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Undergraduate
- Major in Human Development and Family Studies
- 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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Research
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Cross Cutting Themes of Research
- 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
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Major in Human Development and Family Studies

Human Development and Family Studies (HDFS) is a versatile undergraduate degree for anyone who is intrigued by human nature and the forces that help shape it.
As an HDFS major at Penn State, you will study how people develop physically, emotionally, and socially across their life spans — and in the context of family and society. You’ll delve deeply into the amazing process of human development and growth; gain valuable insights into the impact of family and community on quality of life; and immerse yourself in human development in a variety of relational, social, and cultural contexts.
One of the premier programs of its kind, HDFS provides a multifaceted curriculum focused on everything from child and adolescent development to adult development and aging, biological aspects of human development, family studies, intervention research, and developmental research methods.
HDFS majors choose between two options — Life Span Human Services or Life Span Developmental Science — which build upon the core degree coursework. As a graduate, you will be prepared to work with people in a variety of supportive roles, including developing new models to prevent and treat social and mental health problems and as an advocate for new social policies and programs.