Human Development and Family Studies
Credits Required
46 (Major)
16 (Minor)
DELIVERY
Online
START TERMS
Fall, Spring, Summer
The Family and Consumer Studies Department is dedicated to understanding and enhancing the well-being of individuals as well as the families and communities in which they live. In the Human Development and Family Studies (HDFS) undergraduate major and minor, we examine how social, economic, political, and physical environments affect families and the development of the individuals within those families.
Our core courses provide a foundation of knowledge for students to spring from into their electives, where they can choose to focus on a theme or study a variety of different topics. Lawyer to law maker, pre-med to pre-school, financial expert to family advocate, the HDFS major can help you land a career that you love.
The Family and Consumer Studies Department has been offering online classes for more than a decade, improving and upgrading along the way to ensure a fantastic student experience. Whether you are planning to complete your degree fully online or in a combination of in-person and online courses, we can create a graduation plan that fits your needs!
This is an open major. No application other than the University of Utah application
is required.
Major in Human Development and Family Studies
Housed in the Department of Family and Consumer Studies, the Human Development and Family Studies (HDFS) Major introduces students to an understanding of family relationships and an individual’s development through life. In this field, you will learn the principles of human development, the key tasks that accompany each stage of development, and the intra-family processes that influence this development.
Students choose electives in HDFS topics - such as family problems, family violence, parenting, healthy communities, intimacy and love, human sexuality, marriage, divorce and remarriage, understanding children’s behavior, etc.
At the University of Utah, our courses combine the flexibility of online teaching with the advantages and direct engagement of traditional teaching. Enjoy the benefit of studying online at your own pace while still engaging with classmates and instructors. This flexible way of teaching improves your overall experience and your ability to retain what you learn.
Interactive learning comes in a variety of ways:
- Group assignments, where you collaborate via email or a discussion forum to answer a problem set.
- Contributions to a discussion forum, where you directly respond to previous posts.
- Peer reviews, where you review and comment on assignments from other students.
Our classes also offer multiple routes to stay connected and get help:
- Communicate directly with the instructor via email.
- Participate in and guide online discussions.
- Attend online office hours in discussion threads or on the phone.
- Instructors are available in “real” office hours for students on or near campus; for some courses we offer Q&A sessions in a classroom.
46 Credit Hours: 34 program credits plus 12 allied credits. This does not include gen ed/bachelor degree requirements or the university's 122-hour rule.
HDFS is one of the shortest majors offered at the U and can be completed quickly. A student who can manage 4 major classes each semester could finish the program in 3 semesters. View a sample schedule (PDF).
Core Courses
|
FCS 1500 |
Lifespan Human Development (3) BF |
|
FCS 2400 |
Modern Families (3) BF |
|
FCS 3010 |
Intro to FCS Careers (2) |
|
FCS 3200 |
Research Methods (4) CW |
|
FCS 3210 |
Statistics QB QI (4) |
|
FCS 3450 |
Family Economic Issues BF QI OR FCS 3500 Financial Skills for Life QI (3) |
Community Course (choose 2)
|
FCS 2180 |
Family School and Community Connections (3)* |
| FCS 3245 | Human Sexuality in a World of Diversity (3) DV* |
| FCS 3290 | Race, Ethnicity, and Family Diversity (3) DV HF* |
| FCS 3420 | Housing Policy and Issues (3) CW |
| FCS 3510 | Tax Preparation and Community Engagement (3) |
| FCS 4980 | CSBS Internship in FCS (3)*^ |
| FCS 5180 | Autism across the Lifespan (3) DV* |
| FCS 5200 | Families and Social Policy (3) |
| FCS 5343 |
Family Advocacy and Policy (3)* |
| FCS 5390 | Gender, Race, and Sexuality across the Lifespan (3) DV* |
| FCS 5450 | Nonprofit Community Organization (3) |
| FCS 5630 | Healthy Communities (3) |
| FCS 5700 | Analyzing Community Growth QI (3) |
*If not used to fulfill this requirement can be used as an elective
^up to 3 credits of FCS 4890 can be used towards the community/diversity requirement. 6 total credits can be used towards the major as a whole.
Elective Courses (9 credits, 6 credits must be 5000-level or above)
| FCS 2100 | Transition to Adulthood (3) BF |
| FCS 2216 |
Interacting with Infants and Toddlers (3) |
| FCS 2600 | Introduction to Early Childhood Education (3) |
| FCS 2610 | Understanding Children’s Behavior (3) |
| FCS 2620** |
Child Development Practicum (3) |
| FCS 2640 | Integrated Curriculum Methods (3) |
| FCS 3215 |
Beginnings: Development in Infancy and Childhood (3) BF |
| FCS 3270 | Parenting (3) |
| FCS 3300 | Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health I (3) |
| FCS 3370 | Parenting Across Cultures (3) IR |
| FCS 3380 | Social Science and Medicine (3) |
| FCS 3630 | Intimacy and Love (3) BF |
| FCS 5170 | Creativity and Cognition in Young Children (3) |
| FCS 5230 |
Adolescence (3) |
| FCS 5240 | Mid/Later Life Adult Development and Family (3) |
| FCS 5250 |
Theories of Human Development (3) |
| FCS 5280 | Marriage, Divorce and Remarriage (3) |
| FCS 5282 |
Conflict and Mediation (3) |
| FCS 5305 |
Therapeutic Play in Health Care Settings (3) |
| FCS 5311** | Childhood Health Care I (3) |
| FCS 5312** | Childhood Health Care II (3) |
| FCS 5370 | Family Violence (3) CW |
| FCS 5380 | Family Problems (3) |
| FCS 5430 | Families and Healthcare Policy (3) |
| FCS 5962 | Special Topics in Human Development (1-4) |
**Requires prerequisites
Allied Requirement (12 credits)
The goal of this requirement is to foster a broader educational base for HDFS majors, consistent with the general aims of a liberal arts degree. Courses from 35 different departments can count towards this requirement. See catalog or Degree Audit for list. Class must be completed with a letter grade of C- or better to count. The allied requirement is waived with the completion of a second major or a minor from any department.
Allied departments: anthropology, biology, chemistry, communication, communication science disorders, economics, education, education culture and society, educational psychology, ethnic studies, gender studies, geography, health education and promotion, health society and policy, honors, nursing, nutrition, occupational and recreational therapies, parks recreation and tourism, peace and conflict, philosophy, political science, psychology, religious studies, social work, sociology, special education This requirement can be waived with the completion of a second major, minor, or certificate.
*Effective Fall 2024. Subject to change without notice.
For an estimate of the full course, use the TUITION Estimator
New students enrolling in UOnline beginning Fall 2024 may be able to apply university employee tuition reduction in some situations. For more information please email us at uonline@utah.edu.
Bachelor of Science in Human Development and Family Studies
Moving beyond the theoretical, students also have the opportunity to participate in undergraduate research, community service and internships, and gain mediation skills. Providing the hands-on experience necessary to improve the lives of individuals and families.
Graduates of the Human Development and Family Studies can pursue careers in a variety of fields such as family law, education, social work, healthcare, counseling, advocacy, early intervention and many more!
Students should meet with an academic advisor to discuss career goals and the pathway to those goals.
Job opportunities with an HDFS degree are diverse! The list below is just SOME examples of what people have gone on to do after graduation. To best understand what you can do with a degree in HDFS, we recommend you meet with a Career Coach.
Bachelors only:
- Certified Financial Planner*
- Early Childhood Interventionist
- Human Resource Assistant
- Preschool Teacher
- Public Affairs Assistant
- Community Education Coordinator
- Social Service Worker
- Psychiatric Technician
- Afterschool Program Director
*Requires specific course sequencing; discuss with academic advisor.
Bachelors + Further Education:
- Pediatric Cardiologist
- CEO/Program Director (various nonprofits and government agencies)
- School Counselor/Psychologist
- Lawyer
- Special Education Consultant
- Occupational Therapist
- Behavior Analyst
- Social Worker
- Developmental Screening Coordinator
- K-12 Public School Teacher
Minor in Human Development and Family Studies
Human Development and Family Studies (HDFS) Minor introduces students to an understanding of family relationships and an individual’s development through life. In this field, you will learn the principles of human development, the key tasks that accompany each stage of development, and the intra-family processes that influence this development.
At the University of Utah, our courses combine the flexibility of online teaching with the advantages and direct engagement of traditional teaching. Enjoy the benefit of studying online at your own pace while still engaging with classmates and instructors. This flexible way of teaching improves your overall experience and your ability to retain what you learn.
Interactive learning comes in a variety of ways:
- Group assignments, where you collaborate via email or a discussion forum to answer a problem set.
- Contributions to a discussion forum, where you directly respond to previous posts.
- Peer reviews, where you review and comment on assignments from other students.
Our classes also offer multiple routes to stay connected and get help:
- Communicate directly with the instructor via email.
- Participate in and guide online discussions.
- Attend online office hours in discussion threads or on the phone.
- Instructors are available in “real” office hours for students on or near campus; for some courses we offer Q&A sessions in a classroom.
16 Credit Hours: 6 core credits plus 10 elective credits.
Core Courses
|
FCS 1500 |
Lifespan Human Development (3) BF |
|
FCS 2400 |
Modern Families (3) BF |
Elective courses
| FCS 2100 | Transition to Adulthood (3) BF |
| FCS 2180 |
Family, School and Community Connections (3) |
| FCS 2216 |
Interacting with Infants and Toddlers (3) |
| FCS 2600 | Introduction to Early Childhood Education (3) |
| FCS 2610 | Understanding Children’s Behavior (3) |
| FCS 2620 |
Child Development Practicum (3) |
| FCS 2640 | Integrated Curriculum Methods (3) |
| FCS 3215 |
Beginnings: Development in Infancy and Childhood (3) BF |
| FCS 3245 |
Human Sexuality in a World of Diversity (3) DV |
| FCS 3270 | Parenting (3) |
| FCS 3290 | Race, Ethnicity, and Family Diversity (4) DV HF |
| FCS 3300 | Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health I (3) |
| FCS 3370 | Parenting Across Cultures (3) IR |
| FCS 3380 | Social Science and Medicine (3) |
| FCS 3630 | Intimacy and Love (3) BF |
| FCS 4980 | CSBS Internship in FCS (1-4)^ |
| FCS 5170 | Creativity and Cognition in Young Children (3) |
| FCS 5180 |
Autism across the Lifespan (3) DV |
| FCS 5200 |
Families and Social Policy (3) |
| FCS 5230 |
Adolescence (3) |
| FCS 5240 | Mid/Later Life Adult Development and Family (3) |
| FCS 5250 |
Theories of Human Development (3) |
| FCS 5280 | Marriage, Divorce and Remarriage (3) |
| FCS 5282 |
Conflict and Mediation (3) |
| FCS 5305 |
Therapeutic Play in Health Care Settings (3) |
| FCS 5311 | Childhood Health Care I (3) |
| FCS 5312 | Childhood Health Care II (3) |
| FCS 5343 | Family Advocacy and Policy (3) |
| FCS 5370 | Family Violence (3) CW |
| FCS 5380 | Family Problems (3) |
| FCS 5390 | Gender, Race, and Sexuality across the Lifespan (3) DV |
| FCS 5430 | Families and Healthcare Policy (3) |
| FCS 5962 | Special Topics in Human Development (1-4) |
^up to 4 credits of FCS 4890 may be used towards the HDFS minor.
$520/credit.*
*Effective Fall 2024. Subject to change without notice.
For an estimate of the full course, use the TUITION Estimator
New students enrolling in UOnline beginning Fall 2024 may be able to apply university employee tuition reduction in some situations. For more information please email us at uonline@utah.edu.
Minor in Human Development and Family Studies
Department Contacts
Jennifer Stout
Lead Advisor, Family & Consumer Studies