Program Overview

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Bachelor of Arts in Child and Family Development

The Bachelor of Arts in Child & Family Development program prepares students for a variety of careers in fields such as parent and family education, child welfare, early childhood education, case-management, home-based intervention, child life, child/family advocacy, and much more. The curriculum blends theoretical foundations with application to real-world settings, and students choose coursework that fits their interests. Every student also completes a minor or certificate and an internship that aligns with individual career goals, which makes our graduates more competitive in the job market.

Requirements for Admission

A Grade of C or better in the following courses:

• CHFD 265 Child Development
• CHFD 201 Intimate Relationships

Requirements

Summary

• General Education Requirements: 36 hours
• Core Courses: 7 hours
• Human Development: 9 hours
• Diversity Issues: 6 hours
• Health and Nutrition: 2-3 hours
• Family Resource & Financial Management: 3 hours
• Family Dynamics: 6 hours
• Applications in Child and Family Development: 12 hours
• Child & Family Development Seminar: 3 hours
• Internship Experience: 3 hours
• Minor/Certificate Requirement: 6-15 hours
• Child & Family Development Electives: 27-17 hours
• Total Hours: 120

General Education Courses

• Academic Foundations: 12 hours
  • Mathematics, Statistics and Logic: 3 credit hours
  • Speaking: 3 credit hours
  • Writing: 6 credit hours
• Breadth of Knowledge: 22 hours
  • Arts/Humanities: 9 credit hours
  • Natural Sciences: 7 credit hours
  • Social Sciences: 6 credit hours
• Diversity:
  • Domestic Diversity
  • Global Diversity
• Integrated and Applied Learning: 2 hours
  • Select one class from one of the following subcategories:
    • Complex Issues Facing Society
    • Capstone
• Total Hours: 36

Core Courses

• CHFD 147: Orientation to Child & Family Development: 1 hour
• CHFD 201: Intimate Relationships: 3 hours
• CHFD 265: Child Development: 3 hours
• Total Hours: 7

Human Development

Choose 9 credits from:

• CHFD 365: Infant Development
• CHFD 380: Play and Human Development
• CHFD 404: Middle Childhood and Adolescence
• CHFD 442: Human Sexuality
• PSYC 230: Developmental Psychology
• PSYC 475: Psychology of Adulthood & Aging
• Total Hours: 9

Diversity Issues

Choose 6 credits from:

• CHFD 401: American Families in Poverty
• CHFD 446: Culture, Ethnicity & Family
• SOWK 270: Diversity and Social Work
• PSYC 250: Psychology of Diversity
• Total Hours: 6

Health and Nutrition

Complete 1 course from:

• NUTR 132: Early Childhood Nutrition
• SOWK 349: Integrated Human Behavior and Health
• HEDU 101: Personal Health
• Total Hours: 2-3

Family Resource & Financial Management

Choose 3 credits from:

• CHFD 362: Family Resource Management
• CHFD 406: Family Financial Management
• Total Hours: 3

Family Dynamics

Choose 6 credits from:

• CHFD 360: Parent-Child Relations
• CHFD 440: Family Crisis
• CHFD 441: Family Relationships in Middle and Later Years
• Total Hours: 6

Applications in Child and Family Development

Complete 12 credits from:

• CHFD 300: Legal Environment of Families
• CHFD 496: Parent Education
• CHFD 461: Case Management for Children & Families I
• CHFD 462: Case Management for Children & Families II
• CHFD 403: Home-Based Intervention Theory
• CHFD 464: Home-Based Intervention Techniques & Practice
• SOWK 345: Death and Dying for Health Care Professionals
• PSYC 430: Psychological Disorders of Children
• Mediation Trainings
• CHFD 415: General Mediation
• CHFD 416: Divorce Mediation
• CHFD 417: Domestic Abuse and Mediation
• Early Childhood Programs
• CHFD 245: Infant/Toddler Care and Education Programs
• CHFD 250: Observing & Recording Children's Behavior
• CHFD 385: Early Childhood Curriculum Methods
• CHFD 460: Organization & Supervision of Child Care Centers
• CHFD 448: Programs for School-Aged
• Research Methods
• SOWK 442: Social Work Research
• PSYC 110: Quantitative Methods in Psychology
• SOCIO 301: Social Research Design
• Total Hours: 12

Child & Family Development Seminar

• CHFD 485: Seminar in Child and Family Development: 3 hours
• Total Hours: 3

Internship Experience

• CHFD 494: Internship: Child and Family Development: 3 hours
• Total Hours: 3

Minor/Certificate Requirement

Minor, Certificate, or Specialized Area of Coursework (variable credits total): 6+

Child & Family Development Electives

CFD Electives: 6

Recommended Sequence

The recommended sequence of study is as follows:

1st Year

• Spring Semester:
  • ENGL 112: English Composition II: 3 hours
  • COMM 105 or COMM 106: Introduction to Public Speaking or Effective Oral Communication: 3 hours
  • Social Science Requirement: 3 hours
  • Natural Science Requirement with Lab: 4 hours
  • CFD: Human Development Course: 3-4 hours
  • Total Hours: 16-17
• Fall Semester:
  • ENGL 111: English Composition I: 3 hours
  • Mathematics, Statistics and Logic Requirement: 3-4 hours
  • Social Science Requirement: 3 hours
  • CHFD 201: Intimate Relationships: 3 hours
  • CHFD 265: Child Development: 3 hours
  • Total Hours: 15-16

2nd Year

• Spring Semester:
  • Arts or Humanities Requirement: 3 hours
  • Domestic Diversity or Global Diversity Requirement: 3 hours
  • CFD: Family Resource and Financial Management Course: 3 hours
  • CFD: Family Dynamics Course: 3 hours
  • CFD: Elective, Minor, Certificate, or Approved Coursework course: 3 hours
  • Total Hours: 15
• Fall Semester:
  • Natural Science Requirement: 3 hours
  • Arts Requirement: 3 hours
  • Humanities Requirement: 3 hours
  • CHFD 147: Orientation to Child & Family Development: 1 hour
  • CFD: Human Development Course: 3-4 hours
  • CFD: Health and Nutrition Course: 2-3 hours
  • Total Hours: 15-17

3rd Year

• Spring Semester:
  • CFD: Family Dynamics course: 3 hours
  • CFD: Diversity Issues course: 3-4 hours
  • CFD: Applications in Child and Family Development course: 4-3 hours
  • CHFD 485: Seminar in Child and Family Development: 3 hours
  • CFD: Elective, Minor, Certificate, Approved Coursework, or General elective course: 3 hours
  • Total Hours: 16
• Fall Semester:
  • CFD: Human Development course: 4-3 hours
  • CFD: Family Dynamics course: 3 hours
  • CFD: Diversity Issues course: 4-3 hours
  • CFD: Applications in Child and Family Development course: 4-3 hours
  • CFD: Elective, Minor, Certificate, or Approved Coursework course: 3 hours
  • Total Hours: 18-15

4th Year

• Spring Semester:
  • CHFD 494: Internship: Child and Family Development: 3 hours
  • Elective, Minor, Certificate, or Approved coursework requirement: 3 hours
  • Elective, Minor, Certificate, or Approved coursework requirement: 3 hours
  • Total Hours: 9
• Fall Semester:
  • CFD: Applications in Child and Family Development course: 4-3 hours
  • Elective, Minor, Certificate, or Approved coursework requirement: 3 hours
  • Elective, Minor, Certificate, or Approved coursework requirement: 3 hours
  • Elective, Minor, Certificate, or Approved coursework requirement: 3 hours
  • Elective, Minor, Certificate, or Approved coursework requirement: 3 hours
  • Total Hours: 16-15
• Total Hours: 120