The Department of Family Science provides an interdisciplinary approach to studying families and the problems they face in today's society. Students obtain broad knowledge of family theory, programs, and structures; family/health policy; ethnic families; and research methodology. Students learn to design, implement, and evaluate culturally-sensitive programs addressing family needs and analyze the consequences of public and private policies on family well-being. The Department is proud of the rich diversity of its faculty and students and has a commitment to researching strengths and challenges of culturally diverse families. The Department has four times been named Outstanding Academic Unit by the UMCP President's Commission on Ethnic Minority Issues because of its sensitivity to gender, class, race, religious and cultural issues. Our close proximity to Washington, D.C., Baltimore, and the state capital offers unparalleled opportunities for internships in government agencies, research laboratories, think tanks, corporate offices, military services, and national child/family organizations.

The Department of Family Studies and Community Development was founded on the belief that the family is the fundamental unit in contemporary society. Support of healthy family functioning strengthens individual, group, and societal functioning. The department offers the opportunity to study individual and family development, dynamics within families, and the interactions between families and society.

The department offers two undergraduate majors and one minor. Family and Human Services is an applied major that prepares students to be human service professionals. Students in this major choose among four different tracks: Humans Services, Services to Children and Youth, Introduction to Child Life, and Leadership in the Nonprofit Sector. Community participation is required in several core courses throughout the family and human services curriculum. The Family Science major emphasizes scholarship and research in the discipline. It focuses on the social and behavioral science foundation necessary for those working in family therapy, psychology, education, health and other human services. The family studies minor fits nicely for students who are interested in studying families along with their major focus of study, especially students in the health professions, liberal arts and education.

The academic coursework provides the foundation for graduate study in social, behavioral, and health sciences or for advanced professional training in counseling, psychology, social work, law, medicine, and the allied health professions, such as occupational therapy and physical therapy. The department offers the following graduate programs: Child Life, Administration and Family Collaboration (M.S.); Family-Professional Collaboration Post-Baccalaureate Certificate; Jewish Communal Service (M.A.) and Jewish Education (M.A.).

The Department, which has a small faculty-student ratio, teaches psychology as a science in the undergraduate and graduate programs. There is an emphasis on development of research skills, development of critical thinking skills, and on applied experience through activities such as service learning and internships.