Human Development & Family Sciences

The Human Development and Family Sciences (HDFS) concentration prepares students for employment in a variety of roles across many human service fields such as child care professionals, social service workers in child and family agencies, advocates for youth and adolescents, parent educators, crisis and support service providers, facilitators of adult adjustment, and Cooperative Extension specialists. 

The HDFS Promise:

Human Development and Family Sciences opens doors of opportunity for students to work with people, the diverse families and communities in which people are embedded, and for students to further their education in graduate school.

HDFS What, How and Why:

• What: The mission of the HDFS program at the University of Arkansas is to promote human well-being across the lifespan through evidence-based teaching and research that focuses on vulnerable population in diverse social and cultural contexts.
• How:  HDFS offers traditional, on-line and hands-on experiences for students desiring to improve the well-being of people and families through service, advocacy and research.
• Why: HDFS takes a multidisciplinary approach to education and research focused on human development and families providing students with a well-rounded perspective to promote human well-being across diverse social contexts and culture

Why Choose Human Development and Family Sciences at the University of Arkansas?

• HDFS faculty are committed to providing evidence-based instruction on human-development across the entire lifespan and about families.
• HDFS faculty are active and engaged researchers promoting research with undergraduate and graduate students.
• HDFS faculty are committed to instruction and research that values people and families in vulnerable populations and in diverse social and cultural contexts.
• HDFS faculty strive to increase students understanding, acceptance, communication and cultural competence to better work with people and families across a wide-range of backgrounds and cultures.
• HDFS offer courses taught in traditional classrooms and online, as well as opportunities for hands-on experiences through internships, service-learning courses, honors courses and opportunities for study abroad.

Students selecting the thesis option also will be prepared for further graduate study at the doctoral level. A non-thesis focus area in Gerontology is available in this program in partnership with Great Plains Idea and can be completed 100 percent online.

 
Because our students are often working professionals with busy lifestyles, we offer 2 flexible options for completing this degree: