Human Development and Family Sciences
Overview of Graduate Programs
The Department of Human Development and Family Sciences offers programs leading to the master of arts, master of science, and doctor of philosophy degrees. All HDFS graduate programs offer a strong interdisciplinary background in human development and families.
4+1 Bachelor’s/Master’s Programs
Students in the 4+1 Program in HDFS: Human Services Leadership Concentration will have a pathway to complete a B.S. and M.S. in Human Services Leadership in 5 years. Human Services majors who pursue this option will likely have opportunities for accelerated growth into administrative and policy human service positions as well as more diverse career choices upon completion of this program.
Students in the 4+1 Program in HDFS: Early Childhood Development and Inclusive Education will have a pathway to complete a B.S. and M.S. in 5.5 years. This program will prepare graduates for accelerated growth as direct service providers and advancement to administrative, policy and research positions in early childhood development and related fields.
Master’s Programs
This program emphasizes risk-and- resilience, multi-cultural issues, disabilities, and prevention and intervention. This program is designed to prepare students to be scholarly leaders, researchers or professors in human services and early childhood related fields.
Doctoral Programs
The Ph.D. program in Human Development and Family Sciences is designed to prepare the next generation of scholars for positions as researchers, professors, and leaders in early childhood, human development, family sciences, human services and related fields.
The interdisciplinary Ph.D. in Education and Social Policy program, a collaboration between the College of Education and Human Development and the Joseph R. Biden, Jr. School of Public Policy and Administration, prepares students to ground in an understanding of how education, social and public policy systems work.
Graduate Certificates
The certificate creates a scaffold by which scholars integrate their academic study in community engagement experiences through participation in coursework, community-focused graduate research or creative work, and hands-on experience.
The academic quality of the University of Delaware, and in particular the human development and family sciences department, is unquestionable. The guidance and advice I have received has been invaluable to my success in this program. My professors set the bar high and then they do everything in their power to help me reach it. I feel supported not only in this program but also as a future researcher that will be in the field one day.
Imani LawsonPartner Masters Programs
- Masters in Couple and Family Therapy: Human Services students interested in pursuing a career in Couple and Family Therapy can apply to this masters program at Thomas Jefferson University. This two-year program that provides 500 hours of direct clinical experience.
- Master of Social Service (M.S.S.): Bryn Mawr will waive up to three MSS courses (at their discretion) for students accepted into their program, including a foundational research course, theory course and one elective. In order to waive these courses, UD students will need to have earned a minimum of B+ or higher in the UD courses.
Additional Programs
The School of Education, another department in the College of Education and Human Development, offers Master’s and Ph.D. programs for students interested in positions as researchers, professors, or leaders in the field of education.