(-) Undergraduate
Child or Adolescent Science/Studies - Doctoral
(-) Child or Adolescent Science/Studies - Undergraduate
Community - Doctoral
Community - Master's
Counseling (Child, Couples, or Family) - Doctoral
Counseling (Child, Couples, or Family) - Master's
Early Childhood - Doctoral
Early Childhood - Master's
Older Adults (Gerontology) - Doctoral
Therapy (Couples, Marriage, or Family) - Doctoral
The School of Family and Consumer Sciences (FACS) prepares professionals who support families and individuals in meeting their human needs in the context of lifespan development. Approximately 600 undergraduate and 60 graduate students are enrolled in FACS degree programs in the areas of Human Development and Family Sciences, Hospitality and Tourism Management, and Fashion Merchandising. The programs are based on an interdisciplinary approach, drawing upon the behavioral sciences, natura sciences, and the humanities. Students learn theories and their application to professions in nonprofit organizations, private practice, government, education, and business. All out-of-state students attending Northern Illinois University are able to enroll in all courses at in-state tuition rates.
Undergraduate Program in Human Development and Family Sciences (B.S.)
Students in the Human Development and Family Sciences (B.S.) program are prepared for a variety of family and child serving careers and/or future graduate study. Students may choose from three emphases including Family and Individual Development, Family Social Services or Child Development and may complete NCFR approved coursework needed for becoming a Certified Family Life Educator (CFLE). Students in the Family Social Services emphasis may pursue coursework in preparation for taking the Illinois Child Welfare Licensing (CWEL) exam through a partnership with the Illinois Department of Child and Family Services. Each emphasis provides students with real world experience through both practicums, internships and undergraduate research activities. Students enrolled in the Human Development and Family Sciences program may participate in both the local student NCFR and NAEYC affiliates.
Graduate Program in Human Development and Family Sciences (M.S.)
Master's graduates are prepared for advanced practice and professional leadership as well as pursuit of doctoral work. The M.S. in Applied Human Development and Family Sciences (AHDFS) provides professional career enhancement for programming and administration in family social services and child development settings in for-profit, community and governmental agencies as well as the foundation needed for graduate work at the doctoral level. Career settings include youth work, gerontology, child life programs in hospitals, infant and child care programs, family support services, family life, and parenting education programs. Students that enroll in AHDFS's COAMFTE accredited Specialization in Marriage and Family Therapy are trained to become professional marriage and family therapists. Students that enroll in AHDFS's Specialization in Leadership in Aging Studies are trained for employment in applied settings including becoming licensed nursing home administrators. Many students in the AHDFS program receive financial support in the form of Graduate Assistantships.
The Family Science and Human Development Department provides students with a greater understanding of multiple ways of knowing families and children in various contexts. It enables students to critically analyze the literature and to keep abreast of trends in research. The faculty creates a learning environment that supports and encourages the development of forward thinking practitioners and educators who work with families and children in a variety of settings. The department of Family and Child Studies examines multiple ways of knowing families and individuals over the life course in various socio-cultural contexts. Power, diversity, and social justice are analyzed through an interdisciplinary and critical approach.
The Department of Behavioral Sciences offers students a broad-based liberal education, enabling them to function effectively in a world of rapid change, in careers in such fields as government, business, mental health, child care, and social services. The Department provides students with skills and strategies to understand individual and group behavior, to learn how to relate well to others, and to understand the relationships between social problems and the social environment. As one of the most diverse academic units on campus, the department offers courses in a variety of disciplines concerned with human behavior: anthropology; child care; human development and family studies; marriage and family therapy; psychology; sociology; and criminal justice. The Department has numerous resources including the Institute for Social and Policy Research, Couple and Family Therapy Center, and Riley Child Center.
The Family Studies and Social Work Department (FSW) is committed to the advancement of scientific knowledge pertaining to communities, families, children, adolescents, and the elderly. FSW seeks to apply that knowledge for the fulfillment of human potential through the prevention, treatment, and amelioration of social problems, and a focus on family strengths. Recognizing the complexities of contemporary, globalized society, the department dedicates itself to undergraduate and graduate education, research, and public service. In this endeavor, the department is committed to the promotion of values, ethics, and competency by advocating for a society that respects the dignity and achievement of all communities, families, and individuals.
The Department offers comprehensive programs that cover all aspects of families throughout the life cycle: infancy, childhood, adolescence, emerging adulthood, midlife, and aging. The goal of the department is to provide an educational experience that promotes the integration of knowledge and professional practice from the fields of human development and family science. Primary objectives are to prepare researchers and scholars to generate knowledge about individual and family development and behavior over the life span, as well as educate professionals who will provide educational, counseling, and advocacy services needed for children and families to function more effectively. The department includes a marriage and family therapy clinic, a child development lab, and an extensive outreach program along with a considerable portfolio of funded research. This scientist-practitioner model reflects the goals of The University of Georgia, a flagship, Research I, land-grant institution integrating research and its application to enhance the quality of life for all citizens.
North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University
The Department of Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) prepares students for careers that focus on improving the quality of life of individuals and families. FCS offers baccalaureate degrees in Child Development and Family Studies, Fashion Merchandising and Design, Food and Nutritional Sciences, and Consumer Sciences. FCS offers the Masters of Arts in Teaching in: Child Development Early Education and Family Studies (BK Licensure) and Family and Consumer Sciences Education. FCS also offers a Masters in Science in Food and Nutritional Sciences.NCA&TSU students earning the Bachelor of Science degree in Child Development and Family Studies (CDFS) are eligible to use the Abbreviated Application for Certification in Family Life Education. During their studies, CDFS students are given a broad understanding of human development across the lifespan, family systems, parent-child relations, family financial planning, human resources management, and appropriate living environments. Academic training includes multiple field experiences and internships at our 5-Star Child Development Laboratory, and other institutions comprising childcare and early childhood settings, youth-programs, family serving agencies, military installations, and faith-based organizations. Leadership skills are developed through student involvement in department-based student organizations and participation in professional conferences. Graduates of the CDFS program are employed in settings including education, family service, Cooperative Extension, religion, healthcare, special-needs, military, and other industries involved in child development and family life education.
University of North Carolina–Greensboro
The Department of Human Development and Family Studies (HDFS), in the School of Health and Human Sciences at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, is committed to excellence in teaching, research, and service regarding human development and close relationships across the lifespan. Our objectives are to educate the next generation of HDFS professionals and scholars, to generate new knowledge, and to foster the well-being of individuals and families in their everyday lives.
As a premier HDFS department, we focus on the following areas: early care and education; child, youth, and family development; aging. Undergraduates can prepare for birth through kindergarten teacher licensure (as can our MEd graduate students) or focus on children's and adolescents' development in their diverse cultural, school, and family contexts. M.S. and doctoral students examine the biological, relational, early educational, social, and cultural foundations of development and their implications for families. The emphasis on "culture" includes not only different societies, but also within-society cultural groups, such as racial/ethnic and social class groups. We are committed to interdisciplinary study, diversity, and internationalization. Department Mission: The Department of Human Development and Family Studies seeks to enhance the quality of life for individuals across the lifespan within their diverse and changing relationships, families, social networks, and communities in varying contexts through (1) exceptional research and scholarship, (2) outstanding teaching and mentoring to prepare the next generation of professionals, and (3) active community engagement and intervention.
The family relations and human development graduate program is committed to the study, generation and application of research on human development, and the influences of family dynamics on development across the life course. Students are expected to undertake a program of study that develops a broad and sophisticated understanding of normal and dysfunctional development and/or family functioning. The aim is to prepare scholars and professionals with a perspective that is not only multidisciplinary but that also integrates theory, research, and the application of knowledge for the enhancement of individual or family development. The faculty represents a variety of academic backgrounds and professional expertise encompassing human development, sociology, psychology, early childhood education, family relations, gerontology, social work, and couple and family therapy.
The Department of Behavioral Sciences and Family Studies seeks to assist students in understanding human behavior and criminal behavior, child development, family relations and societal and cultural changes. In addition, the Department seeks to prepare students with intellectual and vocational skills to function in a variety of professional service occupations.
State University of New York–Oneonta
Human Ecology department has 15 full-time faculty and approximately 600 undergraduate students. The mission of the Human Ecology Department describes the interdisciplinary programs concerned with family well-being, human development and welfare, the human environment, and their interrelationships. The department takes an ecological perspective focusing on relationships between people and their environments, the development of human potential, and the formation of social goals. Graduates of the Department's academic programs are prepared for careers in the apparel and textiles, child and family studies, dietetics and nutrition, food service and restaurant administration, and positions that utilize the knowledge and skills of a the Human Ecology discipline, including Family Consumer Science Education.
Samford University
The Human Development and Family Science major recognizes the crucial role of families in society. The curriculum focuses on personal relationships and their connection to and impact on human living and development. The program continues to hold to their motto, "Enriching the lives of families through education, service and advocacy." Since 1999 the family studies curriculum has met the requirements for the Provisional Certified Family Life Educator (CFLE) designation awarded by the National Council on Family Relations (NCFR). The program is designed to prepare students for professional careers in the helping professions, in human service agencies, the non profit sector, or for graduate school and research. Career options include family life education, parenting education, helping professions, elder care services, family and social services, child development, youth ministry, and education. A significant portion of our students plan to attend a master's degree program in areas such as family law, social work, marriage and family therapy, counseling, early childhood education, occupational therapy and seminary.
The degree programs offered through the department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences are interdisciplinary, applied social science programs designed to prepare you to enter a career in research or academia, human services, youth professions, family life education, cooperative extension, or community development in a public, private, or nonprofit organization.
The Department of Human Development & Family Studies focuses its teaching, research, and outreach activities on the well-being and healthy development of individuals and families over the full span of life, including dynamic relations within the family as well as the family's interactions with other social institutions. The Department's undergraduate and graduate programs present a multidisciplinary understanding of individual and family development and change over the life span. Students are oriented to the broad social, cultural, and historical contexts within which families function, and how context is reflected in developmental variations related to issues of diversity such as family structure, race, gender, class, and ethnicity. Students are exposed to the study of how social policies and various types of social services affect families, family members, and the wider contexts in which families reside. At the graduate level, the Department awards an M.A. and Ph.D. in Human Development and Family Studies.
The Department of Human Development and Family Studies offers two majors. One in Early Childhood Education and one in Human Development and Family Studies. The major in Human Development and Family Studies has concentrations in Child Life, Family Studies, and Adolescence and Youth. The Department also offers a minor in Addictions in Families. The concentration in family studies provides an understanding of the development of the family system and the dynamics of family relationships. It leads to certification as a Family Life Educator by the National Council on Family Relations. This concentration prepares students to work in a variety of educational and enrichment programs such as parenting programs, family service agencies, industry, schools, social-service, churches, home economics, and 4-H extension. This concentration is also well suited for students interested in pursuing graduate degrees in marriage and family therapy as well as other areas in family studies.
The Department offers a master's degree in human development and family studies with concentrations in Human Development and Family Studies, Marriage and Family Therapy, and Parent and Family Life Education. The Parent and Family Life Education program leads to certification as a Family Life Educator by the National Council on Family Relations. The Department also collaborates with the Department of Psychology to offer doctoral study in Developmental Science.
The Department of Child and Family Studies prepares students at the undergraduate and graduate levels to become competent professionals and effective family members. Our primary areas of emphasis focus on children, youth, families, and early learning in diverse contexts. A central foundation for our programs is the idea that scientific inquiry provides the most effective means to improve the welfare of children, youth, and families.A notable feature of both our undergraduate and graduate programs is the opportunity for outreach and engagement experiences in area communities. Students complete intensive semester-long experiences in a wide range of community placements including mental health, medical facilities, public and private schools, and intervention programs. Students also have the opportunity to join a research team of faculty and students.
The mission of the Department of Human Development and Family Science is to educate future leaders and professionals to enrich the wellbeing of individuals, children, families, and communities through innovative teaching, research, service and community engagement. We offer students model teacher training in early childhood education and family and consumer sciences education with practicums and internships in our 5-Star, nationally accredited Child Development Center and local schools. We offer the only academic child life program in North Carolina, and we developed the first medical family therapy doctoral program in the nation. We maintain a family therapy clinic as part of the family therapy training program-the only such combination in the state. Our family and community services- family science concentration is an approved program for the Certified Family Life Educator credential through the National Council on Family Relations. All four undergraduate programs within the department are accredited by the American Associatin of Family and Consumer Sciences.
Purdue University's Department of Human Development and Family Studies (HDFS) is widely regarded as a leader in the study of children and families. The department contributes to the well being of individuals and families across the life course by generating knowledge; preparing graduates for research, teaching, leadership, and professional practice; and by strengthening the interconnections of research, practice, and policy. The Department offers academic programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Faculty conduct important research on a range of critical issues facing individuals and families in today's society. Through innovative outreach efforts, the department extends knowledge to policymakers, employers, professionals, and citizens in Indiana and beyond.
Harding University
The Department of Family and Consumer Sciences is a part of the College of Sciences at Harding University, a private liberal arts university in Searcy, AR. The Department offers the B.S. degree in Child Development, Child Life, Family and Consumer Sciences, Family and Consumer Sciences Education, Family Life Education; Fashion Merchandising, and, Nutrition and Dietetics. Approximately 150 students are enrolled in the Department with six full-time faculty and threeadjuncts. The Family Life Education Program is approved by the National Council on Family Relations. The Child Life Specialist program fulfills course requirements of the Association of Child Life Professionals for entry into a post-baccalaureate internship. The Didactic Nutrition and Dietetics Program is accredited by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Teacher licensure in the state of Arkansas is granted for graduates of the Family and Consumer Sciences Education program.
Family and Consumer Studies (FCS) is an interdisciplinary department where faculty and students examine how the social, economic, political, and physical environments affect families, individuals, communities, and consumers. The teaching, research, and service done in the Department focuses on expanding our understanding on how the welfare of individuals, and families in which they live, are affected by external forces and internal forces. As such, the Department emphasizes applied social science research and teaching with a strong public policy orientation.
The primary emphases of the department are human development and family processes within the context of larger sociocultural systems. The distinguishing feature of HDFS is this contextual focus. Individual lifespan development is viewed as transpiring within a web of close relationships/family relationships, and family systems are seen as both context for individual and interpersonal behaviors and as units nested in larger sociocultural environments. Our unique niche is a commitment to family diversity and a multicultural perspective in research, teaching, and service. In each of these areas, we focus on the diversity that characterizes human development within the family context. Because we define family diversity and multiculturalism broadly, our focus is on the multitude of ways that individuals within families may differ, including, but not limited to, race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, age, family structure, nationality, geographic location, and sexual orientation.
For decades Iowa State University's Department of Human Development and Family Studies has been investigating and teaching aspiring professionals how to help address the daily challenges of individuals and families. It combines a rich history of dedication to lifespan development and family issues with the pursuit of innovative strategies for the future. Its very existence centers on caring, thinking and planning for and about individuals and families. The department has a mission to have a positive impact on the quality of life for individuals and families across the lifespan, as well as for schools and communities through research,t eaching. As one of the top programs in the nation, nearly all graduates are employed within six months of graduation.
The School of Human Sciences provides education, research, and outreach programs related to human interaction and relation ships, early childhood, child life, youth, adult and family studies and teacher education in Family and Consumer Sciences and Agricultural Education. In addition, selected School programs focus on commerce, marketing and using technology for problem solving and designing programs and projects.
HDFS offers an interdisciplinary approach to individual and family development across the lifespan. As one of the premier departments of its kind, we focus on child and adolescent development, adult development and aging, biological aspects of human development, family studies, intervention research, and developmental research methods. The family studies emphasis focuses on the human family: its evolution, history, and function and on relationships among family members throughout the life cycle. Students study communication patterns, power, decision making, problem solving, and intergenerational relations. Students study links between individual and family behavior and the wider community, for example, the relationship among parental employment, family dynamics, and patterns of child development. Students also learn about family and social, economic, and race influences; gender relations; and cultural variation in family structure. Family studies is integrated in teaching and research with the other areas of the department, for example, combining family and developmental perspectives.