Human Development

The human development bachelor's program allows students to explore individual, social and structural aspects of human development as a basis of understanding principles that benefit themselves and others by (a) achieving a solid foundation in the theories and research defining the field of human development; (b) engaging in a critical exploration of social, cultural, economic, historical and political frameworks and the ways in which individuals, families and communities are situated within them; (c) developing the understanding and skills needed to enhance and promote diversity, equity and social justice; and (d) fostering a complex understanding of human conditions.

Our courses stress collaborative education and a multicultural curriculum, and our faculty strive to build supportive relationships with and among our students.

Learning objectives woven throughout our flexible curriculum encourage students to:

  • think critically;
  • analyze social issues;
  • effectively express ideas verbally and in writing;
  • apply knowledge by linking theory and practice;
  • understand and use technology;
  • develop an understanding of self and others as situated in history and community;
  • develop an understanding for global-local issues and relations of power;
  • develop a human-rights based perspective to the empowerment of individuals and communities;
  • demonstrate an understanding of how oppression affects the process of development;
  • demonstrate knowledge, sensitivity and skill in working with diverse populations;
  • and engage in a critical analysis of the concept of human service in the social and institutional context of politics, history and economics.

Courses are situated in the social sciences, but also cross these and other disciplinary boundaries, applying what students learn to a variety of human services settings, including social services, schools, child-care organizations, the criminal justice system, healthcare agencies, mental health programs, community development organizations and many others for which a human development understanding provides a useful grounding.

Undergraduate Major Program

The Department of Human Development offers the Bachelor of Science in Human Development. This undergraduate degree is designed to prepare students for careers in which they will work with people, in communities and organizations, addressing complex social problems such as poverty, drug and alcohol abuse, victimization, equity and justice. Students design their own individualized plans of interdisciplinary study within the general framework of the program requirements based upon their specific personal, educational and career goals.

The undergraduate curriculum is organized in three core learning areas: (1) Theories of Human Development, (2) Social Action and Policy, and (3) Working with Individuals and Groups. Theoretical courses examine core concepts that relate to human development across the lifespan, including, but not limited to, child and adolescent development, as well as death, dying and bereavement. Social Action and Policy courses explore how the influence of macro- and micro-level processes interface individuals and communities. Working with Individuals and Groups courses examine the philosophies, strategies and techniques for working effectively with individuals, organizations and communities; they also emphasize sociocultural factors that influence practice.

Required Course Prerequisites

The following courses are required prerequisites to begin the major in human development: three lower-level social science courses (any 100- or 200-level, not including 1 credit lab courses, e.g. PSYC 112) including psychology, sociology and one other social science course outside of psychology and sociology (e.g., anthropology, political science, history, economics, geography, etc.). Once these courses are completed with a grade of C or better, and once students enter their second year of collegiate study, they are eligible to take HDEV 200, the first course in the human development major.

Degree Requirements

Credit Requirements to Qualify for a Baccalaureate Degree in Human Development

A minimum of 124 credits required for graduation.

Required Courses Credits
Liberal arts and sciences (including courses used to fulfill General Education requirements and free electives)  62
Upper division - 300- and 400-level courses (including 36 upper-division credits of human development coursework) 45
 In residence - courses satisfactorily completed in HDEV department 40

Other Requirements to Qualify for a Baccalaureate Degree in Human Development

  • Earn a minimum of 124 credit hours, including transfer credits, with a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0 and a minimum GPA of at least 2.0 in the major program.
  • Students are restricted to a maximum of eight credit hours for any combination of independent study, internships and teaching practicums toward the degree.
  • No more than 10 credit hours of health and wellness (HWS) courses, and up to two credits of outdoor pursuit courses (OUT) having a General Education designation, may be applied toward the 124-credit total for degree. Outdoor pursuit courses that do not meet the General Education requirement will not count toward the degree. For transfer students, 8 credit hours of wellness courses and two credits of physical activity courses may be applied toward the degree.
  • Meet General Education requirements as stated in the Academic Guide (Formerly Bulletin).
  • Complete the specified requirements in the major program in which they are candidates for the degree.
  • Not be on probation or under disciplinary action, and pay or make a satisfactory adjustment of all tuition, fees or other bills incident to their attendance at the University.
  • Be recommended by the faculty of the Human Development Department in the College of Community and Public Affairs.
  • Be admitted to the degree by the State University Trustees, by formal action.

The Human Development Department in the College of Community and Public Affairs (CCPA) reserves the right to make changes in the requirements listed above for graduation, except that no increase in total credit hours required for graduation shall retroactively affect any student already matriculated in the Human Development Department in CCPA when the change is made.

Independent Studies, Internships and Teaching Practicum Policy

Students are restricted to a maximum of eight credit hours for any combination of independent study, internships and teaching practicums toward the degree. Independent studies, internship courses or teaching practicums may be taken for one to four credits only. Specific academic guidelines for these courses are available on the Human Development website or in the Department of Human Development.

Major Course Requirements

A total of 10 four-credit human development courses are required for the human development major. Four core courses (HDEV 200, HDEV 300, HDEV 400, HDEV 475) and two courses from each of the Core Learning Areas (Theories of Human Development, Social Action and Policy, and Working with Individuals and Groups) are required for the human development major.

Core Courses

Required Courses Credits
Students will select three introductory classes from three different social science disciplines (one must be from psychology, one must be from sociology, one must be from a different social science discipline [i.e., anthropology, economics, geography, history, political science]) 12
HDEV 200 Introduction to Human Development 4
HDEV 300 Social Science Research Methods 4
HDEV 400 Social Justice 4
HDEV 475 Practicum in Human Development 4

Core Learning Areas

Students are required to select two additional courses from each of the following three Core Learning Areas. 

Required Courses Credits
HDEV 301-339: Theories of Human Development 8
HDEV 340-379: Social Action and Policy 8
HDEV 401-479: Working with Individuals and Groups 8

Sequencing of Core Courses

HDEV 200 (Introduction to Human Development) is a prerequisite for HDEV 300 (Social Science Research Methods). HDEV 300 is a prerequisite for HDEV 400 (Social Justice). HDEV 400 is a prerequisite for HDEV 475 (Practicum in Human Development). These courses cannot be taken simultaneously as each one provides a critical preparation for the subsequent course. Students will begin the sequence of courses once they complete all required prerequisite courses and reach their second year of collegiate study.

Sequencing of Core Learning Area Courses

A minimum of one course in core learning area HDEV 340-379: Social Action and Policy must be completed prior to enrollment in HDEV 400 (Social Justice).  A minimum of one course in each or the core learning areas (HDEV 301-339: Theories of Human Development, HDEV 340-379: Social Action and Policy, and HDEV 401-479: Working with Individuals and Groups) must be completed prior to enrollment in  HDEV 475 (Practicum in Human Development).

Grade Policies for Core Courses

All Human Development major required courses, including core courses, courses from the core learning areas (Theories of Human Development, Social Action and Policy, and Working with Individuals and Groups), and the three required lower-division social sciences courses (psychology, sociology and outside of social sciences) must be completed with a grade of C or better. These courses cannot be taken on a Pass/Fail basis.

Core Course Learning Objectives

Introduction to Human Development (HDEV 200)

In HDEV 200, students will:

  • Contextualize the history and evolution of the study of human development and the social sciences in the United States and internationally.
  • Examine the concept of development more broadly and across disciplines.
  • Explore the research approaches of the social science disciplines.
  • Understand interdisciplinarity and comprehend its significance for the study of human development.
  • Analyze the relevance of social science perspectives for the study of real-world problems and social relations.
  • Understand the substantive and methodological programmatic underpinnings in the Department of Human Development, 黑料视频, including 1) critique of service, 2) multiculturalism, 3) translating theory into practice, and 4) action research.
  • Understand that practice requires an equitable and socially just process.
  • Undertake the exercises of conducting library research, writing a literature review and compiling a bibliography.
  • Receive feedback on the process of writing critically and have an opportunity to further develop skills in this area.

Social Science Research Methods (HDEV 300)

In HDEV 300, students will:

  • Explore the different ways of knowing (epistemologies), including scientific research.
  • Understand the processes and institutions that are responsible for the production of social science research, including the political contexts and processes of those institutions.
  • Examine the ethics of different research projects in their design and uses.
  • Students will be introduced to human subjects protections and review.
  • Be introduced to the concepts of social science research, including hypothesis, measurement, reliability, measurement validity, design, sampling, sampling bias, and internal and external validity. They will also gain familiarity with some common fallacies including correlation versus causation, errors in logic, ad hoc explanations and false generalization.
  • Learn about different philosophies and methodologies of quantitative and qualitative research, their advantages and disadvantages. Analysis will include the compatibility of different methodologies and how they frame the participants of their research.
  • Be introduced to participatory research strategies as a means to address some of the shortcomings of traditional research paradigms. Students will explore how researchers can be agents of social change.
  • Gain skills and confidence to find scholarly articles on a given topic, then read, evaluate and critique the methods used in the articles. Learn how to read and provide a critique of quantitative and qualitative social science findings as reported in scholarly journals, and also in project reports, updates to funders and the popular media (print, broadcast, Internet).

Social Justice (HDEV 400)

Students are to take at least one course from the Social Action and Policy Core Learning Areas prior to enrollment in HDEV 400. In HDEV 400, students will:

  • Understand social justice in its forms including distributive (how resources are distributed), sense of justice (how justice and injustice feel) procedural (how one is treated), restorative (how remedies are made) and scope of justice (who is understood to be deserving).
  • Examine the dynamic variation across race, class, gender, ethnicity, disability and sexuality identity formation, differential treatment based on marginalized identities at varying societal levels, and responses to the structural arrangements that affect people's lives within local and global contexts.
  • Develop critical consciousness and awareness of privilege in connection with dynamics of power and powerlessness that have an impact on the work of, and personal lives of, practitioners in communities.
  • Demonstrate the acquisition and/or proficient use of analytical skills in terms of critically examining socio-historical, -cultural, -political and -economic contexts.
  • Consider the meaning of justice in a global context by exploring the various consequences of globalization.

Practicum in Human Development (HDEV 475)

Students are to take at least one course from each of the Core Learning Areas prior to enrollment in HDEV 475. In HDEV 475, students will:

  • Engage in a systematic internship process, whereby student learning is maximized by simultaneously participating in fieldwork experiences, seminar activities and by interacting with students working in a variety of other field settings.
  • Integrate theories in the study of human development with an understanding of practice in the human services from a critical perspective.
  • Develop multicultural competence in the areas of self-awareness, knowledge and skills that enables an individual to work effectively as a practitioner in the field of human development, and to understand how multi-layered constructions of difference affect the delivery of services.
  • Demonstrate an ability to provide a critique of service of micro- and macro-sociopolitical processes through an exploration of the impact of social structures and asymmetrical power relationships (i.e., political, economic, social, legal) in communities.
  • Evaluate how conceptions of empowerment and equity prevalent in human development and related literatures actually play out in practice.
  • Explore the role of a social change agent and advocate in relation to institutional structures.
  • Discuss and analyze the internal practices of organizations and social service agencies.
  • Discuss and analyze the macro-level structures that influence organizational missions and practices.
  • Critically examine the concepts of empowerment, helping, intervention and service.
  • Understand the ethical considerations in a practicum experience, as well as their consideration in organizations.
  • Gain an in-depth understanding of a human services practicum site, its "clients," various stakeholders and programmatic goals.

Core Learning Area Descriptions

Theories of Human Development (HDEV 301-339)

Goal: Understanding theoretical orientations and applying knowledge to particular populations.

Courses in this area will examine human growth and development across the lifespan from conception to life's ending. Students will learn about traditional, as well as new directions in developmental theories. A solid grounding in a broad range of theories will provide a basic background for students' work as practitioners across developmental domains such as physical, cognitive and social emotional development. Students will learn foundational areas in traditional human developmental theories, place theories in historical context, and will discover the applications and limitations of theoretical concepts. Students will understand how theories develop, change and drive research, as well as how theories can be useful for understanding developmental trajectories. A key emphasis will be an application of developmental theories and concepts to work as practitioners. Students will examine how social context, as a major approach to the study of development, provides a central focus and understanding of people's lives and their work as practitioners.

Social Action and Policy (HDEV 340-379)

Goal: Influencing public discourse and the social world.

Courses in this area will explore the relationship between social policy, ideology and activism. Students will be introduced to the processes that shape and develop social policy, including the historical background and competing societal values and interests that underlie enactment of social policy and the development of programs to address social problems. They will gain an understanding of the organizational, bureaucratic, political and legislative processes that influence policy development and implementation. In addition, students will develop skills to critically evaluate existing policies and how those policies impact practice. This critical inquiry will lead students to consider the importance of social and institutional change through activist practice. Activism can be defined as participating in social issues discussions and activities within communities, organizations and institutions. For some, this means working within institutions to make them live up to their objectives. These activists understand their role as making current social institutions work effectively and justly. For others, activism is social change that would involve the dismantling of current social institutions and replacing them with other visions. Students will have the opportunity to investigate how various strategies have developed to bring about meaningful social change within people's lives and contexts.

Working with Individuals and Groups (HDEV 401-479)

Goal: Learning professional skills and developing skill sets.

Courses in this area will introduce students to major principles and theories of individual and group practice. A key emphasis will be placed on integrating theory and practice and making applications of this learning to various kinds of work settings. Students will explore ethical, legal and professional issues, as well as major concepts, techniques and approaches used in individual and group practice. One of the central aims of courses in this area is to provide an interdisciplinary analysis of how individuals and groups function within families, institutions and social structures. In this context, these courses will provide students with opportunities to move beyond more traditional principles of individualism and universalism through broadening the scope of interdisciplinary inquiry, including exploring social stratifications and relations of power in individual and group identities. In particular, students will consider how people's daily life experiences, as well as their individual psychologies (i.e., cognitions, attitudes, behaviors, challenges, emotions, expectations, motivations, needs, wants) and world view, may be linked to structural differences in resources and opportunities, as well as assumptions about themselves and others.

Human Development Minor in Immigration Studies

The Department of Human Development in the College of Community and Public Affairs offers a minor in Immigration Studies. The objective of this interdisciplinary minor is to grapple with the complex and multiple ways in which citizenship is defined and experienced at global, societal, institutional, community and individual levels. The key focus is on the effect of contemporary conceptualizations of citizenship and their translation into policies and actual everyday practices on the lives of those deemed as immigrants, refugees or the displaced. The minor applies a social justice and rights-based philosophy to an examination of citizenship, immigration, emigration and immigrant lives in transnational, national and local contexts. A key emphasis of the minor is to explore the intersectionality of discourses on belonging, justice and displacement in a variety of global, national and localized contexts. The requirements for the Human Development minor in Immigration Studies are as follows:

  • A minimum of six courses including four core courses and two elective courses.
  • The four core courses will be taken within the Department of Human Development from the following list of five courses:
    • HDEV 361 Global Migration Flows and Processes
    • HDEV 379 Migration, Citizenship and Human Rights
    • HDEV 404: Topics in Migration, Gender, and Human Rights
    • HDEV 465 Researching Immigrant Lives
    • HDEV 475 Practicum in Human Development (This course requires a 100 hour internship that must be focused on immigrant populations)
  • The two electives are to be selected from courses that focus on immigration and immigrant-related issues and may be taken outside the Department of Human Development. Courses in the following departments: history, sociology, geography, English, Africana studies, Latin American and Caribbean area studies, and Asian and Asian American studies are applicable for elective courses for the immigration studies minor. The Department of Human Development must approve the courses.
    • The first elective course will focus on immigration/immigrants with a historical emphasis
    • The second elective will be a course that focuses in-depth on one specific immigrant community, population, or context 
  • If students are interested in the Human Development minor in Immigration Studies, they should contact the Department Academic Advisor.
  • For participation in the Human Development minor in Immigration Studies, a student must have declared a major (HDEV or other) and completed at least 56 credits.
  • For human development students, at least four of six courses for the Immigration Studies minor must be in addition to courses counted toward fulfillment of the human development major.
  • For students outside of human development, at least four of the six courses for the Immigration Studies minor must be in addition to courses counted toward the fulfillment of the student's major.
  • At least four of the six courses for the Immigration Studies minor must be completed at 黑料视频.
  • Courses for the minor in Immigration Studies must be completed with a grade of C or better. These courses may not be taken on a Pass/Fail basis.

List of Faculty