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Department of Family Science

Our Department's Mission

Families are the foundation of society and the public’s health. The vision of the Department of Family Science is to promote the physical, mental, and social wellbeing of all families in order to eliminate the burden of disease and health disparities, and to foster resilience and social justice.

We aim to be a recognized leader in family health, defined as  the physical, mental, and social wellbeing of all families. Our faculty members are committed to high impact scholarship on family health which can inform public policy and human services delivery. Our students are the next generation of investigators, practitioners, and policy leaders who can tackle the complex health challenges facing families. 

First established at the University of Maryland, College Park in 1968 (previously called the Department of Family Studies), we are proud to be one of the only departments of family science in a school of public health in the US. We bring the synergies of our multiple disciplines from family science, couple and family therapy, maternal and child health, psychology, epidemiology, behavioral sciences, and economics among others to enhance family health and well-being.

Our Degree Programs

Father and mother smiling and holding their baby

BS, Family Science

Staff therapist participating in a counseling session of the School of Public Health at the University of Maryland

MS, Couple and Family Therapy

Family of three laughing

PhD, Family Science

Mother smiling holding her child's hand.

PhD, Maternal and Child Health

Connect With Us

Get in Touch With Our Program Directors

Kendyl Oliver
Academic Advisor
koliver3@umd.edu
(301) 405-4003

Dr. Mia Smith Bynum
Director, Family Science Honors Program 
msbynum@umd.edu 
301-405-0299

Colton (Tanner) Kilpatrick, PhD
Assistant Clinical Professor and Director of Graduate Studies, Family Science
tkilpat@umd.edu
(301) 405-3500

Colton (Tanner) Kilpatrick, PhD
Assistant Clinical Professor and Director of Graduate Studies, Family Science
tkilpat@umd.edu
(301) 405-3500

Recent FMSC News

Graphic showing Mia Smith-Bynum and announcing her as chair of Dept. Family Science.
Mia Smith-Bynum Named Chair of Department of Family Science
View Article Mia Smith-Bynum Named Chair of Department of Family Science
First officer is pushing on thrust levers to speed up aircraft and takeoff.
SPH Names Inaugural Recipients of Seed Grant Competition
View Article SPH Names Inaugural Recipients of Seed Grant Competition
Characters from the show Ted Lasso place the arms into the middle of a circle.
Op/ed: For an Expanded Definition of Masculinity, Turn On ‘Ted Lasso’
View Article Op/ed: For an Expanded Definition of Masculinity, Turn On ‘Ted Lasso’

FMSC News in Maryland Today

Jeremy Swift, Brett Goldstein, Jason Sudeikis, Brendan Hunt and Nick Mohammed in “Ted Lasso” season two

Op/ed: For an Expanded Definition of Masculinity, Turn On ‘Ted Lasso’

Public Health Researcher Urges Moving Beyond Tradition That Promotes Intolerance and Harm
View Article Op/ed: For an Expanded Definition of Masculinity, Turn On ‘Ted Lasso’
Protesters at the Texas State Capitol building. One holds a sign that reads, "No Youth Health Ban. No School Pride Ban"

Scientific Evidence Supports Lifesaving Health Care for Transgender Youth, Researchers Say

UMD Public Health Experts Co-author Policy Brief in Favor of Gender-Affirming Medical Care
View Article Scientific Evidence Supports Lifesaving Health Care for Transgender Youth, Researchers Say
woman kisses newborn on forehead

U.S. Pregnancy-Related Deaths Surged in Pandemic’s Second Year, New Study Shows

Rising Maternal Mortality Widened Racial, Ethnic Disparities
View Article U.S. Pregnancy-Related Deaths Surged in Pandemic’s Second Year, New Study Shows

Family science offers you this very deep lens into who somebody is and helps you understand them in a way that no other fields of study can really help you do.

Gabrielle Frohlich, student of the School of Public Health at the University of Maryland