The Bachelor of Arts in Human Development and Family Studies focuses on the classic and contemporary theories of human life development from infancy through adulthood including family and societal issues.
In addition, courses in the program can help you prepare to pursue these certifications:
- Certified Family Life Educator (CFLE®) sponsored by the National Council on Family Relations. To qualify for the academic portion of the CFLE, you’ll need to complete all core requirements as well as these specific courses:
- CHFD220 - Human Sexuality
- CHFD350 - Family Life Education
- CHFD360 - Family Resource Management
- CHFD348 - Marriage and the Family
- CHFD445 - Family Communications
- CHFD446 - Families and Social Action
- CHFD498 - Senior Seminar in Child and Family Development
NOTE – There is a work experience requirement for full certification by the CFLE which the University does not provide. More information is available at the CFLE website: https://www.ncfr.org/cfle-certification/become-certified/cfle-approved-application.
- Certified Child Life Specialist (CCLS®) sponsored by the Association for Child Life Professionals. To qualify for the academic portion of the CCLS, you’ll need to complete all core requirements as well as these specific courses:
- HDFS401 - Child Life Theory and Practice
- HDFS402 - Benefits of Therapeutic Play
- HDFS403 - Death, Dying and Grief
- CHFD340 - Family Development
- Child Development Associate (CDA®) certification sponsored by the Early Childhood Education Training Institution and the Council for Professional Recognition. Courses in the program can help you prepare to pursue the CDA certification sponsored by the Early Childhood Education Training Institution and the Council for Professional Recognition by providing the required academic requirements for that certification. There are additional requirements regarding clinical hours that the University does not provide and students must secure their own placement. Additional information on those clinical requirements can be found at www.childlife.org.
Important note: This bachelor’s degree does not award professional licensure and does not qualify you to apply for a teaching licensure. In addition, individual states often require additional hands-on training, internships, or site visits not provided by our University. Students are encouraged to become familiar with all licensure/certification requirements in the state in which they plan to seek possible employment.
CFLE® is a registered trademark of the National Council on Family Relations.
CCLS® is a registered trademark of the Child Life Council.
CDA® is a registered trademark of the Council for Professional Recognition.
Degree Program Objectives
In addition to the institutional and degree level learning objectives, graduates of this program are expected to achieve these learning outcomes:
- Demonstrate fluency in the terminology, tools, and methods used in the field of child and family development.
- Describe the contributions of multiple theories or practices to the field of child and family development, both within and across disciplines.
- Demonstrate the ability to synthesize multiple information sources and points of view into a discussion of major child and family development issues.
- Present a project or paper linking knowledge from work, community, or research activities with knowledge acquired in the study of child and family development.
- Explain diverse perspectives on contested issues in child and family development, including an articulation of how these issues might be addressed in social, political, or personal settings.
Degree at a Glance
Code | Title | Semester Hours |
---|---|---|
General Education Requirements | 30 | |
Major Required | 36 | |
General Concentration | 27 | |
Final Program Requirements | 3 | |
Elective Requirements | 24 | |
Total Semester Hours | 120 |
Degree Program Requirements
General Education Requirements (30 semester hours)
Code | Title | Semester Hours |
---|---|---|
Arts and Humanities (6 semester hours) 1 | ||
Select 2 courses from the following: | 6 | |
Arabic I | ||
Arabic II | ||
Art Appreciation | ||
Survey of Photography | ||
Film and Literature | ||
Image Enhancement using Adobe Photoshop® | ||
French I | ||
French II | ||
German I | ||
German II | ||
Introduction to Japanese | ||
Literature of American Encounters, Revolution, and Rebellion | ||
From Abolition to #MeToo: Literature of the American Civil Rights Movement | ||
Pivotal Figures in Early British Literature | ||
British Literature from Wordsworth through the Wasteland | ||
Leadership in World Literature: Antiquity to the Early Modern Period | ||
Literature of the Newly Globalized World: The Individual’s Struggle to Adapt | ||
Music Appreciation | ||
Jazz and Rock | ||
World Music and Cultures | ||
Introduction to Philosophy | ||
Critical Thinking | ||
Introduction to Ethics | ||
Philosophy of Science | ||
Introduction to Brazilian Portuguese | ||
Introduction to the Study of Religion | ||
Introduction to World Religions | ||
Russian I | ||
Spanish I | ||
Spanish II | ||
Thinking and Acting Ethically | ||
Civics, Political and Social Sciences (6 semester hours) 1 | ||
Select 2 courses from the following: | 6 | |
Introduction to Anthropology | ||
World Archaeology | ||
Introduction to Cultural Anthropology | ||
Human Sexuality | ||
Planning Your Future with Purpose in Humanities & Education | ||
Social Media and Society | ||
Intercultural Communication | ||
Microeconomics | ||
Macroeconomics | ||
Humane Education: A Global Interdisciplinary Perspective | ||
Introduction to Geography | ||
Practical Food Safety and Awareness | ||
International Relations I | ||
Forgotten America--Under Represented Cultures in American Literature | ||
Introduction to Political Science | ||
American Government I | ||
Introduction to Psychology | ||
Death and Dying | ||
Race & Religion | ||
Hope and Resilience | ||
Introduction to Sociology | ||
Social Problems | ||
American Popular Culture | ||
Exploring Society and Cultures via Science Fiction | ||
Communication: Writing, Oral, and Multimedia (9 semester hours) | ||
COMM120 | Information and Digital Literacy | 3 |
ENGL110 | Making Writing Relevant | 3 |
ENGL101 | Proficiency in Writing | 3 |
History | ||
Select 1 course from the following: | 3 | |
American History to 1877 | ||
American History since 1877 | ||
World Civilization before 1650 | ||
World Civilization since 1650 | ||
Western Civilization before The Thirty Years War | ||
Western Civilization since The Thirty Years War | ||
African-American History before 1877 | ||
African-American History since 1877 | ||
History of the American Indian | ||
History of Science | ||
The History and Context of STEM | ||
Mathematics and Applied Reasoning (3 semester hours) | ||
Select 1 course from the following: | 3 | |
Accounting I | ||
Accounting for Non Accounting Majors | ||
Fundamentals of Programming | ||
College Algebra | ||
College Trigonometry | ||
Pre-Calculus | ||
Introduction to Statistics | ||
Math for Liberal Arts Majors | ||
Calculus | ||
Natural Sciences (3 semester hours) | ||
Select 1 course from the following: | 3 | |
Introduction to Biology | ||
Introduction to Human Anatomy and Physiology | ||
Introduction to Chemistry | ||
Introduction to Meteorology | ||
Introduction to Geology | ||
Introduction to Environmental Science | ||
Introduction to Physics | ||
Introduction to Astronomy | ||
Introduction to STEM Disciplines | ||
Total Semester Hours | 30 |
1 | All literature courses require successful completion of ENGL101 - Proficiency in Writing or ENGL110 - Making Writing Relevant. |
Major Required (36 semester hours)
Code | Title | Semester Hours |
---|---|---|
CHFD215 | Introduction to Child Development | 3 |
CHFD220 | Human Sexuality | 3 |
CHFD225 | Introduction to the American Family | 3 |
CHFD307 | Child and Adolescent Development | 3 |
CHFD308 | Infant-Toddler Development | 3 |
CHFD331 | Parenting | 3 |
CHFD340 | Family Development | 3 |
CHFD342 | Human Life Span Development | 3 |
MATH120 | Introduction to Statistics | 3 |
PSYC101 | Introduction to Psychology | 3 |
SOCI331 | Research Methods for Sociology | 3 |
SOCI332 | Statistics for Social Science | 3 |
Total Semester Hours | 36 |
General Concentration (27 semester hours)
A general concentration allows you to take courses across a number of areas of study within your program based on your own interests.
Code | Title | Semester Hours |
---|---|---|
Child Development | ||
Select 5 courses from the following: | 15 | |
Childhood Educational Development | ||
Infant and Toddler Programs | ||
Child Welfare and Advocacy | ||
Guidance in Early Childhood | ||
Special Needs Students | ||
Child Psychopathology | ||
Children and Stress | ||
Observation Techniques | ||
Child Life Theory and Practice | ||
Benefits of Therapeutic Play | ||
Death, Dying, and Grief | ||
Family Development | ||
Select 4 courses from the following: | 12 | |
Marriage and the Family | ||
Family Life Education | ||
Family Resource Management | ||
Family Communications | ||
Families and Social Action | ||
Adult Development | ||
Gender and Society | ||
Transition and the Military Family | ||
Total Semester Hours | 27 |
Final Program Requirements (3 semester hours)
Code | Title | Semester Hours |
---|---|---|
CHFD498 | Senior Seminar in Child and Family Development 1 | 3 |
Total Semester Hours | 3 |
1 | Prerequisite: Senior Standing and completion of all major courses prior to enrollment. |
Elective Requirements (24 semester hours)
Code | Title | Semester Hours |
---|---|---|
Select any courses not already taken to fulfill the requirements listed above. Credits applied toward a minor or certificate in an unrelated field may be used to fulfill elective credit for the major. | 24 | |
Total Semester Hours | 24 |