Students studying Human Development and Family Sciences (HDFS) in the College of Public Health and Human Sciences at Oregon State are exposed to a variety of opportunities that prepare them for a rewarding career.
Those interested in making a difference in the lives of children, youth, adults and families will gain valuable experience to lead them to a successful future in this field.
HDFS covers two broad areas including Human Development, which covers lifespan development form birth to death and looks at physical, cognitive and psychosocial development – and Family Studies, which looks at individual, familial relationships and the relationship between families and the communities in which they live and families in the larger social context.
Students who complete an undergraduate degree in HDFS will be prepared for a variety of career paths, including working with children in childhood development or education, child protective services, adolescent youth development, youth afterschool programs or summer camps, gerontology and more.
“The HDFS degree is very exciting because I think that anything that you learn in your program and in your courses are things that you can apply to your own life personally,” says Senior Instructor Kathy Greaves.
Learn more about the types of courses students take, various clubs and programs available, research and potential job opportunities, and hear from students studying HDFS in the video above, and head to the Human Development and Family Sciences web page.