COURSE CURRICULUM

The Bachelor of Science degree in Human Development and Family Science provides an interdisciplinary approach to understanding individual and family development across the lifespan. The program equips students with the knowledge and practical skills needed to support and empower individuals and families in diverse settings, including family and community-based social services, prevention programs, nonprofit administration, and intervention initiatives. Students explore human development from childhood through older adulthood, learning how family relationships, social environments, and cultural contexts influence well-being and growth. Core coursework emphasizes the assessment of individual and family strengths and needs, as well as strategies for fostering resilience, healthy relationships, and overall life satisfaction.The major requires a combination of foundational and advanced courses, beginning with introductory classes in human development and family science, interpersonal relationships, and childhood development. Upper-division courses focus on adolescence, adulthood, and emerging adulthood, family intervention and advocacy, parent-child relationships, family policy, family life education, trauma-responsive strategies, and professional development. Students also complete practicum experiences and have the option to take international or specialized content electives, such as studying family practices in Florence, Italy, or examining families, gender, and power dynamics. A key component of the major is the requirement to complete a minor or undergraduate certificate related to the student’s career interest, allowing for specialization and enhancing career readiness.Additional coursework includes psychology, sociology, research methods, quantitative analysis, and Kent Core requirements in composition, humanities, social sciences, mathematics, and basic sciences, ensuring a well-rounded education. Across the curriculum, students gain skills in critical thinking, research, data analysis, communication, and applied practice, preparing them for professional roles that require evidence-based approaches to supporting individuals and families. The program’s combination of theory, research, applied experience, and career-focused specialization ensures graduates are ready to make meaningful contributions to the well-being of diverse populations, both locally and globally.