Human Development and Family Studies, Minor

What is Human Development and Family Studies?

The minor in Human Development and Family Studies helps you understand human behavior, learn how people relate to one another and learn how to make a difference in their lives. HDFS takes an interdisciplinary approach to helping you understand how individuals develop and change from birth to old age, how families and communities influence individual development, and how you can apply this knowledge to develop, implement and evaluate interventions designed to improve the lives of individuals and families. You will explore the biological, psychological, and sociological facets of life in order to learn how to develop, implement and evaluate interventions designed to improve the lives of individuals and families.

You Might Like This Program If...

You want to understand how individuals develop and change from birth to old age, how families and communities influence individual development, and how to apply this knowledge to improve the lives of individuals and families.
You plan to pursue a career in which knowledge about individual and family development can be useful, such as human services, health professions (speech pathology, occupational therapy, nursing, medicine) education and business (marketing, human resources).

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT HUMAN DEVELOPMENT AND FAMILY STUDIES

Program Requirements

Program Requirements
Requirement	Credits
Requirements for the Minor	18

Requirements for the Minor

A grade of C or better is required for all courses in the minor, as specified by Senate Policy 59-10.

Course List
Code	Title	Credits
Prescribed Courses
Prescribed Courses: Require a grade of C or better
HDFS 129	Introduction to Human Development and Family Studies	3
Supporting Courses and Related Areas
Supporting Courses and Related Areas: Require a grade of C or better
Select 9 credits of HDFS courses		9
Select 6 credits of 400-level HDFS courses		6

Academic Advising

The objectives of the university’s academic advising program are to help advisees identify and achieve their academic goals, to promote their intellectual discovery, and to encourage students to take advantage of both in-and out-of class educational opportunities in order that they become self-directed learners and decision makers.

Both advisers and advisees share responsibility for making the advising relationship succeed. By encouraging their advisees to become engaged in their education, to meet their educational goals, and to develop the habit of learning, advisers assume a significant educational role. The advisee’s unit of enrollment will provide each advisee with a primary academic adviser, the information needed to plan the chosen program of study, and referrals to other specialized resources.

READ SENATE POLICY 32-00: ADVISING POLICY

University Park

Sarah Krupp
Academic Adviser
119 Health and Human Development Building
University Park, PA 16802
814-865-1744
seg143@psu.edu

Altoona

Lauren P. Jacobson
Assistant Teaching Professor, Human Development and Family Studies
Hawthorn Building 123
3000 Ivyside Park
Altoona, PA 16601
814-949-5333
lpj100@psu.edu

DuBois

James Kuterbach
Human Development and Family Studies Program Coordinator
1 College Place
DuBois, PA, 15801
814-375-4852
jmk110@psu.edu

Fayette

Elaine S. Barry, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of HDFS and Program Coordinator for HDFS and Psyc
2201 University Drive
Lemont Furnace, PA 15456
724-430-4284
esb12@psu.edu

Harrisburg

Barbara Carl, Ph.D.
Program Coordinator
Olmsted Building, W314
Middletown, PA 17057
717-948-6386
bec109@psu.edu

Scranton

Janet Melnick
Teaching Professor
111B Dawson Building
Dunmore, PA 18512
570-963-2674
jam81@psu.edu

Shenango

Claudia Brown
Instructor
147 Shenango Avenue
101 McDowell Hall
Sharon, PA 16146
724-983-2979
cmb2@psu.edu

World Campus

Undergraduate Academic Advising
301 Outreach Building
University Park, PA 16802
814-863-3283
advising@outreach.psu.edu

York

Jean Marie St. Clair-Christman
Assistant Teaching Professor in HDFS / Field Coordinator
15 Romano Adminstration Building
York, PA 17403
717-771-4161
jxs176@psu.edu

Career Paths

Careers

The career paths of HDFS students vary, but generally, they fall into one of the categories below. Some jobs can be pursued with an HDFS minor, when combined with an appropriate major field of study, but others will require additional education, training or certification. See the more detailed career pages for each of the following career categories to learn more about how a degree in HDFS can support your career development plans:

Social work, counseling and psychology
Teaching and education
Advocacy and non-profit work
Business careers (marketing, development)
Health careers
Research

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT POTENTIAL CAREER OPTIONS FOR GRADUATES WITH A MINOR IN HUMAN DEVELOPMENT AND FAMILY STUDIES

Opportunities for Graduate Studies

The HDFS minor, when combined with an appropriate major field of study, can provide useful preparation for graduate school in the social, behavioral, and health sciences. In recent years, HDFS students have pursued graduate studies in: