The program prepares you to work with children, adults, and families throughout the lifespan in a broad range of settings. The developmental orientation of the program is designed to provide a thorough understanding of every major developmental period in life in multiple contexts from birth to adolescence, to working with mid-life and older adults. It includes child, adult, and family development classes in the Department of Social and Public Health, with a life span emphasis, as well as courses that include diversity in families, family ties and aging, human sexualities, the impact of stress and trauma, and death and dying. Professional skill development is an essential part of the program and intended to give students the practical skill set needed by human services specialists. Required courses from other departments or programs include early childhood education, health, psychology, sociology, and social work. Also required are a 75 hour practicum and a 600 hour full-time internship. These provide practical experience and the opportunity to integrate theory and course content into real-life situations. The program also is designed to provide a strong foundation for those students who plan to go on to graduate school. The child and family studies program offers three different concentrations to choose from: child, adult, and family services; child life; and family gerontology.

With an accumulation of over 700 hours of service-learning, practicum, and internship experiences (includes 600 hour final internship, 75 hour practicum, and required service-learning hours built into selected courses), students who graduate from this program will have ample opportunities to explore career options, gain valuable experience, and develop/refine marketable skills. Child and family studies graduates find employment in many areas of human services, including child and family services, adolescent groups homes, rehabilitation centers, community programs for the developmentally disabled, senior citizen centers and facilities, family planning centers, mental health agencies, probation services, emergency shelters, adult foster care, hospice, hospitals, 4-H programs, and other agencies that assist families and individuals in crisis. The child and family studies program offers three different concentrations to choose from: child, adult, and family services; child life: and family gerontology. All three concentrations are designed to provide a strong foundation for those students who plan to go on to graduate school.