The Ph.D. program provides students with the opportunity to pursue scholarly activities by providing a thorough understanding of Consumer Economics, Family Financial Planning, Housing Policy, quantitative methods in applied economics, research methods and statistics. Students take core courses in the department courses outside the department in statistics and their concentration and supporting area. Each student’s program of study is tailored to his or her own interests and the number of courses necessary are, in part, dependent upon the student’s previous course of study. Students work closely with their selected Advisory Committee in planning their program of study. A dissertation is required of all Ph.D. students.
Director of Graduate Studies Dr. Kim Skobba kskobba@uga.edu
60 hours
Apply to the UGA Graduate School and include the following: -2 Letters of recommendation -Resume -Statement of Purpose- using departmentally provided template https://www.fcs.uga.edu/docs/FHCE_Statement_Purpose_Template.docx -Unofficial transcript (3.0 minimum gpa.) -Previous coursework and training should reflect preparation for advanced study in financial planning, housing and consumer economics (e.g. coursework in related discipline, work experience, research experience, publications, presentations, , or senior thesis.) -International students: For students whose primary language is not English, proof of English proficiency is required. Students need to submit official university documents according to the UGA Graduate School requirements. Students will also have to show certificate of finances upon acceptance to the program.
Application deadline July 1 for the following fall. Application deadline if applicant wishes to be considered for an assistantship is January 15 for the following fall.
| FHCE 5270/7270 | Data for Consumer Analytics | 3 |
| FHCE 8000 | Research Methods in Financial Planning, Housing and Consumer Economics I | 3 |
| FHCE 8050 | Research Methods in Financial Planning, Housing and Consumer Economics II | 3 |
Choose 2 course(s) from the following:
| FHCE 8100 | Theory of Households, Consumer Economics, and Financial Behavior I | 3 |
| FHCE 8150 | Theory of Households, Consumer Economics, and Financial Behavior II | 3 |
Theory Course in FHCE or Allied department: With approval from the student’s committee, a graduate theory course in FHCE or an allied department may be substituted for either FHCE 8100 or FHCE 8150.
Choose 1 course(s) from the following:
| FHCE 4300/6300 | Advanced Housing Theories | 3 |
| FHCE 8150 | Theory of Households, Consumer Economics, and Financial Behavior II | 3 |
| FHCE 8200 | Financial Planning and Analysis | 3 |
Choose a minimum of 9 credit hour(s) from the following:
| FHCE 9300 | Doctoral Dissertation | 1-9 |
Independent research and preparation of the dissertation. Minimum of 3 hours during semester of defense.
| STAT 6210 | Introduction to Statistical Methods I | 3 |
| STAT 6220 | Introduction to Statistical Methods II | 3 |
Choose 9 credit hour(s) from the following:
Statistics elective - Graduate-level; any department; selected in consultation with student’s committee
Choose 9 to 12 credit hours from the following:
Supporting area electives - A graduate-level course in FHCE or related department selected in consultation with student’s committee
Choose 18 to 21 credit hours from the following:
| FHCE 4300/6300 | Advanced Housing Theories | 3 |
| FHCE 4310/6310 | Housing Policy | 3 |
| FHCE 4320/6320 | Legal Issues in Residential Property Management | 3 |
| FHCE 4330/6330 | Leasing Strategies for Residential Property Management | 3 |
| FHCE 4360/6360 | Rural Housing and Economic Development | 3 |
| FHCE 4400/6400 | Family Demographics and Policy | 3 |
| HDFS(FHCE) 4500/6500 | Aging and the Family | 3 |
| FHCE 4810/6810 | Housing for an Aging Population | 3 |
| FHCE 4900/6900 | Seminar in Financial Planning, Housing and Consumer Economics | 1-3 |
| FHCE 7010 | Directed Study in Financial Planning, Housing and Consumer Economics | 1-12 |
| FHCE 5310/7310 | Affordable Housing Development and Management | 3 |
| FHCE 5320/7320 | Residential Property Management Technology and Simulation | 3 |
| FHCE 5340/7340 | Housing Market Analysis | 3 |
| FHCE 5350S/7350S | Housing Counseling | 3 |
| FHCE 5400/7400 | Demographics of Special Populations | 3 |
| FHCE 5710/7710 | Study Away Experience in Financial Planning, Housing and Consumer Economics | 1-6 |
| FHCE 5910/7910 (3-9 hours) | Financial Planning, Housing and Consumer Economics Internship | 1-9 |
| FHCE 8900 | Seminar in Financial Planning, Housing and Consumer Economics | 1-12 |
| FHCE 9100 | Consumer Policy Analysis | 3 |
Up to 9 hours of Allied department graduate course per committee’s approval
Note that the above course option list is not exhaustive. Doctoral students in the past have taken courses from allied departments including Economics, Agricultural & Applied Economics, Marketing, Psychology, Human Development and Family Science, Sociology, Textiles, Merchandising & Interiors, Educational Psychology, Educational Research & Management, Management Information Systems, and History. Doctoral students, in consultation with their committees, may also consider taking courses from other allied departments. Allied departments that may offer courses of interest include Environmental Ethics, Environmental Health Science, Forestry & Natural Resources, Global Policy Studies, Health Administration, Health Policy & Management, Health Promotion & Behavior, International Affairs, Public Administration & Policy, Political Science, Agricultural Leadership, and Higher Education.
Choose 18 to 21 credit hours from the following:
| FHCE 6200 * | Advanced Wealth Management I | 3 |
| FHCE 6205 * | Advanced Wealth Management II | 3 |
| FHCE 6210 * | Advanced Retirement Planning and Employee Benefits | 3 |
| FHCE 6220 * | Advanced Estate Planning | 3 |
| FHCE 6230 * | Advanced Family Tax Planning | 3 |
| FHCE 6250 | Practice Management in Financial Planning | 3 |
| FHCE 4900/6900 | Seminar in Financial Planning, Housing and Consumer Economics | 1-3 |
| FHCE 7010 | Directed Study in Financial Planning, Housing and Consumer Economics | 1-12 |
| FHCE 7200 * | Advanced Financial Counseling and Client Communication | 3 |
| FHCE 7250 * | Capstone in Advanced Financial Planning | 3 |
| FHCE 5910/7910 (3-9 hours) | Financial Planning, Housing and Consumer Economics Internship | 1-9 |
| FHCE 8200 | Financial Planning and Analysis | 3 |
| FHCE 8500 | Survey of Financial Therapy | 3 |
| FHCE 8550 | Money and Relationships | 3 |
| FHCE 8900 | Seminar in Financial Planning, Housing and Consumer Economics | 1-12 |
| FHCE 9100 | Consumer Policy Analysis | 3 |
| RMIN 7100 | Fundamentals of Risk Management | 1.5-3 |
Or 9 hours from a Allied department graduate course per committee’s approval
*Necessary for CFP Exam
Choose 18 to 21 credit hours from the following:
| FHCE 4000/6000 | Consumer Analytics: Evidence-Based Strategy | 3 |
| FHCE 4100/6100 | Consumer Well-Being | 3 |
| FHCE 6200 | Advanced Wealth Management I | 3 |
| FHCE 6210 | Advanced Retirement Planning and Employee Benefits | 3 |
| FHCE 6220 | Advanced Estate Planning | 3 |
| FHCE 4400/6400 | Family Demographics and Policy | 3 |
| HDFS(FHCE) 4500/6500 | Aging and the Family | 3 |
| FHCE 4900/6900 | Seminar in Financial Planning, Housing and Consumer Economics | 1-3 |
| FHCE 7010 | Directed Study in Financial Planning, Housing and Consumer Economics | 1-12 |
| FHCE 5050/7050 | Consumer Analytics: Evidence-Based Innovation | 3 |
| FHCE 5100/7100 | Consumer Policy | 3 |
| FHCE 5150/7150 | Consumer Analytics: Evidence-Based Policy | 3 |
| FHCE 7200 | Advanced Financial Counseling and Client Communication | 3 |
| FHCE 7250 | Capstone in Advanced Financial Planning | 3 |
| FHCE 5400/7400 | Demographics of Special Populations | 3 |
| FHCE 5710/7710 | Study Away Experience in Financial Planning, Housing and Consumer Economics | 1-6 |
| FHCE 5910/7910 (3-9 hours) | Financial Planning, Housing and Consumer Economics Internship | 1-9 |
| FHCE 8200 | Financial Planning and Analysis | 3 |
| FHCE 8900 | Seminar in Financial Planning, Housing and Consumer Economics | 1-12 |
| FHCE 9100 | Consumer Policy Analysis | 3 |
Up to 9 hours from an allied department graduate course per committee's approval.
Note that the above course option list is not exhaustive. Doctoral students in the past have taken courses from allied departments including Economics, Agricultural & Applied Economics, Marketing, Psychology, Human Development and Family Science, Sociology, Textiles, Merchandising & Interiors, Educational Psychology, Educational Research & Management, Management Information Systems, and History. Doctoral students, in consultation with their committees, may also consider taking courses from other allied departments. Allied departments that may offer courses of interest include Environmental Ethics, Environmental Health Science, Forestry & Natural Resources, Global Policy Studies, Health Administration, Health Policy & Management, Health Promotion & Behavior, International Affairs, Public Administration & Policy, Political Science, Agricultural Leadership, and Higher Education.
| GRSC 7001 | GradFIRST: First-year Research and Scholarship Training Seminar | 1 |
| GRSC 7770 * | Graduate Teaching Seminar | 1-3 |
*For students who are selected for teaching assistantships
Publications -One Article submitted or accepted; student must have made a significant contribution; journal must be blind peer- reviewed and approved by committee before acceptance. Note: Publications in conference proceedings do not count.
Presentations -Three presentations at meetings of campus/state/regional/national/international academic or professional organizations (Campus presentation must be outside of FHCE; two must be sole author or primary author) -One presentation at a departmental seminar Note: Portfolio defense, dissertation, or proposal defense do not count
Teaching or Outreach Note: Students must complete either the teaching requirement or an outreach requirement. Teaching: -Primary responsibility for one course taught for one semester Outreach -Primary responsibility for a programmatic series (6 to 10 presentations) for a local educational or service organization. -Ongoing clinical/outreach effort (40 hours minimum -Production of significant document for outreach purposes or outreach publication.
Leadership and/or Citizenship (Both A and B are required) (A) Professional Association Membership: Maintain membership in at least one professional society beginning with the first year in the program and continuing until graduation (B) Participation in leadership and/or professional activities, including registering for the departmental graduate seminar class each semester. And attend the majority of departmental dissertation proposals and dissertation defenses each year
Select additional courses, as needed, in consultation with an advisor to meet the minimum number of required credit hours for this program.
Graduates have gone on to PhD programs, as well as careers with industry, government agencies, and NGOs
Qualified students will be nominated by the Graduate Program Committee for departmental assistantships and/or Graduate School scholarships/assistantships Students also are encouraged to seek outside fellowships and scholarships
Students are encouraged to pursue research opportunities outside of Athens, when appropriate and in consultation with their committees.
Students are encouraged to pursue internship opportunities when they will facilitate their professional development.
As part of Doctoral students’ portfolio, they will participate in -Publications -Presentations -Teaching/Outreach -Leadership and/or Citizenship
FHCE Grad Student Organization is the primary group that organizes and represents graduate students in the Dept of Financial Planning, Housing and Consumer Economics
Other programs in the Dept of Financial Planning, Housing and Consumer Economics, include: -MS, Thesis in Financial Planning, Housing and Consumer Economics -MS, non-thesis including: Joint MAcc/MS in Financial Planning and Joint JD/ MS in Financial Planning -Graduate Certificate in Behavioral Financial Planning/Financial Therapy