Intercultural Youth and Family Development
Lynne Sanford Koester (Professor of Psychology), Director
This master’s degree program is designed for students who wish to engage in culturally-relevant volunteer work or paid employment in the realm of child and family assistance. It is affiliated with the United States Peace Corps as a partner school for their master’s international program. Requirements include one year of full-time instruction at UM, a significant period of time engaging in internship work in an applied intercultural setting, and a final professional paper or thesis. Internships will typically be 1-2 years and will involve work in a culture other than one’s own. Students participating in this program are expected to gain the following background and competencies:
- important interculturally-informed helping skills for working with youth, women, families and communities in culture other than their own
- a solid background in issues, concerns, and critiques regarding assistance and interventions across culture, both historically and currently
- opportunity to pursue and participate in a significant field experience, working with an established helping agency in another culture or country.
Courses
U=for undergraduate credit only, UG=for undergraduate or graduate credit, G=for graduate credit. R after the credit indicates the course may be repeated for credit to the maximum indicated after the R. Credits beyond this maximum do not count toward a degree.
Intercultural Youth and Family Development (IYFD)
G 501 Intercultural Aspects of Human Development I 3 cr. Offered autumn. Explorations of child rearing practices, parenting beliefs, and cultural variations in infancy and early child development.
G 502 Intercultural Aspects of Human Development II 3 cr. Offered spring. Explorations of cultural variations in later childhood, adolescence and adulthood, with particular focus on issues such as multicultural adoption, identity, and the role of poverty.
G 510 Applied Intercultural Skills Development 2 cr. Offered autumn. Focus on applied skills in two areas: crosscultural negotiation and conflict management; program development and grant writing.
G 595 Special Topics 2-6 cr. (R-6) Offered intermittently. Experimental offerings of visiting professors, experimental offerings of new courses, or one-time offerings of current topics.
G 596 Independent Study 1-6 cr. (R-6) Offered every term. Directed readings and other individualized study topics guided by faculty.
G 598 Internship 1-6 cr. (R-6) Offered every term. Introduction to service learning in applied settings, usually local.
G 599 Professional Project 1-2 cr. (R-2) Offered every term. Final Master’s project related to internship; may be presented as a grant proposal, policy analysis, or portfolio.
G 698 Intercultural Internship 1-4 cr. (R-4) Offered every term. Supervised intercultural experience through Peace Corps, VISTA, or other organization approved by program faculty.
G 699 Thesis 1-2 cr. (R-2) Offered every term. Final master’s thesis based on research related to internship placement.
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