Human Development and Family Studies

Update: Penn State Shenango is not currently enrolling new students. Current students can access academic advising and degree planning through campus services.

Secure a career in the rapidly growing human services field

Our Human Development and Family Studies major will prepare you for professional, managerial, and scientific roles in health and human service professions.

Options

Human Development and Family Science

This option provides students with the knowledge and skillsets to work with children, youth, and adults in community settings.

Developmental Science for Health Professions

Students will gain an understanding of developmental science and biology as a foundation to pursue a career in health-related professions and graduate studies.

Penn State Shenango offers two Human Development and Family Studies program opportunities:

The Human Development and Family Studies major concentrates on developing and conducting human services across the lifespan. You will explore the biological, psychological, and the sociological facets of life in order to help community members live healthy, successful lives.
In addition to earning a degree in Human Development and Family Studies, you have the additional option to concentrate your studies in family life education. Penn State Shenango’s accredited program allows graduates to apply, in an abbreviated process, for the National Council on Family Relations’ Certified Family Life Educator credential.

Human Development and Family Studies career opportunities

Students who complete this program are prepared to assume leadership roles in a wide range of human service and health professions, including developing new models to prevent and treat social and mental health problems and advocate for new social policies and programs. Jobs in human development across the lifespan are available at federal, state, local, and private organizations.

Social services manager or public welfare officer

In this role, you will coordinate and supervise health service programs and organizations that support community well-being by providing resources like affordable shelter, food, and employment opportunities.

Health program developer or health service educator

These professionals work in a variety of settings to manage day-to-day operation of a program that is designed to improve the physical state of participants. This position requires strong knowledge of specific health topics.

Substance abuse counselor

Serve as a support system for people with drug and alcohol problems, eating disorders, or other behavioral issues. You will teach individuals how to modify their behavior with the intention of full recovery. Because clients are susceptible to relapses, many substance abuse counselors work with clients on an on-going basis.

Mental health services coordinator

Serve as a liaison to community agencies and other agencies providing mental health supports and coordinate collaborative activities for mental health awareness.

Youth services coordinator

Plan, oversee, and direct services and activities to supporting youth education and development. These programs are often sports, education, or counseling related.

Women’s resource manager

Provide safe transitional housing, advocacy, support, information, referrals, and follow-up services to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking to persons at risk of domestic violence.

Human resource or employee assistance coordinator

Enhance employee safety and wellness through the organization and maintenance of employee assistance plans.

Public policy social worker

Become a specialized social worker employed by nonprofit organizations and government agencies to enact large-scale social change through legislation, education, and other interventions that are formulated at a policy level.

Continuing your education

Earning your Human Development and Family Studies degree at Penn State can lead to a master's or doctoral degree in the areas of human development, family studies, psychology, sociology, law, behavioral health, nursing, occupational therapy, elementary and secondary education, business, child life, counseling, or social work.

What to expect in the Human Development and Family Studies major

Penn State’s Bachelor of Science in Human Development and Family Studies takes an interdisciplinary approach to help you explore how the biological, psychological, and the sociological facets of life in order to help others live healthy, successful lives.

You will gain a broad background in career skills like counseling, human assessment, program planning and evaluation, and research to become a competitive business professional in the growing human services industry.

Undergraduate research opportunities

Work with faculty experts to learn how to conduct scientific research. Many human development-related careers seek research experience, giving you the chance to gain skills related to the social and behavioral sciences.

Certified Family Life Educator credential

Certified Family Life Educators typically provide information to families through an educational approach, often in a classroom-type setting or through educational materials.

Attainment of the CFLE certification can be embedded within the 4-year HDFS degree and does not require additional classes or semesters, however, it does require careful and specific scheduling of classes with an academic adviser. Learn more about the Certified Family Life Educator concentration.

Gain Human Development experience before you graduate

Our Human Development and Family Studies program is designed for you to complete an internship in your senior year that facilitates the application of your classroom learning in a field setting.

This opportunity is designed to provide students with firsthand experience with both challenges and rewards of the business professional in our local communities, a design that sets the major apart from other human development programs in the region.

Human Development and Family Studies students have completed internships in a variety of businesses and organizations related to: