Mar 28, 2024  
Catalog 2020-2021 
    
Catalog 2020-2021 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Human Development and Family Science, Minor


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The Human Development and Family Science (HDFS) Minor focuses on developmental change and processes in infants, children, adolescents and adults. You study psychological growth, cognitive development and complexity, emotional factors, and physical changes across the lifespan and within the context of families.

Through this minor, you gain subject matter expertise in developmental processes ranging from infancy through adulthood and in a familial context. In addition, you obtain practice in how to apply theoretical information to dynamic fields. The focus of instruction in the minor is on practical and applied content.

The minor in Human Development and Family Science supports individuals interested in classroom teaching, preschool teaching, human services, family services, social work, gerontology, geriatrics, probation and other related careers. The HDFS minor can be used for the depth of study requirement in the Liberal Studies major.  In addition, the Human Development and Family Science minor provides evidence of expertise for majors such as Psychology, Social and Behavioral Sciences, Collaborative Health and Human Services, Biology, and others. In addition to your major, the minor in Human Development and Family Science is a marketing tool for students, demonstrating skills in understanding human growth and development and family science.

Required Courses


Please note: Twelve of the units taken to complete a minor (6 of which are upper division) may not be used in fulfillment of other minors, concentrations, or major requirements.  This minor is not available for HDFS majors.

Learning Outcomes


Theories of Development and Family Science

Students utilize the major theories of human development and distinguish major psychological, cognitive, emotional, physical and environmental changes that take place over multiple phases of the lifespan and within and across families.

Focused Developmental Application in Human Development and Family Science

Students refine theoretical understandings of developmental inquiry to a specific phase in the lifespan, context of development, or concepts and issues in family science.

Situated Environments of Human Development and Family Science

Students contextualize developmental and familial issues within a cross-disciplinary and macro-level framework.

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