Human Development & Family Studies

Address: 248 Stone Building
Phone: 336.334.5307
Web site: www.uncg.edu/hdf

Majors & Concentrations

• Birth through Kindergarten (BS) (Lic) U526
• Birth through Kindergarten (Online 2plus) (BS) (Lic) U543
• Birth through Kindergarten 2Plus (BS) (Lic) U746
• Child & Adolescent Development in Family (BS) U508
• Early Care & Education (Online 2Plus) (BS) U544
• Early Care and Education (BS) U531
• Early Care and Education 2Plus (BS) U532
• Family Studies (BS) U530

What's unique about HDFS at UNCG?

HDFS is a student-friendly department. The Princeton Review recently reported that UNCG's HDFS programs receive "enthusiastic praise from current students." Small classes for majors allow students to know professors and each other in a caring community.

HDFS's curriculum is carefully developed with more advanced courses building on more basic courses to maximize students' learning experience. Students have opportunities to engage in hands-on learning experiences and ongoing research projects in early care, educational, research, and community settings.

The department is committed to innovation, interdisciplinary study, internationalization, engagement, inclusivity, and sustainability. The HDFS major, offering social science and professional education with internship or field experiences, serves as a strong foundation for graduate education as well as an excellent entry point for human services careers.

Academic Clubs and Organizations

• Child Advocacy, Research and Education (CARE)
• Kappa Omicron Nu Honor Society

Student Opportunities

• The HDFS department awards more than 20 student scholarships per year.
• The HDFS department administers Child Care Education Programs at three sites with an enrollment of 80 children in all-day care, which serve as laboratories for the study of children and their families.
• Fifty preschool education majors are placed in child-care settings each year.
• Approximately 60 HDFS students are placed in supervised internships in community agencies serving families each year.
• The Family Research Center conducts research and policy studies that are aimed at improving life for children and families, and students have an opportunity to participate in faculty research projects.
• Cultural experiences in Costa Rica during the summer and study abroad opportunities in a variety of countries each semester are available and encouraged.

Graduates/Careers

Early Care and Education: Director, Coordinator, Teacher in Preschool, Child Care, School-Age Child Care, Head Start, Elementary School Aide, Child Abuse Prevention, Hospital Child Care, Preschool Care for Developmentally Disabled Children, Crisis Intervention, Specialized Educational Programs, Developmental Consultant

Birth through Kindergarten Teacher Licensure: Pre-Kindergarten or Kindergarten Teacher in Public Schools, Early Interventionist, plus any of the above careers

Child and Adolescent Development in the Family: Work with Coordinators, Program Directors in Family Services, Child/Family Crisis Intervention Centers (e.g., Child Abuse, Substance Abuse, Juvenile Corrections), Youth and Family Services, Child Advocacy Institutes, Community Service Agencies (e.g., YWCA, YMCA, Salvation Army Boys and Girls Clubs), Guardian ad Litem, Residential Treatment Facilities for Children

Family Studies: Liaison with families, as in Community Services Agencies (e.g., United Way, Volunteer Action Centers), Family Service Agencies (e.g., Family Life Council, Women's Shelters), Health-Related Agencies (e.g., Hospitals, Pregnancy Care Centers). Activity Coordinator or Program Director in Retirement Facilities, Residential Care for Elderly, Hospitals, Extended Care Centers, Adult Day Care, Senior Citizen Groups, Family Services, Councils On Aging, State Agencies (e.g., Division of Aging), Family Resorts

Professional Organizations and Accreditation

• National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE)
• National Association for the Education of Young Children
• Society for Research in Child Development
• National Council on Family Relations

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