Credit Hours
Career Outcomes
Internship
Honors Program
About the Program
The Human Development and Family Science program prepares Carolina undergraduates — motivated to make a difference in the lives of individuals, families, and communities — for careers in human services and beyond, as well as a range of graduate programs. Students take interdisciplinary coursework that builds foundational knowledge of children, families, and the diverse contexts that shape development.
Program Benefits
- Build a strong foundation for working with children, families, and communities
- Study education, psychology, human development, family science, health, and sociology
- Prepare for a wide range of post-graduation opportunities, including specialized graduate study
- Benefit from high-impact, real-world internship experiences for 100% of students
- Join the close-knit, mission-driven School of Education community
“The HDFS program has provided me with some of my favorite classes at Carolina, and ultimately introduced me to my intended career! I have such a foundation in theories of child development and understanding of how to work with children and families, which has set me up nicely for graduate programs that will dive deeper into the same topics.”Erin Champion '21 — Certified Child Life Specialist
Become a Certified Family Life Educator
Family Life Education is the practice of equipping and empowering family members to develop knowledge and skills that enhance well-being and strengthen interpersonal relationships through an educational, preventive, and strengths-based approach.
The Human Development & Family Science program has been recognized by the National Council on Family Relations (NCFR) as a program offering coursework that fulfills the requirements for the Certified Family Life Educator (CFLE) credential.