Program Overview

Human Development and Family Studies

The Department of Human Development and Family Studies offers an undergraduate program leading to the Bachelor of Science degree in Human Development and Family Studies. The programs include the study of the development of individuals and families throughout the life span, seeking to improve their well-being through the creation, use, and dissemination of knowledge.

Program Overview

Programs of study in the department are multidisciplinary, requiring a synthesis of knowledge from the social and behavioral sciences and from the field of education. The goal of the Department of Human Development and Family Studies is to provide the best opportunity in North Carolina for undergraduates to prepare for careers in child, adolescent, adult, and family care services; in the care and education of children with/without disabilities from birth to kindergarten; teaching in community child care programs and in preschool and kindergarten classrooms in the public school; and in cooperative extension and state agencies.

Faculty and Research

The Department of Human Development and Family Studies faculty have a wide range of research interests and methodological approaches. The faculty's research interests cluster in five focal areas:

• Early childhood development, care, and education including social, emotional, and cognitive development in young children, child care, and early childhood education
• Parent-child relationships
• Adolescence
• Close relationships, marriage, and divorce
• Human development and family diversity in sociocultural context

Graduate Programs

The department offers several graduate programs, including:

• Human Development and Family Studies, M.S.
• Human Development and Family Studies, Ph.D.
• Human Development and Family Studies, Doctoral Minor
• Birth-Kindergarten Interdisciplinary Studies in Education and Development, M.Ed. (jointly with the Department of Specialized Education Services)
• Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Birth-Kindergarten Initial Licensure
• Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Leadership in Infant and Toddler Learning
• Add-On Licensure in Birth through Kindergarten

Courses

The department offers a variety of courses, including:

• HDF 111: Human Development Across the Life Span
• HDF 112: Families and Close Relationships
• HDF 201: Development of School-Age Children
• HDF 202: Infant and Child Development
• HDF 203: Adolescent Development: From Puberty to Young Adulthood
• HDF 204: Adult Development
• HDF 221: Issues in Parenting
• HDF 250: Introduction to Early Childhood Education
• HDF 315: Assessment and Planning for Early Childhood Education
• HDF 330: Family Diversity
• HDF 341: Social Emotional Competence in Early Childhood Education
• HDF 375: Research Methods in Human Development and Family Studies
• HDF 377: Professional Development in HDFS
• HDF 390: Families and Children in Global Perspective
• HDF 400X: Experimental Course
• HDF 401: Special Problems in Human Development and Family Studies
• HDF 407: Issues Affecting Women and Families
• HDF 420: Early Childhood Development and Education Teaching Practicum I
• HDF 425: Infants and Toddlers: Development, Learning, and Curriculum
• HDF 435: Preschool: Development, Learning, and Curriculum
• HDF 436: Kindergarten: Development, Learning, and Curriculum
• HDF 440: Early Childhood Development and Education Teaching Practicum II
• HDF 445: Current Family Theory and Research
• HDF 450: Professional Experience in Early Childhood
• HDF 455: Current Developmental Theory and Research
• HDF 460: Supervised Student Teaching
• HDF 461: Student Teaching Seminar
• HDF 464: Advanced Family and Developmental Studies Seminar
• HDF 468: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Early Childhood Education
• HDF 470: Leadership in Early Childhood Education
• HDF 482: Administration of Inclusive Early Care and Education Programs
• HDF 490: HDFS Senior Honors Project
• HDF 499: Supervised Professional Experience

Graduate Courses

The department also offers graduate-level courses, including:

• HDF 601: Directed Individual Study in Human Development and Family Studies
• HDF 602: Special Topics in Human Development and Family Studies
• HDF 603: Research Laboratory Practicum in Human Development and Family Studies
• HDF 606: Preschool-Kindergarten Learning in Inclusive Settings
• HDF 607: Infant-Toddler Learning in Inclusive Settings
• HDF 633: Advanced Curriculum in Early Childhood Education
• HDF 634: Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood Policy
• HDF 636: Leadership in Educating Young Children
• HDF 637: Administration of Early Care and Education Programs: Financial and Personnel Management
• HDF 638: Coaching and Mentoring in Early Childhood Programs
• HDF 640: Professional Seminar
• HDF 650: Theory and Research in Early Childhood
• HDF 651: Contemporary Research in Human Development
• HDF 652: Theories of Human Development and Family Studies
• HDF 653: Contemporary Research in Family Studies
• HDF 655: Family Theory
• HDF 656: Race, Class, and Culture
• HDF 661: Professional Seminar II
• HDF 696: Supervised Professional Experience in Human Development and Family Studies
• HDF 699: Thesis
• HDF 703: Contemporary Topics in Human Development and Family Studies
• HDF 713: Social and Emotional Development
• HDF 714: Cognitive Development in Young Children
• HDF 715: Infant Development
• HDF 716: Seminar in Adolescence
• HDF 721: Seminar in Parent-Child Relations
• HDF 722: Families in Middle and Later Life
• HDF 723: Divorce, Remarriage, Cohabitation
• HDF 725: Psychobiology of Human Development and Family Processes
• HDF 726: Close Relationships in Adulthood
• HDF 730: Cross-Cultural Perspectives on Child Development
• HDF 740: Social Justice Research with Diverse Families
• HDF 745: College Teaching in Human Development and Family Studies
• HDF 750: Professional Seminar III
• HDF 755: Advanced Theory in HDFS
• HDF 756: Advanced Research Design in Human Development and Family Studies
• HDF 765: College Teaching Practicum in Human Development and Family Studies II
• HDF 790: Independent Doctoral Research
• HDF 799: Dissertation
• HDF 801: Thesis Extension
• HDF 802: Dissertation Extension
• HDF 803: Grad Resrch Proj Ext

Interdisciplinary Programs

The department offers several interdisciplinary programs, including:

• Birth-Kindergarten Interdisciplinary Studies in Education and Development, M.Ed. (jointly with the Department of Specialized Education Services)
• Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Birth-Kindergarten Initial Licensure
• Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Leadership in Infant and Toddler Learning
• Add-On Licensure in Birth through Kindergarten