Make an immediate and profound difference in the lives of children, families and adults with a B.S. in Human Development and Family Science from Georgia Southern.
Locations
- Statesboro Campus (In Person)
- Armstrong Campus (In Person)
- Online
Why Major in Human Development and Family Science?
- Help children, families and adults grow through their entire lives.
- Gain firsthand experience working with infants and toddlers at our on-campus Child Development Center.
- Complete a full-time internship at a camp, family therapy clinic or another location.
- Over 75% of graduates gain immediate employment.
- 124 credit hours to completion.
Life is long, and learning never stops. With a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Human Development and Family Science degree from Georgia Southern University, you’ll be in a position to help people grow, adapt and rise to face a number of challenges, no matter how old or young they may be. Exploring outside and relationship-based influences, the program takes a family-oriented approach to lifespan development. Coursework focuses on all age groups, including prenatal, infants, toddlers, preschoolers, grade-schoolers, adolescents and adults.
While those attending our Statesboro campus have the opportunity to work in our onsite Child Development Center, we encourage every student to build real-world experience while interning, volunteering or shadowing a working professional. In the process, our students acquire the tools to enrich and uplift the lives of others by the time they graduate.
Ready to Apply?
What Can You Do With a Bachelor’s in Human Development and Family Science?
Unlike an education degree, a bachelor’s in human development and family science prepares you for careers across the spectrum of lived experience. You could become a teacher or work in a range of other settings, from adoption agencies to assisted living centers. Across all careers, you’re helping individuals live their best lives while developing the tools they can draw on again and again.
Where our graduates work:
- Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta
- Georgia Department of Juvenile Services
- Memorial Health
- State of Georgia Department of Family and Children Services
- UGA Cooperative Extension and 4H Programs
What our graduates do:
- Case manager
- Kindergarten teacher
- Parent-child educator
- Social worker
- Volunteer service coordinator
What You’ll Learn
In this major, you’ll build an understanding of the developmental needs and choices of individuals throughout their lives. Electives and required courses cover topics such as birth-to-5 developmental theory, helping children with special needs, parent education, death and bereavement, and more.
Graduates will:
- Recognize physical, mental and social wellness.
- Develop problem-solving skills.
- Analyze interpersonal relationships.
- Establish bases for conflict resolution.
Pathways
Start working toward your career goals from day one with a specialized track. Options range from birth through adulthood.
Family Services Career Pathway
Learn to address issues individuals, families and communities face across the lifespan. Prepare for a career as a social worker or case manager or in legal and public policy. Offered at the Statesboro campus or online.
Child Development Career Pathway
Put developmental theory into practice in this pathway, which will teach you to work with infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and kindergarteners and their families as you promote child and youth development.
Build Your Experience
Why wait to build on-the-job experience? At Georgia Southern, you can start while you’re still in class.
Child Development Center
Work with infants as young as 6 weeks old in our Child Development Center, located on our Statesboro campus. Observation areas and lab facilities provide insight into the earliest lifespan stages.
Get Involved
You don’t have to leave campus to explore the field. Student groups such as the Human Development and Family Science Club and the Georgia Southern Child Life Organization create settings for establishing connections and fostering your interests.
Internships
Few professions are as relationship-driven as the ones you’ll prepare for in this major. Internships at the Children’s Camp in Georgia, Valdosta Marriage and Family Therapy, and other campus partners help you access both experience and vital professional connections.
“This major is so much more than being a teacher. This major is all-encompassing — you get psychology, sociology, teaching and more.”
Want to Learn More?
Explore essential information about our B.S. in Human Development and Family Science program, including application details, accreditation status, and licensing disclosures. Gain insight into the program’s credibility and requirements to help you start your journey toward success with the knowledge you need.
Follow these steps to complete the Georgia Southern application:
- Create an application account.
- Complete our online application using the PIN you received after creating your application account.
- Once complete, pay the $30 application fee or upload a valid fee waiver. Previous Georgia Southern applicants and dual enrollment students do not need to pay the fee.
You can check your application status at My.GeorgiaSouthern.edu/admissions three days after completing your application. This page contains live information about your admission status, including a checklist of missing documents we need to make a decision.
Apply as a First-Year Student Transfer to Georgia SouthernIn addition to external scholarships, students in the human development and family science program are eligible for two special scholarships: the Betty Lane Family and Consumer Science Scholarship and the Susie Frances Whitener Educational Scholarship. Those who submit applications by Feb. 1 will be automatically considered for these awards; no separate application is necessary.
Learn More About ScholarshipsAt Georgia Southern, enjoy the flexibility of fully online courses that fit within your busy schedule. For the Family Services Career Pathway, online instructors weave interactive experiences into each course, ensuring you engage at a deeper level.
About Our Online ProgramsFederal law requires colleges and universities to make certain disclosures to prospective students of these programs. These disclosures include information on the University’s authority to operate outside of Georgia, complaint processes, adverse actions and refunds.
For required disclosures in general with regard to online programs offered by the University, visit the Office of Legal Affairs website.
Take a step toward a career in public policy in less time when you embark on Georgia Southern’s Accelerated Bachelor’s to Master’s Pathway. Begin taking graduate classes in public administration while you’re still a senior in our human development and family science program — ultimately earning both degrees in just five years.
All Accelerated Pathways at Georgia SouthernThe School of Human Ecology and the College of Education anticipate that graduates of the HDFS Birth-Kindergarten teacher education program will seek state licenses or certifications.
The programs listed above lead to a Georgia Certificate. Visit the website https://www.gapsc.com/Certification/Home.aspx for more information from the Georgia Professional Standards Commission. The College of Education has not determined where its programs will qualify a graduate to take the required exams in other states or territories. This is the website (https://coe.georgiasouthern.edu/wp-content/uploads/Compliance-Statement-and-Table-July-2020-updated.pdf) to check the requirements of your state or territory.
Faculty Feature
Dr. Jennifer Zorotovich specializes in empathetic learning pedagogy — care she extends to her students. A faculty member here since 2014, Dr. Zorotovich has mentored 40 undergraduates, resulting in 34 scholarly endeavors.
Learn More about Dr. Zorotovich
Related Programs
Take the Next Step
Graduates of Georgia Southern’s B.S. in Human Development and Family Science program help children and adults alike live their best lives. And you can join them.