The Ph.D. program in Human Development instills in students an interdisciplinary understanding of human development while allowing for depth in a disciplinary specialization. The program combines the knowledge and skills of more traditional doctorates, including strong research and instructional skills, with a balanced interdisciplinary focus.

Marywood's Ph.D. program is relatively unique in its interdisciplinary focus at the doctoral level. Emphasizing critical, multifaceted analysis of complex problems, the interdisciplinary approach enables students to make creative connections across disciplines and to learn from the synergy of multiple points of view. Furthermore, interdisciplinarity allows for better exploration of the complex relationships inherent in the problems and issues of the 21st century.

Graduates of the Ph.D. program are well-prepared to provide leadership in a variety of settings. The cognitive flexibility and skill developed by learning to view challenges through an interdisciplinary lens apply readily to areas such as education, administration, health care, and government agencies.

Expert faculty from disciplines across the University are engaged in the Ph.D. program through teaching the interdisciplinary core courses, serving as dissertation mentors and committee members, and serving as qualifying examination evaluators. Specialization tracks in education, social work, and health promotion capitalize on the particular strengths of Marywood's faculty.