Human Development and Family Studies, B.S.

This program is committed to excellence in teaching, research, and service regarding human development and close relationships across the lifespan. Students can choose from three programs of study:

• Child, Youth, and Family Development prepares students for careers in family, governmental, and community service agencies that serve children, adolescents, adults, the elderly, and their families.
• Birth-kindergarten Teacher Licensure prepares students to teach in public Kindergarten and NC pre-K classrooms.
• Early Care and Education prepares students for working with young children with and without disabilities in diverse cultural, school, and family contexts.

Program Distinctions

• The Princeton Review recently reported that UNCG’s HDFS programs receive “enthusiastic praise from current students.”
• UNCG’s on-campus child care program provides a lab setting for you to gain hands-on experience working with young children in an educational setting.
• HDFS is ranked #1 Best Human Development and Family Studies colleges in North Carolina 2021 by Universities.com; and #1 Best Online Bachelor’s in Human and Family Development Programs by BestColleges.com.
• Faculty are renowned experts in early childhood development, care, and education; parent-child relationships; adolescence; close relationships, marriage, and divorce; and human development and family diversity in sociocultural context.
• HDFS operates a variety of research and educational centers, including the Child & Family Research Network; Child Care Education Program; North Carolina Rated License Assessment Project; Early Childhood Leadership & Policy Network; Triad Child Study; and the National Research Center on Hispanic Children & Families.

The Student Experience

• Undergraduate students serve as research assistants for a variety of projects within Human Development and Family Studies.
• Students connect through the Collaborative of HDFS Professionals student group.
• Students work on HDFS Disciplinary Honors projects under the supervision of HDFS faculty members.
• HDFS and the Department of Social Work offer a language and culture immersion in Costa Rica every other summer as an opportunity for students to increase knowledge of Latinx culture and improve Spanish language skills. Students have daily language instruction and stay with Costa Rican families.

After Graduation

• Graduates have attended graduate school for counseling; social work; human development and family studies; public health education; student personnel administration in higher education; and early childhood literacy employment.
• Potential career paths include:
  • Psychologist
  • School Counselor
  • Case Manager
  • Social Worker 
  • Development Consultant
  • Teacher
  • Research Technician
  • Family Outreach Coordinator
  • Residential Care Planner
  • Military Family Support Manager
• Graduates have secured employment at the UNCG Child Care Education Program; Guilford Child Development; Guilford County Schools; Our Children’s Community School; Head Start and Early Head Start programs; individually owned family child care homes; UNC TEACCH Autism Program; Tristan’s Quest; Family and Consumer Sciences; Greensboro Pregnancy Care Center; Act Together Crisis Center—Youth Focus; YWCA of Greensboro; and the Department of Social Services.

Apply to Program

• Birth Through Kindergarten Teacher Licensure
• Early Care Education

Undergraduate Minor

• Human Development and Family Studies Undergraduate Minor