This is a named option within the Human Ecology, PhD.
The Department of Consumer Science develops and disseminates information on the ways in which the interactions among consumers, business, and government can enhance the interests and well-being of consumers, families, and communities. The program focuses on various dimensions of well-being including economic/financial security, consumer empowerment, health, food security, housing security, sustainability, and the public policy that affects those dimensions of well-being. The program is interdisciplinary; current faculty have degrees in diverse fields including economics, marketing, sociology, retailing, social work, and consumer science. Some faculty have joint appointments with Cooperative Extension, providing students with opportunities for training in outreach and applied research. PhD students work closely with faculty members, often collaborating on research and outreach programs. All PhD students must complete core courses in consumer behavior, family economics, and research methods.
Students enrolled in one of the Human Ecology PhD program named options have the opportunity to earn the Human Ecology MS: Human Ecology Research degree along the way to the PhD upon successful completion of coursework and research.
This is a multi-disciplinary degree program. Students will undertake research on consumer decision-making affecting the social and economic well-being of individuals and families. The goal of this program is to prepare students for the following types of job placements:
- Tenure-track academic faculty positions, primarily in other schools of human ecology, consumer science, or related units;
- Research administration positions in government, non-tenure academic units, nonprofit organizations, think tanks and related entities; and,
- Applied consumer research in the public and private sectors, including market research, policy research, and consulting.
Admissions
Please consult the table below for key information about this degree program’s admissions requirements. The program may have more detailed admissions requirements, which can be found below the table or on the program’s website.
Graduate admissions is a two-step process between academic programs and the Graduate School. Applicants must meet the minimum requirements of the Graduate School as well as the program(s). Once you have researched the graduate program(s) you are interested in, apply online.
| Fall Deadline | December 1 |
| Spring Deadline | This program does not admit in the spring. |
| Summer Deadline | This program does not admit in the summer. |
| GRE (Graduate Record Examinations) | Not required. |
| English Proficiency Test | Every applicant whose native language is not English, or whose undergraduate instruction was not exclusively in English, must provide an English proficiency test score earned within two years of the anticipated term of enrollment. Refer to the Graduate School: Minimum Requirements for Admission policy: https://policy.wisc.edu/library/UW-1241. |
| Other Test(s) (e.g., GMAT, MCAT) | n/a |
| Letters of Recommendation Required | 3 |
Applicants are expected to have taken coursework in statistics equivalent to the following courses: SOC/C&E SOC 361 Statistics for Sociologists II and SOC/C&E SOC 361 Statistics for Sociologists II. If they have not, applicants are expected to complete these courses during their graduate degree.
Funding
Graduate School Resources
Resources to help you afford graduate study might include assistantships, fellowships, traineeships, and financial aid. Further funding information is available from the Graduate School. Be sure to check with your program for individual policies and restrictions related to funding.
Program Resources
Funding opportunities for Human Ecology graduate students are available and made possible, in large part, by generous donations to SoHE. Every year, these funds are used to fund teaching or project assistantships, award academic excellence scholarships, and provide students doing their masters or doctoral research or final MFA project with conference travel scholarships and graduate research scholarships. See the School of Human Ecology Enrollment Policy on Funding Eligibility and view current funding opportunities on our program website for more information.
Minimum Graduate School Requirements
Review the Graduate School minimum academic progress and degree requirements, in addition to the program requirements listed below.
Named Option Requirements
Mode of Instruction
| Face to Face | Evening/Weekend | Online | Hybrid | Accelerated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | No | No | No | No |
Mode of Instruction Definitions
Accelerated: Accelerated programs are offered at a fast pace that condenses the time to completion. Students typically take enough credits aimed at completing the program in a year or two.
Evening/Weekend: Courses meet on the UW–Madison campus only in evenings and/or on weekends to accommodate typical business schedules. Students have the advantages of face-to-face courses with the flexibility to keep work and other life commitments.
Face-to-Face: Courses typically meet during weekdays on the UW-Madison Campus.
Hybrid: These programs combine face-to-face and online learning formats. Contact the program for more specific information.
Online: These programs are offered 100% online. Some programs may require an on-campus orientation or residency experience, but the courses will be facilitated in an online format.
Curricular Requirements
| Minimum Credit Requirement | 51 credits |
| Minimum Residence Credit Requirement | 32 credits |
| Minimum Graduate Coursework Requirement | 26 credits must be graduate-level coursework. Refer to the Graduate School: Minimum Graduate Coursework (50%) Requirement policy: https://policy.wisc.edu/library/UW-1244. |
| Overall Graduate GPA Requirement | 3.00 GPA required. Refer to the Graduate School: Grade Point Average (GPA) Requirement policy: https://policy.wisc.edu/library/UW-1203. |
| Other Grade Requirements | n/a |
| Assessments and Examinations | Doctoral students are required to take a comprehensive preliminary/oral examination after they have cleared their record of all Incomplete and In Progress grades (other than research and thesis). Deposit of the doctoral dissertation in the Graduate School is required. |
| Language Requirements | Contact the program for information on any language requirements. |
| Gradaute School Breadth Requirement | Students are not required to complete a doctoral minor or graduate/professional certificate but may pursue one if they choose. |
Required Courses
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Human Ecology Core Courses | 6 | |
| Theories and Perspectives in Human Ecology (2 credits) | ||
| Research Methods (3 credits) | ||
| Special Topics in Human Ecology (Professional Development Seminar - 1 credit) | ||
| Consumer Science Core Courses | 12 | |
| The Economic Organization of the Household | ||
| Introduction to Quantitative Methods in Social Science | ||
| Causal Models in Household and Consumer Research | ||
| Advanced Consumer Behavior | ||
| Consumer Science Graduate Workshop | 2 | |
| Offered every semester. Students are required to take 2 credits over the course of their program. | ||
| Consumer Science Graduate Workshop | ||
| Additional Consumer Science Courses | 9 | |
| Select at least 3 of the courses listed. These courses are offered every 1-3 years. | ||
| Household Finance and Well-Being | ||
| Health and Financial Well-Being | ||
| Families and Households in Communities | ||
| Measuring Household and Community Well-Being | ||
| Advanced Consumer Policy | ||
| Policy Breadth Courses | 6 | |
| Select 2 courses for a total of 6 credits from the list below. | ||
| Seminar in Family Economic Policy | ||
| Health Economics | ||
| Families & Poverty | ||
| Policy-Making Process | ||
| Public Health Policy and Politics | ||
| Topics in Public Affairs (Aging and Public Policy) | ||
| PhD Proseminar (Disciplinary Perspectives on Social Policy) | ||
| Policy-Making Process | ||
| Methods Breadth Courses | 12 | |
| Select 1 course from at least 4 of the following 6 areas: research design, demography, survey design, qualitative, econometrics, and cost benefit. Additional methods areas may be reviewed and approved by the faculty advisor and the CBFE Graduate Program Committee (GPC). | ||
| Research Design | ||
| Introduction to the Design of Educational Experiments | ||
| Experiments and Causal Methods for Business Insights | ||
| Risk Analytics and Behavioral Science | ||
| Evaluation Research | ||
| Demography | ||
| Population and Society | ||
| Demographic Techniques I | ||
| Demographic Techniques II | ||
| Survey Design | ||
| Surveys and Other Quantitative Data Collection Strategies | ||
| Survey Methods for Social Research | ||
| Measurement and Questionnaires for Survey Research | ||
| Qualitative Methods | ||
| Introduction to Qualitative Research | ||
| Qualitative Communication Research Methods | ||
| Qualitative Research Methods in Sociology | ||
| Seminar-Qualitative Methodology | ||
| Proseminar (Qualitative Research Methods) | ||
| Econometrics | ||
| Applied Econometric Analysis I | ||
| Applied Econometric Analysis II | ||
| Machine Learning in Applied Economic Analysis | ||
| Applied Econometric Analysis III | ||
| Mathematical Economics I | ||
| Economic Statistics and Econometrics I | ||
| Economic Statistics and Econometrics II | ||
| Econometric Methods | ||
| Applied Econometrics | ||
| Recent Advances in Economics (Topics in Health Economics or other topics) | ||
| Regression Methods for Population Health | ||
| Cost Benefit | ||
| Cost Effectiveness Analysis in Health and Healthcare | ||
| Benefit-Cost Analysis | ||
| Benefit-Cost Analysis | ||
| Research & Thesis and/or Independent Study | 4 | |
| Required during the fourth year only. | ||
| Research and Thesis | ||
| Independent Study | ||
| Total Credits | 51 | |
Graduate School Policies
The Graduate School’s Academic Policies and Procedures provide essential information regarding general university policies. Program authority to set degree policies beyond the minimum required by the Graduate School lies with the degree program faculty. Policies set by the academic degree program can be found below.
Named Option-Specific Policies
Prior Coursework
Graduate Credits Earned at Other Institutions
With program approval, students are allowed to transfer up to 18 credits of graduate coursework taken at other institutions. Prior coursework taken at other institutions may not be used to satisfy the minimum graduate residence credit requirement. Credits earned ten or more years prior to admission to a doctoral degree are not allowed to satisfy requirements.
Undergraduate Credits Earned at Other Institutions or UW-Madison
With program approval, students are allowed to transfer up to 7 credits of coursework numbered 300 or above from a UW–Madison or from another institution's undergraduate degree; undergraduate courses must be numbered 700 or above to satisfy the minimum graduate coursework requirement. No undergraduate coursework may count toward the graduate residence requirement.
Credits Earned as a Professional Student at UW-Madison (Law, Medicine, Pharmacy, and Veterinary careers)
Refer to the Graduate School: Transfer Credits for Prior Coursework policy.
Credits Earned as a University Special Student at UW–Madison
With program approval, students are allowed to transfer up to 9 University Special student credits of coursework numbered 300 or above toward the minimum degree credit requirement. These credits are not allowed to satisfy the 50% graduate coursework minimum unless taken in coursework numbered 700 or above or are taken to meet the requirements of a capstone certificate and has the "Grad 50%" attribute. Credits earned ten or more years prior to admission to a doctoral degree are not allowed to satisfy requirements.
Probation
Refer to the Graduate School: Probation policy.
Advisor / Committee
Every graduate student is required to have an advisor. An advisor is a faculty member, or sometimes a committee, from the major department responsible for providing advice regarding graduate studies. An advisor generally serves as the thesis advisor. In many cases, an advisor is assigned to incoming students. Students can be suspended from the Graduate School if they do not have an advisor.
To ensure that students are making satisfactory progress toward a degree, the Graduate School expects them to meet with their advisor on a regular basis.
A committee often accomplishes advising for the students in the early stages of their studies.
Credits Per Term Allowed
15 credits
Time Limits
Refer to the Graduate School: Time Limits policy.
Grievances and Appeals
The School of Human Ecology Graduate Program Handbook outlines the conduct expectations and grievance process.
These resources may be helpful in addressing your concerns:
- Bias or Hate Reporting
- Graduate Assistantship Policies and Procedures
- Hostile and Intimidating Behavior Policies and Procedures
- Dean of Students Office (for all students to seek grievance assistance and support)
- Employee Assistance (for personal counseling and workplace consultation around communication and conflict involving graduate assistants and other employees, post-doctoral students, faculty and staff)
- Employee Disability Resource Office (for qualified employees or applicants with disabilities to have equal employment opportunities)
- Graduate School (for informal advice at any level of review and for official appeals of program/departmental or school/college grievance decisions)
- Office of Compliance (for class harassment and discrimination, including sexual harassment and sexual violence)
- Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards (for conflicts involving students)
- Ombuds Office for Faculty and Staff (for employed graduate students and post-docs, as well as faculty and staff)
- Title IX (for concerns about discrimination)
Other
n/a
Professional Development
Graduate School Resources
Take advantage of the Graduate School's professional development resources to build skills, thrive academically, and launch your career.
Program Resources
The School of Human Ecology Graduate Program values the professional development of graduate students and provides financial awards to those who are invited to present at professional conferences/exhibits. The purpose of the support is to encourage participation in professional development, scholarly research, and/or creative endeavor and to help cover expenses not covered by other sources. Students may receive a maximum award of $650 for travel ($750 for international travel) to support conference participation in a single academic year. Students are encouraged to seek conference and travel funding from the Graduate School as a first step and apply for supplemental funds through SoHE as needed.
In addition, each academic department within the School of Human Ecology may offer additional professional development grant opportunities. See the program Events Calendar for the most up-to-date information on professional development opportunities.
People
Human Ecology Directory: listing of all faculty, staff, and graduate students; searchable by association, department, and name
Department of Civil Society & Community Studies (Civil Society & Community Research: CSCR graduate program)
Department of Consumer Science (Consumer Behavior & Family Economics: CBFE graduate program)
Department of Design Studies (Design Studies: DS graduate programs)
Department of Human Development & Family Studies (Human Development & Family Studies: HDFS graduate program)