Human Development and Family Science B.S. (Individual and Family Development Across the Lifespan)

Program Overview

The Human Development and Family Science program with a concentration in Individual and Family Development Across the Lifespan offers a comprehensive understanding of human development throughout the lifespan. It equips students with knowledge and skills for working with individuals and families, preparing them for careers in various settings, including family and social service agencies, afterschool programs, and older adult support programs. The program emphasizes exploration of developmental theories, human development, and the impact of cultural and socioeconomic factors on family relationships.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

This program is a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Human Development and Family Science with a concentration in Individual and Family Development Across the Lifespan. It is offered on campus and takes approximately 4 years to complete, requiring 120 credit hours. The program aims to promote the healthy development of individuals across the lifespan by exploring the science of development across the life span of relationships within children, adolescence, adulthood, and aging.

Objectives:

• To provide students with a comprehensive understanding of human development across the lifespan.
• To equip students with the knowledge and skills necessary to work with families and individuals of all ages.
• To prepare students for careers in a variety of settings, including family and social service agencies, afterschool programs, and older adult support programs.

Careers:

Career areas include:

• Relationship and parenting education
• Afterschool/youth development programs
• Cooperative Extension
• Military youth and family services
• Crisis shelters and centers
• Foster care and adoption
• Older adult support programs
• Family/social service agencies
• Child/family policy analysis and advocacy
• Refugee and immigrant support programs

Other:

• This concentration is a great option for students interested in human development across the lifespan who want to work with families and/or individuals (of any age) but not necessarily within a classroom setting that requires a teaching credential.
• During your first semesters in the program, you will learn about:
• Career options related to Human Development and Family Science
• Developmental and family theories used to guide research
• Human development
• Observation and assessment of human beings
• Marketable Skills:
• Apply knowledge to practice
• Multicultural/diversity competencies
• Teamwork
• Oral and written communication
• Explore the impact of gender, socioeconomics, race/ethnicity, culture, and immigrant status on human development and family relationships.
• Learn about the types of variation in human growth and change.
• Examine how individuals and families function and develop over the lifespan.
• Courses You Could Take:
• Courtship and Marriage (3 hrs)
• Family Resource Management (3 hrs)
• Current Research in Family Science (3 hrs)
• Family Life and Human Sexuality (3 hrs)
• Psychology of Adult Development and Aging (3 hrs)
• The Impact of Culture on Individuals and Families (3 hrs)