University of Connecticut
About the Program
The Department of Human Development & Family Studies focuses its teaching, research, and outreach activities on the well-being and healthy development of individuals and families over the full span of life, including dynamic relations within the family as well as the family's interactions with other social institutions. The Department's undergraduate and graduate programs present a multidisciplinary understanding of individual and family development and change over the life span. Students are oriented to the broad social, cultural, and historical contexts within which families function, and how context is reflected in developmental variations related to issues of diversity such as family structure, race, gender, class, and ethnicity. Students are exposed to the study of how social policies and various types of social services affect families, family members, and the wider contexts in which families reside. At the graduate level, the Department awards an M.A. and Ph.D. in Human Development and Family Studies.
Program Overview
| Area | Percentage | |
|---|---|---|
| Family Science | 30% | |
| Child/Human Development | 30% | |
| Family Therapy | 25% | |
| Family Policy | 15% |
Address & Contact Information
Undergraduate Program
- Close Relationships
- Individual and Family Development
- Diversity Issues in Human Development and Family Studies
- Human Development: Infancy Through Adolescence
- Human Development: Adulthood and Aging
- Observational Child Study
- Introduction to Programs for Young Children
- Programs for Young Children: Introductory Laboratory
- Integrated Curriculum in Early Childhood Education I & II
- Child Development Laboratory: Practicum I
- Analysis of Programs for Young Children
- Child Development Laboratory: Supervised Teaching Practicum
- Child Development Laboratory: Advanced Teaching Practicum
- Current Topics in Early Childhood Education
- Infancy
- Social and Personality Development During Childhood
- Parent-Child Relations in Cross-Cultural Perspective
- Aging in American Society
- Gender and Aging
- Death, Dying, and Bereavement
- Men and Masculinity: A Social Psychological Perspective
- Woman: A Developmental Perspective
- Legal Aspects of Family Life
- Introduction to Counseling
- Latino Health
- Latinos: Sexuality and Gender
- Family Violence
- Low Income Families
- Black American Family Patterns
- Family and Work
- Family Interaction Processes
- Public Policy and the Family
- Family Pathology
- Planning and Managing Human Service Programs
- Disabilities Within Familes Across the LIfespan
- Living With Chronic Illness
- Issues in Human Sexuality
- Family in Society
- History of the Family
- Material Culture in American Family Life
- Comparative Family Policy
- Adolescence: Youth and Society
- Child Welfare, Law and Social Policy
- Parenthood
- Supervised Field Experience
- Fieldwork in Community Settings
- Research Methods in Human Development and Family Studies
- Research Practicum in Human Development and Family Studies
- Foreign Study
- Selected Topics in Human Development and Family Studies
- Independent Study for Undergraduates
Integrating classroom and service-learning education with opportunities for research and required professional experience, HDFS serves as a major educational and training facility for students interested in careers related to human service delivery. A distinctive feature of the undergraduate curriculum is the program of internships where students have the opportunity to sharpen professional skills and to see the relevance of their academic work to the "real world" of individuals and families.
Graduate Program
- Social and Personality Development During Childhood
- Public Policy and the Family
- Parenthood
- Legal Aspects and the Family
- Investigation of Special Topics (in Human Development)
- Proseminar
- Prevention, Intervention, and Policy Approaches in Family Studies
- Patterns and Dynamics of Family Interaction
- Theories of Family Development
- Lifespan Human Development Models and Concepts
- Qualitative Research Methods in HDFS
- Research Methods in HDFS I & II
- Programs for Young Children
- Human Development in Cross-Cultural Perspective
- Theories of Human Development
- Seminar in Advanced Child Development
- Seminar on Adolescent Development
- Parent Education
- Foundations of Marriage and Family Therapy
- Marriage Therapy
- Clinical Assessment and Practice
- Special Issues in Family Development
- Seminar in Parent-Child Relations in Cross-Cultural Perspective
- Seminar in Advanced Child Development
- Seminar on Adolescent Development
- Close Relationships
- Methods and Materials of Family life Education
- Aging: Personality and Social Intervention
- Aging: Physiological, Cognitive and Perceptual Changes
- Aging and the Family
- Housing for the Elderly
- Public Policy and Programs for the Elderly
- Social Gerontology
- Adaptation and Development in Adulthood
- Family Therapy Research
- Advanced Family Therapy
- Gender Role Transitions
Master's Level
Doctoral Level
The HDFS program at UConn is one of a very select number of programs in the U.S. that offer Doctoral studies in Human Development and Family Studies including a doctoral level training program in marriage and family therapy. Qualified applicants to the PhD program may enter with either a BA/BS or MA/MS degree in a related profession or discipline including but not limited to: nursing, education, psychology, sociology, rehabilitation, counseling, marriage and family therapy, social work, parent education, public health and health psychology, early intervention services, and positive youth development. Students design programs of study that will advance their skills in intervention /clinical practice (through acceptance into the Marriage and Family Therapy area of specialization) as well as program evaluation, policy studies, and research methods. All students accepted for doctoral studies receive support (including tuition waivers, stipends, and access to health insurance) through fellowships or graduate assistantships.
Upon completion of the PhD program, many graduates enter post-doctoral fellowships or traditional academic positions. Others are employed by non-profit agencies, state and federal government agencies, health/hospital research, and human services research or policy positions.
CFLE Information
NCFR recognizes schools offering undergraduate and graduate degree programs with course work that follows the Standards and Criteria required for approval as a Provisional Certified Family Life Educator (CFLE). NCFR approval allows the school to offer their graduates the opportunity to apply for Provisional Certification using the Abbreviated Application process. The CFLE Checklist represents the courses that meet the CFLE criteria at that school. Students must complete all the courses on a checklist in order to qualify to apply for the CFLE designation through the Abbreviated Application process.
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Graduate study leading to a Masters' degree in Human Development and Family Studies is available at the University of Connecticut.
Students are provided with advanced training in the theories and research methods necessary to pursue a scientific understanding of family members and family systems. Nationally accredited clinical training is offered in marriage and family therapy at the Master's level. Students interested in working in the fields like family life education, parent education, prevention and health promotion, or program evaluation would also apply the M.A. program. M.A. applicants should contact faculty in their interest-area to learn about opportunities. MA-only students are not guaranteed support through departmental assistantships, but are offered these opportunities whenever possible.