The Human Development and Family Science major prepares students to work with children, adults and families throughout their lifespan in a broad range of settings.
The program provides a thorough understanding of every major developmental period in life in multiple contexts from birth to adolescence, to working with mid-life and older adults.
The program provides a strong foundation for students who plan to go on to graduate school.
Choose Your Concentration
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Family and Community Services Concentration
This concentration prepares students to work with individuals and families in diverse settings, including human and social service agencies, as well as programs for children, adolescents, and young, mid-life, and older adults. Students learn about the nature of individual and family interactions, family dynamics, how individuals within the family contribute to and are shaped by these dynamics, and how broad societal contexts (e.g., schools, peers, gender, poverty) influence individual development and family functioning.
Careers:By studying varied developmental pathways, including those pathways characterized by stress and trauma, students will have the opportunity to acquire the professional skills necessary to work with individuals, couples, and families in a broad range of human service settings.
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Aging and Gerontology Studies Concentration
This concentration focuses on aging within the context of families, more specifically the implications, support needs, and outcomes for adults and their family members as they age and the quality of their relationships across the life course. Child and family studies students who choose this concentration will also receive an undergraduate gerontology certificate to help them better prepare for careers advocating for and helping older adults and their family members.
Careers:With this concentration, students typically seek employment working with mid-to-later life adults and their family members or pursue graduate work in such areas as marriage and family therapy, social work, human development and family studies, rehabilitation services, and public/community health.
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Child Life Specialist Clinical
This concentration prepares students to become a Certified Child Life Specialist (CCLS), as designated by the Association of Child Life Professionals. The CCLS helps normalize the hospitalization experience for children and families and provides specific services that include preparations for medical procedures, coping skills for children during stressful health care experiences, support for siblings and parents, therapeutic medical play, planning and implementing activities to enhance growth and development, and interdisciplinary team involvement. In addition to core courses in the HDFS program, students in this concentration take courses that focus on helping pediatric patients and families navigate the stressors involved with a health care diagnosis.
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Pediatric Healthcare Community Settings Concentration
Careers:This concentration prepares students for careers working with children and families in pediatric health care settings, including the Ronald McDonald House, national wish organizations (Make-A-Wish), pediatric hospice/palliative care, bereavement centers, centers for special needs children, autism clinics, behavioral health clinics, and other community-based programs focused on strengthening lives for children and families as they navigate health care related stressors and trauma.
Admission Requirements
This program has no requirements beyond University admission and transfer requirements.
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Tuition & Fees
U.S. News & World Report ranked Ohio University the #1 Best Value Public University in Ohio and 30th in the nation. We're continuously striving to make college more affordable and accessible, while maintaining the high quality and value of an OHIO education.
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Financial Aid & Scholarships
Our Office of Student Financial Aid and Scholarships provides services to students and parents both in-person and remotely. You can visit our office on the ground floor of Chubb Hall or reach us at financial.aid@ohio.edu or 740.593.4141 .
Courses, Practicum and Internship
Child, adult and family development classes in the Department of Social and Public Health have a lifespan emphasis, as well as those that include diversity in families, family ties and aging, human sexualities, the impact of stress and trauma, and death and dying. Professional skill development is an essential part of the program and is intended to give students the practical skill set needed by human services specialists.
Required courses from other departments or programs include early childhood and elementary education, health, psychology, sociology and social work.
Also required are a 75-hour practicum and a 400-hour full-time internship. These provide practical experience and the opportunity to integrate theory and course content into real-life situations. Majors must complete all other university and major course requirements before enrolling in CFS 4910 - Child and Family Studies Internship. The 400-hour internship is the final requirement of the degree.
Ready to Get Started?
Related Programs
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Undergraduate Gerontology CertificateThe Undergraduate Gerontology Certificate is open to students of any major who want to gain knowledge and skills for a career that involves working with the elderly. The coursework crosses college and school boundaries to deliver an integrated approach working with aging populations.
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Master of Science in Child and Family StudiesThe Human Development and Family Science graduate program offers a more in-depth study of children, adults, and families along the life span. The program prepares individuals who are interested in studying and/or working with families in many settings.
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Graduate Certificate in Appalachian HealthThe graduate certificate in Appalachian Health provides students with the foundational knowledge of Appalachian history, culture and health that will allow them to develop an intense understanding of the context in which they will be working if they choose to work in the region.