Diane Lyden Murphy, Dean
falk.syr.edu/

About the College

David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics

Welcome to the David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics. The Falk College brings together Syracuse University’s professional programs in Child and Family Studies, Food Studies, Marriage and Family Therapy, Nutrition Science and Dietetics, Public Health, Sport Management and Social Work in an environment of cross-disciplinary teaching, research, practice and service. Through classroom learning and hands-on experience, our students learn by example-and by doing-to become professionals who will provide services that enhance the emotional and physical well-being of individuals, families, and communities.

As educators, Falk College faculty and staff are focused on students’ academic programs and set very high expectations for them in the classroom and in the community. Many attributes make the Falk College unique, offering a valuable college experience, including:

• Service learning is professionally and personally rewarding for students in the Falk College. Most courses embed community engagement elements to provide valuable hands-on experience for students while instilling in them the value of making a difference in the places where they live and work. Some activities students have led include: nutrition education for soldiers at Fort Drum; donation drives to collect food and clothing for the homeless, and; organizing special events that have raised thousands of dollars for community organizations.
   
• The Falk College believes the study abroad experience is critical for all programs. In addition to semester-long programs, the College regularly adds shorter-term immersion studies that bring students to national and global geographies of significance related to their academic fields of study. The Los Angeles immersion program for sport management students offers opportunities to meet with industry executives and tour venues and facilities. The Merken Roots of Social Work program brings students to New York City each year to explore sites of historical social work significance.
   
• Students in all Falk College academic programs have the opportunity to perform research working with faculty mentors.
   
• Students benefit from the Falk College’s numerous long-term relationships with national and Central New York-area agencies and businesses by gaining valuable hands-on learning through internships and field placements.
   
• Members of the Falk College faculty have tremendous connections in their respective fields; consequently, students benefit from these connections through internship/job placement opportunities, one-on-one career guidance, and guest lectures on campus.

The Falk College leadership team includes:

• Irene Kehres, Associate Dean, Student Services
• Eileen Lantier, Senior Associate Dean, Academic Affairs
• Deborah J. Monahan, Associate Dean, Research
   

Mission and Goals

The Falk College is committed to improving the health and well-being of individuals of all ages, their families, and their communities through scholarship, practice, civic engagement, advocacy, and entrepreneurial leadership within the framework of principles of social justice. The Falk College brings together a rich history of academic programs whose signatures of social responsibility and justice join new and evolving majors reflective of educating global citizens whose leadership changes the places and people where they live and work.

Accreditation

The Falk College offers accredited programs in Nutrition Science and Dietetics at the undergraduate level and Nutrition Science at the graduate level accredited by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics.  The MA and Ph.D. programs in Marriage and Family Therapy are accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE) and all Social Work programs are fully accredited through the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE).

Graduate Program Overview

David B. Falk College Of Sport And Human Dynamics

Diane Lyden Murphy, Dean
315-443-2027

The David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics is Syracuse University’s most service-oriented college, where cross-professional collaboration is the cornerstone of teaching, research, and practice. Like professionals in the field, students and faculty in the college work and learn together across discipline lines to find new, more effective approaches to important social issues. Master’s degree programs are offered in child and family studies, food studies,  global health, marriage and family therapy, nutrition science, sport management and social work; while Ph.D. programs are offered in child and family studies and marriage and family therapy.

Students prepare to become professionals who enhance the emotional and physical wellbeing of individuals, families, and communities. Faculty members are current and former practitioners who provide a real-world perspective on the professional field. The small college atmosphere allows for personalized attention from the faculty and staff, who guide students through the educational experience. Requirements are flexible in each program of study, allowing students to choose combinations of courses according to their personal and professional interests. Additional University resources allow students to further enhance their studies and professional development.

The integration of theory and practice is at the heart of the college’s mission. Through field and clinical placements in a wide variety of settings, students gain valuable hands-on experience that complements their classroom learning and better prepares them for their careers.

Today, graduates of the College hold positions of importance and distinction all over the world in such fields as education, research, child development, dietetics, nutrition, communications, community and social service, family therapy, government, business and industry, among many others.

For more information about Falk College Graduate admissions, please call or visit our admissions office at:

David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics
340 White Hall
Syracuse, New York 13244
(315) 443-5555
falk@syr.edu

Graduate Financial Assistance

Falk College academic programs offer a limited number of graduate assistantships and tuition scholarships. Graduate admissions officers in each graduate program allocate this financial aid based largely on merit.  Graduate assistantships in the form of research assistantships and teaching assistantships are awarded on a competitive basis from among applications received by February 1; assistantships are usually not available at any other time of the year. Research assistants are required to assist their sponsoring faculty to perform research. Teaching assistants are required to assist with undergraduate/graduate instruction as well as to work on research projects.  Recipients of these assistantships receive a stipend in addition to a tuition scholarship.

Syracuse University fellowships are awarded competitively from applications received by January 1 on an all-University basis. Doctoral fellows receive a stipend, plus a tuition scholarship of 30 credits for the academic year. Fellows devote full time to their studies and are not assigned duties.

To apply for University fellowships or College assistantships, check the proper place on the application for admission.

Facilities

The Falk College consists of three facilities, the new Falk Complex, Peck Hall, and the Bernice M. Wright laboratory School.

In January 2015, Falk College begun its phased relocation to the new Falk Complex at MacNaughton and White Halls (the former College of Law). The Falk Complex, which includes both MacNaughton and White Halls, is located on the western portion of the Syracuse University campus. The renovated complex includes a centralized Falk Admissions center that offers prospective students the chance to see Falk College in action on a daily basis; an expanded Student Services space conducive to providing programming that helps students be successful; and a New Falk College Career Center with interview rooms for professional interviews and simulations.  In addition to administrative and academic program offices and classrooms, the Falk Complex also offers students hands-on experiences in simulated environments like the Nutrition Assessment Lab and Sport Management Technology Center and dedicated study/collaborative space, computer labs and comforts like a café and student lounge.

Falk College’s relocation will continue through Spring 2016. Once all moves are complete all Falk undergraduate academic programs will be under one roof for the first time ever, which spells good things for students, faculty and staff. Additionally, all graduate programs, with the exception of Marriage and Family Therapy, will also be housed in the new Falk Complex. 

The Marriage and Family Therapy Department is purposefully located in Peck Hall in the Syracuse community at 601 E. Genesee Street, allowing students a unique opportunity for education in real time within and among a diverse and professionally trained mental health work force. This site includes the Couple and Family Therapy Center, a clinical training and research facility equipped for live and videotaped supervision, which provides MFT services to the surrounding community. The MFT program works cooperatively with a number of well-established local human service agencies that provide training and research opportunities for MFT students.

The Bernice M. Wright (BMW) Child Development Laboratory School is located on Syracuse University’s South Campus, Falk College celebrated the grand reopening of the Bernice M. Wright Child Development Lab School on November 30, 2012, showcasing its recently renovated and expanded facilities. Bernice M. Wright embraces inclusion, celebrating cultural and developmental diversity and recognizing the similarities and differences that make the world an exciting place. Through collaboration with community-based service providers, the school enrolls children with varying developmental abilities, adding greatly to the overall classroom experience. The site serves as a teacher training facility and supports research in early childhood education.

Research Centers & Institutes

Aging Studies Institute

Aging Studies Institute is a collaborative initiative of the Maxwell School of Citizenship & Public Affairs and the David B. Falk School of Sport and Human Dynamics.  Its mission is to coordinate and promote aging-related research, training, and outreach at Syracuse University. With 40 faculty affiliates from more than a dozen departments, ASI provides multi-disciplinary research and education that is relevant to almost every academic discipline on campus.

The Jack Reilly Institute for Early Childhood and Provider Education

Through its training and research efforts, the general aim of the Jack Reilly Institute for Early Childhood and Provider Education is to improve the knowledge base and provide hands-on training for early childhood teachers and providers on childhood safety in home-based and center-based childcare within the context of culturally-relevant, developmentally-appropriate early childhood education practices. Additional information about the Jack Reilly Institute can be found at http://falk.syr.edu/ChildFamilyStudies/Jack_Reilly.aspx.

Bernice M. Wright Child Development Laboratory School

The Bernice M. Wright Child Development Laboratory School provides opportunities for research, teacher training, and community service. Founded as a model of the parent cooperative movement in early childhood education, the school includes parent involvement at the center of its mission. The school is staffed by both graduate and undergraduate students and offers a strong inclusive component that embraces the developmental and cultural perspectives of its children and families. Limited enrollment is open to both the University and local communities.