University of North Alabama

The purpose of the course is to orient students to the policies and procedures of the Family and Community Services graduate program. A grade of S (satisfactory) is given to students who satisfactorily complete all course assignments

Field experiences designed to provide students with supervised practical application of family studies theory and research. Practicum placements must be approved, supervised, and evaluated in collaboration with a designated faculty advisor. Also listed as SO 599 but creditable only in field for which registered. International students must receive approval from the Office of International Affairs prior to course registration.

Study of the methods and techniques of research used in the social and behavioral sciences and their related disciplines with a specific emphasis on research in family studies. Attention is given to the fundamentals of research: comprehension and critique of research literature, theoretical and practical basis of research,problem identification, research design, causal inference, sampling, measurement, data collection, hypothesis testing, and ethics in research.

An examination of the use of quantitative statistical methods in family studies research, including important principles, theories, and strategies for conducting univariate, bivariate, and multivariate statistical analyses. The course includes an introduction to the use and interpretation of SPSS®. Data analyses include descriptive statistics, Pearson r correlations, t-tests, and ANOVA. An undergraduate course in statistics is a prerequisite for entry into this course. Students will be required to purchase SPSS® software in order to meet course requirements. Prerequisite: FS 600.