In this major, you’ll learn to identify factors that influence cognitive, emotional, social, and physical development through infancy, childhood, adolescence, young adulthood, later adulthood and aging. Coursework and an internship prepare you to work in a variety of settings including youth services, education programs, healthcare, juvenile and adult corrections, family and community services, and long-term care facilities. This major includes an accelerated option for students to graduate on a faster schedule. This major is also available online.

Graduates with a major in HDFS are prepared to work in a range of human service sector settings including youth services organizations; early childhood, elementary, adolescent, and parent education programs; health-care settings; juvenile and adult corrections and criminal justice; family and community services; and programs serving older adults, including long-term care facilities. HDFS graduates are also well prepared to pursue graduate studies in mental health, behavioral and social sciences, education, health and medicine, policy and public health, and other professional programs. Students interested in teaching human development and family studies content at the secondary level should explore the interdepartmental Major in Family and Consumer Sciences, Family and Consumer Sciences Education Concentration.