Opportunities for Students

Students pursuing degrees in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies have a truly unique opportunity to work with world-renowned researchers and faculty members in an active research environment.

As an HDFS student, you’ll contribute greatly to our research mission while gaining firsthand experience in conducting groundbreaking research, working with participants, collecting data, conducting data analyses, publishing papers, and presenting your findings at academic conferences.

Undergraduate Students

As an undergraduate student, you’ll have opportunities to work in faculty labs to gain research experience — often earning academic credit in preparation for graduate or professional school.

Graduate Students

As a graduate student, you are required to get involved with faculty research, working with a mentor in a way that fits your interests. For example, you may choose to work with multiple mentors or work in the context of a research assistantship or a University Fellowship.

Lifespan Approach

Leveraging a lifespan approach to research subject areas, graduate students may focus on two or more core research areas:

• Individual development:

  • Childhood

  • Adolescence

  • Adulthood and Aging

• Research methodology

• Intervention and prevention

• Family development