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AcademicsGraduate Programs

Consumer Behavior & Family Economics, PhD

This is a multidisciplinary degree that develops scholars who can apply social science theories to the study of household and consumer interactions within the marketplace and the public sector.

The PhD program in Human Ecology: Consumer Behavior and Family Economics (CBFE) develops scholars able to apply social science theories to understanding household and consumer interactions within the marketplace and the public sector. Students undertake research on consumer decision-making affecting the social and economic well-being of individuals and families. This is a multi-disciplinary degree program. The goal of this program is to prepare students for the following types of job placements:

  1. Tenure-track academic faculty positions, primarily in other schools of human ecology, consumer science or related units
  2. Research administration positions in government, non-tenure academic units, nonprofit organizations, think tanks and related entities
  3. Applied consumer research in the public and private sector, including market research, policy research and consulting.

Requirements: The PhD degree is designed for completion in four semesters of full-time coursework plus dissertation work. A minimum of 51 credits of graduate work is required. Requirements include Consumer Science courses, advanced statistics and research methods, field courses in either Consumer Behavior or Family Economics and research and dissertation credits.

Read more in our PhD program print piece and our information session slide deck

CBFE Alumni:

Madelaine L’Esperance, PhD 2019

Fei Men, PhD 2018

Dominik Piehlmaier, PhD 2018

Kathryn A. Carroll, PhD 2017, CFCS, CPFFE

Sunyee Yoon, PhD 2016

Hedi Moussavi, PhD 2014

Nilton Porto, PhD 2014

Dee Warmath, PhD 2012

What makes this program unique?

  • In-depth skills and training for professional researchers, including:
    • Empirical methods, experimental methods and causal inference
    • Analysis of major public datasets as well as administrative data
    • Understanding of consumer and household well-being theories and applications
    • Understanding of decision-making theories and models
  • An emphasis on applications and applied research for strategy and policymaking in the public and private sectors
  • Access to the extensive courses, faculty, resources and expertise of disciplinary departments and centers across the UW-Madison campus
  • The potential for an intensive, four-year time to degree
  • The ability to develop disciplinary or field sub-specialties, certificates and minor designations
  • A focus on teaching, teaching experiences, outreach and presenting findings for the public
  • An emphasis on publication and dissemination of research as a graduate student, including support to attend professional conferences
  • Access to facilities including a behavioral decision making lab, high quality statistics servers and unique datasets
  • Opportunities to conduct research with centers and institutes across campus
  • Multi-year funding available, including tuition and stipends
  • A small program with approximately 20 students total

Alumni Career Paths

Tenure-track academic faculty positions, primarily in other schools of human ecology, human sciences, consumer science, or related fields.

Recent examples:

  • State University of New York at Buffalo
  • The University of Alabama
  • University of Central Arkansas
  • University of Georgia
  • University of Rhode Island
  • University of Sussex Business School
  • University of Toronto (postdoc)

Research administration positions in government, non-tenured academic units, nonprofit organizations, think tanks, and related entities.

Applied consumer research in the public and private sector, including market research, policy research, and consulting.

Consumer Behavior & Family Economics Faculty

Graduate Students-CBFE