B.S. Human Development & Family Studies

Broadening Human Horizons

UW-Stout's NCFR-accredited Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Human Development & Family Studies (HDFS) is dedicated to the study of human development and family life in which the individual, family, and community are viewed as interrelated. It is an interdisciplinary field that draws from other social sciences but has established distinct assumptions, approaches to studying families, and worldviews. A multidisciplinary approach provides students with both a broad perspective and specialized knowledge.

Note: The B.S. Human Development & Family Studies program has suspended admission for on-campus instruction. Students interested in human development and family studies are encouraged to apply for the online modality. 

• B.S. Human Development & Family Studies Online

Career-Defining Curriculum

Our goal is to foster positive sensitivity to the needs of families and their members through the lenses of relationships, culture, gender, age, and life stage, among others. UW-Stout's Human Development and Family Studies program has a strong, established reputation of preparing our graduates to work in a variety of human service related areas.

Program Highlights

• An established and highly reputable program
• Award-winning instructors
• Applied learning opportunities
• Professional networking opportunities
• Excellent employment in the field
• Proven preparation for graduate school

Prepare to Take Your Career Further in Law

UW-Stout's B.S. Human Development & Family Studies has been reviewed by the National Council on Family Relations and has been recognized as an NCFR CFLE-approved program offering coursework covering the content required for the Certified Family Life Educator (CFLE) designation. Graduates of NCFR CFLE-approved programs qualify to apply for the CFLE designation via an Abbreviated Application process.

Industry-Experienced Faculty Instruction

Forget TA-taught classes and 200-person lectures. At UW-Stout, building close relationships with our industry-experienced and academically accomplished human development and family studies faculty will play a key role in your polytechnic education and your career. Learn more about your future instructors!

Meet the Human Development & Family Studies Faculty

Professional Internship Placements in Human Development & Family Studies

Take your education into industry and earn while you learn through UW-Stout’s award-winning Cooperative Education & Internship Program (CEIP) and other placements. Unlike traditional internships, our professional paid and pro bono credit-earning experiences connect you with leaders in your field, including healthcare providers, impactful non-profits, and human social services agencies, to ensure you’re set up for success long before you graduate. More than a third of Stout students accept positions after graduation with their internship employer.

Program Objectives

Upon completing the B.S. HDFS program, students will be able to:

• Demonstrate professional competence in educational, civic, and career settings.
• Integrate knowledge of family dynamics to enhance relational functioning.
• Demonstrate cultural competence, inclusive of multiple aspects and intersections of diversity within a historical and social context.
• Integrate understanding of the developmental processes in individuals across the lifespan, based on physical, social, emotional, cognitive, moral, and personality aspects within an ecological framework.
• Critique social scientific knowledge as applied to families and human development.
• Evaluate the impacts among and between societal institutions and families.
• Demonstrate personal and interpersonal growth.
• Demonstrate competent communication skills.

Our program is designed for students ranging from incoming freshmen who are beginning their professional journey to transfer students who are wishing to advance their professional opportunities. The excellent transferability of credits assists transfer students in completing their degree in a timely manner.