What can I do with a Human Development and Family Sciences degree?
A degree in Human Development and Family Sciences (HDFS) can prepare you for careers in counseling, education/early childhood education, community and social services, healthcare, government/policy, and business related to individual and family development over the lifespan. Planning a career path often begins with what people do in their jobs (e.g., teach), but students often pick a major because they want to work with a particular population (e.g., at-risk adolescents or older adults) without knowing specific jobs connected to this population. This website for a podcast on HDFS Careers may also be helpful as you start considering your options. After graduation, many alumni continue their education in graduate or professional school, earning credentials needed to become counselors, marriage and family therapists, social workers, teachers, nurses/physicians, occupational therapists, attorneys, advocates, and more. If you are interested in graduate work, whether within HDFS or in a related field, you will need to plan your undergraduate courses carefully to align with any needed prerequisites for a given graduate program (please note in the menus below, italics indicate options that may benefit from additional training, certification, licensure, or graduate education). Career trajectories that leverage HDFS areas of study are infinite and this list is not all-encompassing, but can help get you started on your career development journey and inspire you to explore the possibilities!CAREER PATHS
An HDFS background is useful for a wide range of professional trajectories. Check out these ideas and explore your options!
Note: in the menus below, italics indicate options that may benefit from additional training, certification, licensure, or graduate education
Helping & Human Services
Child & Adolescent Development
Child psychologist, addictions counselor, adoption agency social worker, home visitors (Early Head Start), youth development/recreation coordinator, career counselor
Adulthood, Aging, & Gerontology
Senior services, rehabilitation counselor (speech, occupational, or physical therapists), senior center/retirement community director or service coordinator, gerontology social worker
Family & Close Relationships
Marriage and family therapist, couples’ counselor
Diversity & Social Contexts
Community services manager, fair housing coordinator
Health, Wellbeing, & Prevention
Clinical social worker, nutritionist, oncology social worker, rehabilitation counselor, outreach worker, social and human service assistants, social and community service managers
RELEVANT ELECTIVES
3101. Infant and Toddler Development
3102. Early and Middle Childhood Development
3103. Adolescent Development
3110. Social and Community Influence on Children in the United States
3120. Introduction to Programs for Young Children
3122. Integrated Curriculum Methods and Materials for Infants and Toddlers
3123. Integrated Curriculum Methods and Materials for Preschool and Kindergarten
3127. Professional Development and Advocacy in Early Childhood
3141. Developmental Approaches to Intergroup Relations and Victimization
3180. Programs for Young Children: Introductory Laboratory
3181. Observing Infant and Toddler Development
3182. Observing Early Childhood Development
3183. Early Childhood Development and Education: Supervised Fieldwork Practicum
3240. Aging in American Society
3240W. Aging in American Society
3249. Gender And Aging
3250. Disabilities: A Lifespan Perspective
3251. Biotechnology, Disability and the Family
3252. Death, Dying, and Bereavement
3261. Men and Masculinities
3277. Issues in Human Sexuality
3310. Parent Child Relations in Cross-Cultural Perspective
3311. Parenthood and Parenting
3319. Risk and Resilience in Individuals and Families
3340. Individual and Family Interventions
3342. Family Resource Management
3343. Family Life Education
3420. Abuse and Violence in Families
3421. Low Income Families
3423. History of the Family
3425. Food and the American Family
3430. The Family-School Partnership
3431. Families and Work
3442. Latino Health and Health Care
3473. Asian-Pacific American Families
3510. Planning and Managing Human Service Programs
3520. Legal Aspects of Family Life
3530. Public Policy and the Family
3540. Child Welfare, Law and Social Policy
3550. Comparative Family Policy
Teaching & Education
Child & Adolescent Development
Preschool teacher, high school teacher, camp director, birth-to-3 home visitor, curriculum development, school counselor
Adulthood, Aging, & Gerontology
Adult literacy/ education, recreation programming coordinator, community educator
Family & Close Relationships
Family & consumer sciences teacher, certified family life educator
Diversity & Social Contexts
Diversity training manager, history teacher, educational consultant
Health, Wellbeing, & Prevention
Health educator, prevention educator, nutrition educator
RELEVANT ELECTIVES
3101. Infant and Toddler Development
3102. Early and Middle Childhood Development
3103. Adolescent Development
3120. Introduction to Programs for Young Children
3122. Integrated Curriculum Methods and Materials for Infants and Toddlers
3123. Integrated Curriculum Methods and Materials for Preschool and Kindergarten
3127. Professional Development and Advocacy in Early Childhood
3430. The Family-School Partnership
FACULTY CONTACTS
Policy, Advocacy, & Law
Child & Adolescent Development
Child advocate, early childhood policy advocate, human services coordinator, juvenile court clinician, guardian ad litem
Adulthood, Aging, & Gerontology
Estate attorney or financial planner, elder law, ADA coordinator, elder law
Family & Close Relationships
Family law, nonprofit program coordinator, lawmaker
Diversity & Social Contexts
Nonprofit outreach coordinator (e.g., Anti-Defamation League), consultant
Health, Wellbeing, & Prevention
Health insurance agent, hospital advocacy
RELEVANT ELECTIVES
3110. Social and Community Influence on Children in the United States
3249. Gender And Aging
3250. Disabilities: A Lifespan Perspective
3251. Biotechnology, Disability and the Family
3319. Risk and Resilience in Individuals and Families
3420. Abuse and Violence in Families
3421. Low Income Families
3431. Families and Work
3510. Planning and Managing Human Service Programs
3520. Legal Aspects of Family Life
3530. Public Policy and the Family
3540. Child Welfare, Law and Social Policy
3550. Comparative Family Policy01. Infant and Toddler Development
FACULTY CONTACTS
Business
Child & Adolescent Development
Educational testing company, toy company, educational media, market research
Adulthood, Aging, & Gerontology
Retirement planning, travel & tourism, financial advisor, business & financial product designer, market research
Family & Close Relationships
Human resources, financial advisor, market research
Diversity & Social Contexts
Public relations, DEI specialist, accommodations coordinator
Health, Wellbeing, & Prevention
Insurance industry, drug companies, benefits manager, health care analyst, hospital/managed care administrator
RELEVANT ELECTIVES
3310. Parent Child Relations in Cross-Cultural Perspective
3342. Family Resource Management
3431. Families and Work
3510. Planning and Managing Human Service Programs
FACULTY CONTACTS
Health Professions
Child & Adolescent Development
Pediatrician or other health care provider, speech pathologist, early interventionist
Adulthood, Aging, & Gerontology
Gerontologist or other health & long- term care provider, hospice worker, mental health counselor, nutritionist, patient advocate
Family & Close Relationships
Child life specialist, licensed marriage and family therapist, licensed clinical social worker, nutritional aide, family medicine
Diversity & Social Contexts
Community-clinic doctor, health advocate, health care coordinator
Health, Wellbeing, & Prevention
Nurse, doctor or other healthcare provider, licensed professional counselor, clinical counselor, clinical psychologist, sexuality counselor, recreational therapist
RELEVANT ELECTIVES
3101. Infant and Toddler Development
3102. Early and Middle Childhood Development
3103. Adolescent Development
3141. Developmental Approaches to Intergroup Relations and Victimization
3250. Disabilities: A Lifespan Perspective
3251. Biotechnology, Disability and the Family
3252. Death, Dying, and Bereavement
3261. Men and Masculinities
3277. Issues in Human Sexuality
3310. Parent Child Relations in Cross-Cultural Perspective
3311. Parenthood and Parenting
3319. Risk and Resilience in Individuals and Families
3340. Individual and Family Interventions
3420. Abuse and Violence in Families
3425. Food and the American Family
3442. Latino Health and Health Care
3473. Asian-Pacific American Families
4255. Living with Chronic or Life-Threatening Illness
Research
Child & Adolescent Development
Adolescent researcher or project coordinator, survey methodologist
Adulthood, Aging, & Gerontology
Gerontology researcher or project coordinator, demographer, data scientist
Family & Close Relationships
Family sciences researcher or project coordinator, program analyst/evaluation specialist
Diversity & Social Contexts
Researcher at government agency or project coordinator, IRB/Regulatory manager
Health, Wellbeing, & Prevention
Public health researcher, environmental health researcher, clinical research coordinator
RELEVANT ELECTIVES
3092. Research Practicum in Human Development and Family Sciences
4004. Senior Seminar in Research Methods