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About
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Undergraduate
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Major in Human Development and Family Studies
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- Associate Degree in Human Development and Family Studies
- Minor in Human Development and Family Studies
- Honors Study in Human Development and Family Studies
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Courses
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Advising
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Student Organizations
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Research and Teaching Opportunities
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Career Opportunities
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Major in Human Development and Family Studies
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Graduate
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Alumni
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Research
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Current Research
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Research Expertise
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Areas of Specialization
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- Research Area of Specialization: Family Development
- Research Area of Specialization: Individual Development — Childhood
- Research Area of Specialization: Individual Development — Adolescence
- Research Area of Specialization: Individual Development — Adulthood and Aging
- Research Areas of Specialization: Intervention and Prevention
- Research Areas of Specialization: Methodology
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Cross Cutting Themes of Research
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- Adolescence and Young Adulthood
- Child Maltreatment
- Cognitive Health
- Computational Methods for Developmental Systems Models
- Determinants and Promotion of Well-Being
- Development and Family Processes in International Contexts
- Developmental Neuroscience
- Family Systems and Processes
- Gender and Development
- Health and Family Processes
- Healthy Aging
- Influences of Stress on Development and Aging
- Longitudinal Methodologies/Designs for Studying Change and Variability
- Parenting, Parent-Child Relations, and Child Outcomes
- Socio-Cultural and Economic Diversity
- Substance Use
- Work and Family
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Areas of Specialization
- Opportunities for Students
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Research Labs and Initiatives
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- Facilities
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Methodology Consulting Center
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- Quantitative Developmental Systems
- Study of Healthy Aging and Applied Research Programs
- Child Brain Development Lab
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Infant and Child Temperament Lab
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PA Twin Registry
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Project SIESTA
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Family Relationships Project
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- Daily Stress and Health Study
- University Life Study
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Current Research
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Contact
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Opportunities for Students
Students in Penn State’s Human Development and Family Studies (HDFS) program 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.
As an undergraduate student, you’ll have multiple opportunities to work in faculty labs to gain research experience — often earning academic credit in preparation for graduate or professional school.
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.
In keeping with our innovative and interdisciplinary mission in Human Development and Family Studies, the research possibilities open to you are extensive and diverse.
Lifespan Approach
Leveraging a lifespan approach to research subject areas, graduate students may focus on two or more core research areas:
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Individual development: Childhood, Adolescence, Adulthood and Aging
Cross-Cutting Themes of Research
Across these core areas, graduate students may specialize in one or more cross-cutting themes:
Learn More About HDFS Graduate Student Productivity