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Studies & Degrees in Family and Human Development

Family and human development is the study of how people grow and change from infancy to old age, and of how families form, function and cope with difficulty. It draws on psychology, sociology, education and health. In the United States, where the subject is most common as a degree in its own right, it is usually called human development and family science (HDFS) or family studies. In Spain it is taught mainly at postgraduate level, under names such as ciencias de la familia or orientación y mediación familiar.

Students learn about child and adolescent development, adulthood and ageing, couple and family relationships, parenting, and the services that support families. Illinois State University describes its HDFS major as preparing students to provide educational, preventive and intervention services to individuals and families. Purdue University organises its graduate research around three developmental periods: infancy and childhood, adolescence, and adulthood and ageing.

Qualifications and levels

  • Associate degrees and certificates. Two-year community colleges in the United States teach child development and family studies as a first step towards work in childcare or towards transfer to a university.
  • Bachelor's degrees. Illinois State University offers Human Development and Family Science with both a B.A. and a B.S. plan of study. The Department of Human Development and Family Science at Purdue University lists four majors: Early Childhood Education and Exceptional Needs, Developmental and Family Science, Family and Consumer Sciences Education, and Human Services.
  • Professional credentials. In the United States the National Council on Family Relations awards the Certified Family Life Educator (CFLE) credential. Illinois State University states that its HDFS major is an approved programme for provisional CFLE certification, so graduates who complete the required coursework can apply without sitting the certification exam.
  • Master's degrees and doctorates. Purdue University describes its graduate programme as research-focused; it prepares students to conduct research that informs policies and practices for individuals and families. Marriage and family therapy is a separate route that requires a master's degree and a state licence in the United States.
  • Spain. Official bachelor's degrees (grados) have 240 ECTS credits and official master's degrees have 60, 90 or 120 ECTS credits. The Máster Universitario en Orientación y Mediación Familiar of the Universidad Pontificia de Salamanca (UPSA) is an official degree of 60 ECTS credits, taught fully online in Spanish over one academic year of two semesters, with 25 places. UPSA states that its Instituto Superior de Ciencias de la Familia taught the programme as the university's own qualification from 1980 and that it was accredited as an official master's degree in 2014.

Where to study

SpainExchange lists 10 active schools for family and human development. Six are in the United States, two in Spain, and one each in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and in Russia.

The schools in the United States include Purdue University in Indiana, Illinois State University, West Virginia University, and two community colleges, Redlands Community College in Oklahoma and Western Nevada College. In Spain the list has the Universidad Pontificia de Salamanca and the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC), an online university based in Barcelona. The list also includes Richmond Vale Academy in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Rostov State Medical University in Russia.

Programmes in the United States are taught in English. The UPSA master's degree is taught in Spanish. Check the language of instruction and the entry requirements of each programme before applying.

Careers

Graduates work with children, young people, older adults and families in social services, schools, childcare, health settings and non-profit organisations. Illinois State University lists family life and parent education, social service, camp and residential care programmes, child care and crisis intervention as fields for its graduates. It also names family science, marriage and family therapy, counselling, social work and child life as areas of graduate study. Purdue University lists academic and research careers for its graduate programme, such as professor, extension specialist and research scientist.

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes outlooks for several related occupations in the United States. It projects employment of social and human service assistants to grow 7 percent from 2025 to 2035. Advancement from that occupation to case management or social work requires a bachelor's or master's degree in human services, counselling, social work or a related field. Social and community service managers, who typically need at least a bachelor's degree and work experience, are also projected to grow 7 percent. Employment of marriage and family therapists is projected to grow 14 percent in the same period; they typically need a master's degree, and every state requires a licence.

In Spain, UPSA states that its official master's degree allows graduates to register in the Registro de Mediadores of the Ministry of Justice and to work as family mediators.

Frequently asked questions

Is family and human development the same as psychology or social work?

No. It shares content with both, but it focuses on normal development across the lifespan and on families, and on education and prevention more than on clinical treatment. Work as a therapist or a social worker usually needs a further professional qualification.

Can I become a family therapist with a bachelor's degree in this subject?

Not in the United States. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, marriage and family therapists need a master's degree, and all states require them to be licensed.

Can I study this subject in Spain?

Yes, mainly at master's level. The Universidad Pontificia de Salamanca offers an official master's degree in family guidance and mediation of 60 ECTS credits, taught online in Spanish.

What is a Certified Family Life Educator?

It is a professional credential of the National Council on Family Relations in the United States. Graduates of approved programmes, such as the HDFS major at Illinois State University, can apply through an abbreviated procedure.