About the Human Development and Family Studies Bachelor’s Program
From a foundation of research and theory, this degree focuses on development across the life span (prenatal to late adulthood) in the context of couple, marriage, family, and peer relationships. This program focuses on intrapersonal (e.g., personality, cognition), interpersonal (e.g., relationship conflict, self-disclosure), and societal (e.g., race-ethnicity, social class) forces as they affect personal and family well-being.
Many courses offer perspectives on interpersonal and family behavior through development of the infant, child, adolescent, young adult (courtship, early marriage), middle-aged adult (divorce-remarriage, parenthood), and older adult (widowhood, grandparenthood). Some courses also focus on important social issues that affect individual and family functioning (e.g., violence). Courses at the upper-division level provide professional training for students seeking employment in such diverse occupations as family life educator, extension service specialist, probation officer, child development specialist, or child care administrator.
With respect to certifications, students may choose courses in HDFS for career certifications such as Child Life Specialist, Certified Family Life Educator, FCSE Post- Baccalaureate Teacher Certification, etc. See an advisor for specific courses.
Service and research skills are also enhanced by opportunities to observe and interact with infants, toddlers, and young children in the Child Development Research Center and TTU Early Head Start. The centers are accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. Students are required to pass a background check before working in these areas. Supervised experiences with community groups provide opportunities for interaction with older children, adolescents, couples, families, and elderly adults. These experiences assist students in understanding developmental stages of human behavior and interpersonal relations as they occur in family or group care settings.
Enrollment in the department is based on a 2.5 GPA. To continue enrolling in human development and family studies courses, students must maintain a GPA that meets or exceeds this standard. In addition, transfer students must have a 2.5 GPA.
Communication Literacy Requirement. Successfully working with young children and families in a childcare or classroom setting requires many different forms of communication. Students who compete this online degree will have opportunities to foster appropriate adult child relationships as well as supporting children in their relationships with their peers and maintaining strong communication between the classroom/childcare center and the child’s caregiver. As students complete their course requirements, they will develop skills for and receive feedback on their writing and communication skills for various audiences including administrators, practitioners, caregivers and children and will complete both informal and formal assessment reports. The Early Child Care Communication Literacy courses are uniquely designed to help prepare graduates to communicate successfully in their professional careers working with children and families in a mobile society. The CL courses for this program are HDFS 3310 (interpersonal/dyadic /small group), HDFS 3312 (interpersonal/dyadic/small group), and HDFS 3686 (community/organizational/spoken).
Undergraduate students may want to focus in one or more of the following areas:
Intimate and Family Relationships
