What you will study
The University of Central Missouri offers a comprehensive curriculum to give you foundational
and practical knowledge in the field. You’ll take core courses on child and family
development and relationships. The remaining program courses are electives that you
can select based on your interests, such as divorce, youth culture and health issues.
Some of our most popular courses include:
- Child and Adolescent Development: Get an introduction to major theories and research on child and adolescent development.
You’ll learn the dynamic forces underlying growth and change, such as physical, cognitive
and psychosocial development.
- Family Systems and Lifespan Development: Study family relationships and human development with a focus on change over the course
of the family life cycle. You’ll complete a family genogram — a graphic representation
of the patterns and psychological factors that affect relationships.
- Addiction and the Family: Learn about various addictions, with an emphasis on substance use disorders and their
effect on individuals, families and communities. You’ll participate in support group
and community agency visits.
- Resilience in Children and Adolescents: Study selected theories and research on situations that place children and adolescents
at risk for emotional, behavioral and academic problems. In addition, you’ll discuss
research on stress/coping and resilience.
Excellence in Human Development and Family Science
- A Best Value School based on academic quality and cost of attendance (U.S. News & World Report, 2022)
- #5: Best Child Development Degree Program based on flexibility, faculty, course strength,
cost and reputation (Intelligent.com, 2022)
- A Plains States Region, Most Focused College for Human Development & Family Studies (College Factual, 2022)
- Top 15%: Most Popular College for Child Development ranked (College Factual, 2022)
- Top 15%: Most Popular College for Human Development & Family Studies (College Factual, 2022)
Unique learning opportunities in human development and family science
The University of Central Missouri’s Human Development and Family Science minor offers
a comprehensive curriculum rooted in sound theoretical framework and contemporary
research, hands-on professional learning experiences with children and families in
varied settings, strong support and valuable guidance and leadership opportunities.
In addition to classroom experiences, you’ll learn and grow through extracurricular
opportunities such as student organizations. Through these activities, you can socialize
and learn with peers and build your professional network. Central’s Society for Child
and Family Development, Children in Health Care and Medical Play, Recovery Central
and Pre-Marriage and Family Therapy are some of the student organizations we offer.
What can you do with a minor in Human Development and Family Science from UCM?
After finishing a minor in Human Development and Family Science, along with a bachelor’s
degree, many of our graduates go on to pursue graduate degrees in Marriage and Family
Therapy, Counseling, Mental Health and Human Development and Family Science. If you
plan to enter the job market right after earning your undergraduate degree, you’ll
be well-suited for a career in a variety of settings, such as:
- Childcare centers
- Churches
- Hospitals
- Schools
- Shelters
- Government agencies
Explore careers related to human development and family science
Use the tool below to explore career pathways related to human development and family
science. Explore income potential, projected job growth and related employment data.
Financial assistance options for your Human Development and Family Science minor
The University of Central Missouri offers multiple ways for you to finance your college education through scholarships, work-study opportunities, grants and awards. In addition to
our already low tuition, 94% of UCM undergraduates receive financial aid. In fact,
UCM has been ranked as a top overall university nationally for low student debt by
LendEDU.
In addition to the scholarships available through the university, many program-specific
scholarships are available based on your undergraduate major and academic achievements.
Check with your bachelor’s degree program to learn about scholarships available or
for assistance in finding external scholarships related to your industry. You can
learn more about program-specific scholarships with the .
Meet Dr. Jaimee Hartenstein
Certified Family Life Educator
Dr. Hartenstein serves as the program coordinator as well as a faculty member, teaching
classes related to child development, family relationships and divorce. She is particularly
interested in the topics of divorce and child custody and has focused her research
in these areas. She has shared her findings in multiple publications and presentations
across the United States.
Meet Dr. Joyce Chang
International scholar
Dr. Chang has taught in the Netherlands, Sweden, Taiwan and the United States. She
draws on her research in high-risk behaviors, child maltreatment, relationship development
and impacts of technology on families to enhance learning in the courses she teaches
at UCM. Dr. Chang is also the advisor for CHAMP (Children Health Care and Medical
Play), a UCM-recognized student organization.
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UCM's Human Development and Family Science program is a National Council on Family
Relations Certified Family Life Educator approved program. When you pursue a minor
in Human Development and Family Science at UCM, you are on the path to earning your
Certified Family Life Educator credential.
