will be given to applicants whose combined verbal and quantitative scores are greater than or equal to 1000. In exceptional circumstances admission will be considered for students whose GRE scores are below this score, provided their other credentials are outstanding.

    TOEFL scores are required for international applicants. A demonstration of English proficiency is essential for admission to the program. English proficiency must be sufficient to allow a student to work with the necessary creativity of thought and intellectual initiative required for thesis and dissertation work. A student’s English language expression must allow for active participation in and contribution to seminar discussions. Proficiency in spoken English must be such that advanced doctoral students can take on independent teaching. Preference in admission will be given to applicants whose individual component TOEFL scores on the i-bt test are greater than or equal to 24; alternative forms of the TOEFL test should show similar levels of proficiency on the test components. In exceptional circumstances, admission will be considered for students whose TOEFL component scores are below these scores, provided their other credentials are outstanding.

  10. Once you have begun the process of applying for graduate study in the Department of Child and Family Studies, you will receive a checklist every few weeks telling which elements of your application have not been received in our office.

  11. If you have any questions about this process, please contact Barbara Bright, the CFS Graduate Secretary, at (865) 974-3173.

Contact CEHHS

335 Claxton Complex 1122 Volunteer Boulevard
Knoxville, Tennessee 37996

Phone: 865-974-2201
Fax: 865-974-8718