Application Deadlines:
Deadline for Spring 2023: Oct. 11, 2022
Priority deadline for Fall 2023: Feb 14, 2023 at 11:59pm
Final Deadline: April 11, 2023 at 11:59pm
Applicants will be reviewed on a first come first basis up until the deadline and/or until enrollment capacity is reached; so applicants are encouraged to complete their application early!
Admission requirements
- 2.5 minimum GPA
- Personal Essay
- Resume
GPA Requirement
Students may apply after they’ve established a UNC-Chapel Hill cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher. We take a holistic approach to admissions and recognize that a GPA reflects only one facet of a candidate’s preparation for acceptance into the HDFS program.
Personal Essay
Describe the process by which you became interested in a degree in HDFS and the human services field. You may include educational, professional, volunteer, and personal experiences that contributed to your interest in working with families (children, youth, families, couples/adults). Your statement should also include your perspective of serving in diverse contexts. Diverse contexts mean your experiences or view about working with diverse groups and settings which may include race/ethnicity, immigration, religion, sexual orientation, gender, socioeconomic status, and other areas of diversity. Discuss your professional goals and describe how a degree in HDFS will prepare you for accomplishing those goals.
Resume
A standard resume is required. Career services can assist you with preparing a resume. Please be sure to include your experiences working with children or adults, either through work, volunteer efforts, and extra-curricular activities, along with the duration of each experience. For extra-curricular activities at UNC-Chapel Hill, describe any special roles you have fulfilled, such as being an officer or heading a committee. Some of this information could be included in your essay.
How to Apply
If you are a current undergraduate student at UNC-Chapel Hill
To apply to the HDFS major, you must first request a major change within ConnectCarolina.
Once you have submitted the request to change your major in ConnectCarolina, you will receive an email from UNC’s application system, Slate, that includes a link to the online application. Please note that it may take 24-72 hours to receive the application email.
All application materials are submitted electronically. No hard copy materials are accepted. By submitting an application to the UNC-Chapel Hill School of Education, consent is granted to university staff to obtain any additional or missing information as needed, including Campus Safety Information.
If you are a transfer student from another university
You may transfer into the HDFS program as a junior transfer student.
How to apply as a transfer student:
- Create an account and start your Common Application.
- Submit the Common Application, the Common Application supplement, and application fee.
- For the School of Education Common Application supplement, upload your response to the following question: “Why are you interested in pursuing the Human Development and Family Studies major?”
- Submit official transcripts from all secondary and post-secondary schools to:
Office of Undergraduate Admissions
Jackson Hall, Campus Box 2200
Chapel Hill, NC 27599-2200
After you submit your application, you will receive instructions for creating your MyCarolina account, which will allow you to view the status of your application, including your admission decision. Be sure to check your MyCarolina account frequently for important application updates.
Transfer student application deadlines:
You must complete all application steps by February 15, 2023. You will be notified of an admissions decision by mid-April.
Review Process
Admissions decisions are made by the HDFS faculty on the basis of review of each applicant’s particular profile of strengths in relation to the program’s concentrations and capacity. Admitted students have different profiles. Some, for example, have extremely high grade point averages, whereas others have unusually strong service and professional interests related to HDFS, or strong potential for serving the unique needs of diverse individuals, families and communities.
Upon Admission
Students who are accepted, must accept their offer of admission in ConnectCarolina in order to officially declare the HDFS major. Students have until August of the admission year to accept their offer of admissions. We encourage students to accept or deny admissions with 14 days of notification. Early acceptance allows you to enroll in courses that are reserved for HDFS majors only.