Human Development and Family Studies, B.S. (HFSAL)

Life Span Human Services Options

This major is a multidisciplinary program that examines the development of individuals and families across the lifespan. It enables students to prepare for professional, managerial, or scientific roles in health and human services professions, in public and nonprofit agencies, and in business and industry, as well as for advanced professional or graduate study. Students obtain a broad background in individual and family development across the lifespan. Courses emphasize biological, psychological, social/cultural, and economic aspects of development. Through coursework and undergraduate internships or research projects, students develop skills relevant to career objectives, such as counseling, human assessment, program planning and evaluation, and research.

The Life Span Human Services Option focuses on the acquisition and application of scientific knowledge about development and family functioning across the life span to enhance personal and family development. Courses emphasize:

  1. understanding the biological, psychological, and social development across the life span, and the structuring and functioning of families
  2. understanding basic theoretical and methodological issues
  3. the development of applied skills in intervention and evaluation, prevention, and the formulation of social policy

An approved field experience in a setting that serves children, youth, adults, or the aged is required for this option. Typical employment settings include preschools, daycare centers, hospital programs for children, youth, and families, institutional and community mental health programs for individuals and families, programs for abused or neglected children and adolescents, women's resource centers, human resources programs, employee assistance programs, nursing homes, area agencies on aging and other community settings for older adults, and public welfare and family service agencies. Typical postgraduate pursuits of students completing this option include graduate study in human development, family studies, psychology, or sociology, or advanced professional training in psychology, law, behavioral health, counseling, or social work.

Scheduling Recommendation by Semester Standing given like (Sem: 1-2)

GENERAL EDUCATION: 45 credits
(3-4 of these 45 credits are included in the REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MAJOR)
(See description of General Education in front of Bulletin.)

FIRST-YEAR SEMINAR:
(Included in ELECTIVES or GENERAL EDUCATION course selection)

UNITED STATES CULTURES AND INTERNATIONAL CULTURES:
(Included in ELECTIVES, GENERAL EDUCATION course selections, or REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MAJOR)

WRITING ACROSS THE CURRICULUM:
(Included in REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MAJOR)

ELECTIVES: 3-5 credits

REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MAJOR: 73-76 credits
(This includes 3-4 credits of General Education GQ courses.)

COMMON REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MAJOR (ALL OPTIONS): 30-31 credits

PRESCRIBED COURSES (18 credits)[1]
HD FS 129 GS(3), HD FS 301(3), HD FS 311(3), HD FS 312W(3)[35], HD FS 315 US(3)[93], HD FS 418(3) (Sem: 3-6)

ADDITIONAL COURSES (12-13 credits)[1]
Select 6 credits from HD FS 229 GS(3), HD FS 239 GS(3), HD FS 249 GS(3) (Sem: 1-4)
STAT 200 GQ(4) or EDPSY 101 GQ(3) (Sem: 1-4)
Select 3 credits of United States Cultures (US)[92] (Sem: 4-8)

REQUIREMENTS FOR THE OPTION: 43-45 credits

LIFE SPAN HUMAN SERVICES OPTION: (43-45 credits)

PRESCRIBED COURSES (9 credits)[1]
HD FS 411(3), HD FS 414(3), HD FS 455(3) (Sem: 5-8)

ADDITIONAL COURSES (22-24 credits)[1]
Select 3 credits from HD FS 428(3), HD FS 429(3), HD FS 433(3) or HD FS 445(3) (Sem: 5-8)
Select 6 credits from 300- or 400-level HD FS courses (Sem: 5-8)
Select 13-15 credits from (a) or (b)
(a) Approved field practice in a human service setting: HD FS 490(2), HD FS 495A(9), HD FS 495B(3) (Sem: 5-8)
(b) Approved group project or field practice in human service setting: HD FS 401(3), HD FS 402(4), HD FS 495C(6-8) (Sem: 5-8)

SUPPORTING COURSES AND RELATED AREAS (12 credits)
Select 12 credits (minimum of 6 credits at the 400 level) in consultation with adviser from University-wide offerings that develop competency in the option (a grade of C or better is required in any HD FS course taken to satisfy this requirement) (Sem: 5-8)

[1] A student enrolled in this major must receive a grade of C or better, as specified in Senate Policy 82-44.
[35] Honors students take HD FS 300H(3) and HD FS 310M(3) (an honors writing-intensive course) but they do not take HD FS 312W(3).
[92] This course is in addition to the 6 credits of United States Cultures and International Cultures.
[93] This course fulfills the University's United States Cultures requirement.