The Human Development & Family Studies major focuses on human development from infancy through old age. Students will examine how family and community dynamics affect the development of individuals from a diverse range of backgrounds and life experiences. Through fieldwork, program evaluation, and service learning, students become prepared to work with children, youth, families, and elders in education or social service programs.

To learn more about the major, visit the Liberal Studies Department.

Special Requirements

AA-T and AS-T-certified students can earn a Human Development & Family Studies B.A. by completing the special requirements in the following programs:

All other HDFS majors, see below:

Standard Requirements

In order to graduate, you will also need to complete your general education and university requirements.

Complete all of the following core courses:

  • HDEV 300: Research Methods in HDFS (3 units)
  • HDEV 305L: Fieldwork in HDFS (2 units)
  • HDEV 380S: Service Learning Human Dev (2 units)
  • HDEV 400A: Pre-Capstone (1 units)
  • HDEV 400B: Capstone Seminar (3 units)
  • PANM 422: Program Development: Planning (2 units)
  • PANM 432: Program Development: Evaluation (2 units)

Complete nine (9) units total from the Phase-specific coursework in List A and List B:

List A

  • HDEV 356: Infancy and Early Childhood (3 units)
  • HDEV 358: Middle Childhood (3 units)

List B

Complete a minimum of six (6) units from the following Development in Context coursework:

  • HDEV 342: Human Development, Technology and the Media (3 units)
  • HDEV 344: Death and Dying (3 units)
  • HDEV 353: Cross-Cultural Human Development (3 units)
  • HDEV 355: Behavioral and Emotional Disorders of Childhood and Adolesence (3 units)
  • PSY 343: Development of Humor (3 units) and PSY 343L
  • PSY 344: Sports and Childhood (3 units) and PSY 344L

Complete a minimum of six (6) units from the following Family Studies coursework:

  • HDEV 310: Parenting Across Lifespan (3 units)
  • HDEV 315: Risk and Resiliency in Families (3 units)
  • HDEV 340: Close Relationships and Family Development (3 units)

Complete one of the following Interdisciplinary Health Science courses:

  • KIN 360: Nutritional Science (3 units)
  • KIN 363: Human Sexuality (3 units)

Human Development and Family Studies Content Knowledge

Students explain, interpret, and compare theories, research methods, concepts, processes, and implications of family processes, and physical, cognitive, and socio-emotional development across the lifespan.

Diversity in Human Development and Family Studies

Students apply HDFS Content Knowledge to interpret, compare, and analyze the diversity of lifespan development and family processes within real-life settings, and across local, national, and global contexts.

Human Development and Family Studies Integration and Application

Students integrate and apply HDFS Content and Diversity Knowledge to examine and evaluate solutions to real-world issues that impact the development of children, youth, adults, and families in their real-life everyday settings and contexts.

Human Development and Family Studies Professional Application

Students evaluate, critically analyze, and apply HDFS Content and Diversity Knowledge to develop effective and ethical professional skills and practices to serve and advocate for individuals and families in diverse, multicultural communities.

This pathway is one example of how you might complete all the requirements for your degree in an order that makes sense given prerequisites. It is meant to give you a general sense of what your education will look like. Your own unique situation and a number of other factors may mean your actual pathway is different. Perhaps you'll need an extra math or language class, or one of the courses we've listed isn't offered in a particular semester. Not to worry - there is flexibility built into the curriculum.

You'll want to work closely with an advisor and use the academic advisement report to take all that into account and develop a pathway that's customized for you. In the meantime, use this example as a starting point for choosing classes or discussing your plans with an advisor.

Your advisor is your best resource when it comes to figuring out how to fit all the courses you need, in the right sequence, into your personal academic plan.

Fall Freshman

* This FYS class is just an example. The FYS class you choose might meet a different GE area, so you would have to adjust your actual pathway accordingly.

Spring Freshman

Fall Sophomore

Spring Sophomore

Fall Junior

Spring Junior

Fall Senior

Spring Senior

This pathway is one example of how you might complete all the requirements for your degree in an order that makes sense given prerequisites. It is meant to give you a general sense of what your education will look like. Your own unique situation and a number of other factors may mean your actual pathway is different. Perhaps you'll need an extra math or language class, or one of the courses we've listed isn't offered in a particular semester. Not to worry, there is flexibility built into the curriculum.

You'll want to work closely with an advisor and use the academic advisement report to take all that into account and develop a pathway that's customized for you. In the meantime, use this example as a starting point for choosing classes or discussing your plans with an advisor.

Your advisor is your best resource when it comes to figuring out how to fit all the courses you need, in the right sequence, into your personal academic plan.

Fall Junior

Spring Junior

Fall Senior

Spring Senior