Skip to main content

Secondary Menu

  • Hotline
  • Give Now
  • Contact Us

Call to Action Menu

  • Apply Now
  • Visit Us
Enter the terms you wish to search for.
Search type:
Information for:

Information Menu

  • Future Students
  • Current Students
  • Visitors
  • Faculty & Staff
  • Workforce Professionals
  • Campus Events
Penn State Shenango Home
Penn State Shenango Home
Penn State Shenango
Search

Information Menu

  • Future Students
  • Current Students
  • Visitors
  • Faculty & Staff
  • Workforce Professionals
  • Campus Events

Secondary Menu

  • Hotline
  • Give Now
  • Contact Us

Call to Action Menu

  • Apply Now
  • Visit Us

Main navigation

  • This is Penn State
  • Academics
  • Admissions
  • Tuition & Financial Aid
  • Student Life
  • Alumni & Friends
  • Athletics
Information for:

Information Menu

  • Future Students
  • Current Students
  • Visitors
  • Faculty & Staff
  • Workforce Professionals
  • Campus Events

Main navigation

  • This is Penn State
  • Academics
  • Admissions
  • Tuition & Financial Aid
  • Student Life
  • Alumni & Friends
  • Athletics
  1. Home
  2. Academics
  3. Majors at Shenango
  4. Human Development and Family Studies

HDFS Associate Degree

The Associate in Science in Human Development and Family Studies (HDFS) integrates practical and academic experiences to provide you with entry-level, professional competencies in the human service fields.

The program's ultimate goal is to improve the quality of planned services for families from varied backgrounds and community settings. For both options, HDFS students complete an internship at a human service organization in their community.

Real world experience will help you build professional networks, establish references, and reflect on what you have learned in the classroom.

What to expect

At the Shenango campus, we offer two HDFS A.S. options: 

  • Adult Development and Aging Services
  • Children, Youth, and Family Services

Adult Development and Aging Services option 

The Adult Development and Aging Services option focuses on the biological, psychological, and social development of adults and elderly persons, with special emphasis on the various contexts of adult development, including work and the family. 

This option is designed to prepare students for a wide variety of service roles in:

  • Mental health facilities
  • Nursing homes and other institutions for the aged
  • Area agencies on aging
  • Public welfare and family service agencies
  • Women's resource centers
  • Human relations programs
  • Employee assistance programs and customer services and consumer relations programs in business and industry

An approved field experience in any of a wide variety of settings that serve adults, the aged, and their families, is required for this option.

Children, Youth, and Family Services option 

The Children, Youth, and Family Services option is an ideal choice if you want to work with various age groups in centers, institutions, and agencies.

This option is designed to prepare students for service roles in:

  • Preschools
  • Day care centers
  • Hospitals
  • Institutional and community programs for emotionally disturbed, abused, or neglected children and adolescents
  • A variety of public welfare and family service agencies

An approved field experience in a children, youth, or family services setting is required for this option.

You might like this program if... 

  • You already work in a human service–related field
  • You aspire to work in human service–related occupations

Majors at Shenango

  • 2+2 Plan

    • 2+2 Plan Staff
  • Business

    • Business Career Paths
    • Business Administration Associate Degree
    • Business Faculty and Staff
  • Corporate Communication

    • Corporate Communication Career Paths
    • Corporate Communication Faculty and Staff
  • Criminal Justice

    • Criminal Justice Career Paths
    • Criminal Justice Faculty
  • Cybersecurity Analytics and Operations

    • Cybersecurity Analytics and Operations Career Paths
    • Cybersecurity Analytics and Operations Faculty and Staff
  • Health Policy and Administration

    • Health Policy and Administration Career Paths
    • Health Policy and Administration Faculty and Staff
  • Human Development and Family Studies

    • Certified Family Life Educator
    • HDFS Careers and Internships
    • HDFS Associate Degree
    • HDFS Faculty and Staff
  • Letters, Arts, and Sciences

    • LAS Careers
    • LAS Associate Degree
    • LAS Faculty and Staff
  • Nursing, RN to B.S.N.

    • RN and B.S.N. in four years
    • Nursing Career Paths
    • RN to B.S.N. FAQ
    • Nursing Faculty and Staff
  • Occupational Therapy Assistant

    • OTA Accreditation
    • OTA Admissions Requirements
    • OTA Tuition and Cost Information
    • OTA Career Paths
    • OTA Faculty and Staff
  • Physical Therapist Assistant

    • PTA Career Paths
    • PTA Program Statistics
    • PTA Clinical Information
    • PTA Clinical Education
    • PTA Faculty and Staff
  • Project and Supply Chain Management

    • PSCM Career Paths
    • PSCM Faculty and Staff

See Also

  • HDFS suggested academic plans
  • HDFS entrance to major
  • HDFS degree requirements
  • Associate in HDFS suggested academic plans
  • Associate in HDFS degree requirements
  • NCFR Certified Family Life Educator designation
Text: Apply now
Get started
$3000 for your 3.0
Get your scholarship
request admission information
Find out more

Minors at Shenango

Business minor
Criminal Justice minor
Gerontology minor
History minor
Health Policy and Administration minor
Human Development and Family Studies minor
Psychology minor

Penn State Shenango

147 Shenango Avenue
Sharon, PA 16146
724-983-2814
Map of Pennsylvania showing Penn State's locations with Penn State Shenango highlighted

Secondary Menu

  • Hotline
  • Give Now
  • Contact Us

Call to Action Menu

  • Apply Now
  • Visit Us
Information for:

Information Menu

  • Future Students
  • Current Students
  • Visitors
  • Faculty & Staff
  • Workforce Professionals
  • Campus Events

Footer Menu

  • +This is Penn State
    • Campus Calendar
    • Campus Leadership
    • Community Events
    • Penn State Lives Here
    • University Relations
  • +Academics
    • Academic Calendar
    • Bookstore
    • Degrees and Minors
    • Global Programs
    • Information Technology
    • Library
    • VenturePointe
  • +Admissions
    • Admissions Events
    • Adult Learners
    • First-Year Students
    • Transfer Students
    • Visit Us
  • +Tuition & Financial Aid
    • Bursar
    • Financial Aid
    • Tuition & Fees
  • +Student Life
    • Athletics
    • Career Services
    • Clubs and Organizations
    • Disability Services
    • Intramurals and Fitness
    • Lion's Den Food Court
    • Personal Counseling
    • University Police
  • +Alumni & Friends
    • Alumni Groups
    • Give to Penn State Shenango
  • Contact Us

Connect with Us

  • facebook
  • linkedin
  • twitter
  • youtube
  • instagram
Penn State University
Penn State University

Footer Info Menu

  • Employment
  • Map
  • Contact Us
  • Search
  • Hotlines
  • Calendar
147 Shenango Avenue, Sharon, Pennsylvania 16146 | 724-983-2814

Footer Legal Menu

  • Privacy
  • Non-discrimination
  • Equal Opportunity
  • Accessibility
  • Copyright
The Pennsylvania State University © 2021