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Bachelor of Science in
Human Development and Family Studies
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Courses

The Bachelor of Science in Human Development and Family Studies, Life Span Human Services option, is a 120-credit program. A grade of C or better is required in any HDFS course taken to satisfy the degree requirements. Consultation with your World Campus academic adviser to help you navigate your completion of this degree is strongly recommended.

The curriculum can help you learn how people and families change over time — biologically, psychologically, economically, and socially. You will study how family relationships, peers, social institutions (e.g., schools, work environments), income, religion, cultural background, and government policies all affect an individual's development and how interventions in these settings can facilitate growth and reduce problems in development. You will also investigate moral, ethical, and legal issues you will face as a professional, and learn to evaluate alternative approaches to promoting optimal development.

The program also provides a great stepping-stone into graduate-level studies.

Prescribed Courses for the Major (18 credits)

  • 3
    credits

    Introduction to psychosocial and family development at all stages of the individual and family life cycle.

  • 3
    credits

    Examines bases for choices among values in personal and professional relations in human development processes and supporting services.

  • 3
    credits

    Survey of individual and family formal and informal intervention efforts; historical and current perspectives and approaches.

    • Prerequisite

      HDFS 129

  • 3
    credits

    Introduction to the skills involved in critical thinking in general and the methods of empirical inquiry in particular.

    • Prerequisite

      a grade of C or better required in EDPSY 101 or STAT 200

  • 3
    credits

    Family functions over the life course; family from a multidisciplinary perspective, emphasizing adaptation and change.

    • Prerequisite

      HDFS 129 or 3 credits in social, behavioral, or human biological sciences

  • 3
    credits

    Dynamics of family interaction; effects of parenthood, sibling and intergeneration relationships on family solidarity.

    • Prerequisite

      HDFS 312W and (HDFS 315Y or HDFS 315W)

Additional Courses for the Major (13 credits)

Human Development Courses (select 6 credits)

  • 3
    credits

    Theory, research, and methods of social/behavioral/biological sciences related to developmental processes and intervention during infancy and childhood.

  • 3
    credits

    Social, behavioral, and biological development and intervention throughout adolescence.

  • 3
    credits

    Physiological, psychological, and social development and intervention from young adulthood through old age.

United States Cultures and STAT 200 (7 credits)

Select 3 credits of United States Cultures.

  • 4
    credits

    Descriptive Statistics, frequency distributions, probability and normal distributions, statistical inference, linear regression, and correlation.

    • Prerequisite

      2 units of algebra

Prescribed Courses for the Life Span Human Services Option (9 credits)

  • 3
    credits

    Theory and research related to interpersonal conditions which facilitate personal growth; intensive interpersonal competency training.

    • Prerequisite

      (HDFS 311 and HDFS 312W) or 6 credits in human development and family studies or psychology

  • 3
    credits

    Strategies for, and roles of professional specialists in, the solution of problems in human development and family functioning.

    • Prerequisite

      HDFS 312W and 6 credits in human development and family studies or psychology

  • 3
    credits

    Fundamentals of program development and administration of human service programs in community settings; emphasis given to program content, strategies, and the overall planning process.

    • Prerequisite

      HDFS 311

Additional Courses for the Life Span Human Services Option (35 credits)

Human Development Courses (9 credits)

Select 6 credits from 300- or 400-level HDFS courses and select 3 credits from the following list of courses:

    • 3
      credits

      Conceptual analysis, assessment, and empirical investigation of normal and deviant development, prenatal through first two years of life.

      • Prerequisite

        (HDFS 229 or PSYCH 212) and HDFS 312W

    • 3
      credits

      Processes of development during childhood from birth to adolescence. Emphasis on theory, method, and empirical research.

      • Prerequisite

        (HDFS 229 or PSYCH 212) and HDFS 312W

    • 3
      credits

      Conceptual analysis and empirical investigation of interrelationships between developmental processes during the period of pubertal growth.

      • Prerequisite

        HDFS 239 and HDFS 312W

    • 3
      credits

      Processes of development and change of behavior from early adulthood through old age, emphasizing theory, method, and empirical research.

      • Prerequisite

        HDFS 249 and (HDFS 312W or PSYCH 301W) and (PSYCH 200 or STAT 200 or 3 credits of statistics) and (6 credits in HDFS or PSYCH or SOC)

Field Practice in Human Service Setting (14 credits)

  • 2
    credits

    Planning and preparation for field experience in human service setting. Analysis of human service system and arrangement of site.

    • Prerequisite

      HDFS 312W; approval by internship coordinator.

    • Prerequisite or concurrent

      HDFS 411

  • 9
    credits

    Full-time, one semester experiential training in human service settings.

    • Prerequisite

      HDFS 490 and HDFS 301 and HDFS 455 and permission of internship director

  • 3
    credits

    Implementation of internship projects or scholarly paper.

    • Prerequisite or concurrent

      HDFS 495A

Supporting Courses and Related Areas (12 credits)

Select 12 credits (minimum of 6 credits at the 400 level) in consultation with your adviser from University-wide offerings that develop competency in the option (a grade of C or better is required in any HDFS course taken to satisfy this requirement).

General Education Requirements

Some General Education requirements may be satisfied by courses required for the major. Students should work with an adviser to select courses.

  • Arts (GA): 6 credits
  • Humanities (GH): 6 credits
  • Health and Wellness (GHW): 3 credits
  • Natural Sciences (GN): 9 credits
  • Social and Behavioral Sciences (GS): 6 credits
  • Writing and Speaking (GWS): 9 credits
    A student must receive a grade of C or better in GWS courses.
  • Quantification (GQ): 6 credits
    A student must receive a grade of C or better in GQ courses.
  • Integrative Studies: 6 credits
    This requirement only applies to students starting in summer 2018 or later. Learn more about the Integrative Studies options and consult your academic adviser when choosing courses to fulfill these requirements. Integrative Studies credits may be completed within the thirty Knowledge Domain credits and must be completed with either Inter-domain or Linked courses, not a combination of both.

Course Availability

If you're ready to see when your courses will be offered, visit our public LionPATH course search (opens in new window) to start planning ahead.

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