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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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- Areas of Specialization
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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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Life Span Human Services Option
As a Human Development and Family Studies major at Penn State, you will choose between two options: Life Span Human Services or Life Span Developmental Science.
Both options build upon a core set of HDFS courses that address basic individual and family development, research methods, and approaches to individual and family interventions.
Students choosing the Life Span Human Services Option take additional coursework on applied topics, plus a required one-semester field experience in a setting that serves children, adults, or the elderly.
Coursework focuses on:
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Exploring the family structure and function
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Understanding the biological, psychological, and social development of individuals across their life span
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Examining basic theoretical and methodological issues
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Developing applied skills in intervention, evaluation, prevention, and social policy creation
SEE ALSO
Life Span Developmental Science Option
Need help? Your HDFS adviser can help you select the option that meets your needs and matches your career goals.