The Human and Family Development minor is an interdisciplinary minor concerned with the study of life-span human development and family relations, and the impact of biological, environmental and socio-cultural factors on both. The HFD minor encompasses a broad range of areas: Early Intervention, Gerontology, Early Childhood, Normal Development, Family Development, and Exceptional Development. The minor is designed to supplement the knowledge base of students by providing a human and family development specialty orientation to their fields of major interest. Students with career goals that include communications, psychology, education, social work, sociology, anthropology, pre-medical sciences, nursing, and physical therapy will benefit from the specialty orientation in human and family development. Students with other career goals also will find the program rewarding; a business major interested in family service administration or consumer economics; a radio-television major interested in children's programming; a forestry major interested in recreational management appropriate for a particular population.
Human and family development encompasses a broad range of topics, all of which share the view that human growth is a valid subject of scientific study. Knowledge of the processes and contents of psychological, social and biological growth of the individual separately and within the family context will benefit the quality of life of both the student/investigator and the public. The purpose of this program is to equip students with a general knowledge of issues relevant to normal and atypical patterns of human and family development and to provide them with some practical skills and insights which will enhance their abilities in a variety of professions which deal with developmental and family issues. The minor has general, early intervention, and gerontology tracks.
The interdisciplinary curriculum reflects four specific goals: (1) to provide students with an extensive knowledge base of theory and research concerning lifespan development and the role of the family in development; (2) to train students to be critical consumers of research and evaluation results in the human and family development areas; (3) to provide students with practical experience in at least one applied service discipline in the human development areas; and (4) to provide students with the opportunity to take topical courses in normal and atypical development of the individual and family.
All students seeking a minor must formally enroll in the minor and select a faculty advisor from the Human and Family Development Committee.
To earn a minor the student must complete 24 credits, with 11 at the 300 level or above. All students are required to take a 12-credit core curriculum and, with the help of a faculty advisor, to develop a written statement of goals and interests along with a planned curriculum that includes 12 additional credits of electives consistent with the stated goals and interests. At least 6 credits of electives must be outside of the student's major.
One of the following:
Plus one of the following research courses:
The following list of electives is categorized to assist the student wishing to focus on one of these areas. Students may plan curricula which do not correspond to these categories, but should choose among courses from this list. Occasionally "special topics" courses are offered. Students may use these as electives with the consent of their advisors.
Dan Doyle, Ph.D., University of Washington, 1984 (Professor, Sociology)
Christine Fiore, Ph.D., University of Rode Island, 1990 (Professor, Psychology)
Ann Garfinkle, Ph.D., University of Washington, 1995 (Associate Professor, Education)
Shannon Guilfoyle, M.Ed., The University of Montana, 2002 (COTEACH Preschool Coordinator, Education)
Susan Harper-Whalen, Ed.M., Harvard University, 1984 (Research Faculty, Education)
Lynne S. Koester, Ph.D., University of Wisconsin, Madison, 1976 (Professor, Psychology)
Ted Maloney, M.A. (Adjunct Assistant Professor, Rural Institute: Center for Excellence in Disability Education, Research and Service)
Susie Morrison, Ed.S., The University of Montana, 1995 (Assistant Research Professor, Psychology)
Lucy Hart Paulson, M.S., University of Illinois, 1980 (Research Assistant Professor, Education)
Audrey Peterson, M.S., Pennsylvania State University, 1970 (Professor, Education)
Alan Sillars, Ph.D., University of Wisconsin, 1980 (Professor, Communication Studies)
Paul Silverman, Ph.D., University of Georgia, 1977 (Professor, Psychology)
John Spores, Ph.D., University of Michigan, 1976 (Professor, Social Work)
Meg Traci, Ph.D., The University of Montana, 2000 (Project Director, Rural Institute: Center for Excellence in Disability Education, Research and Service)
Richard van den Pol, Ph.D., Western Michigan University, 1981 (Professor, Education)
Kimberly A. Wallace, Ph.D., University of Notre Dame, 1999 (Associate Professor, Psychology)
Celia Winkler, Ph.D., University of Oregon, 1996 (Professor, Sociology)
R- before the course description indicates the course may be repeated for credit to the maximum indicated after the R. Credits beyond this maximum do not count toward a degree.
Human and Family Development (HFD) - Course Descriptions
199, 298, 399, 490, 494, 495, 498