Degree Outlines & Course Descriptions

Undergraduate Degree Outlines (with Semester-by-Semester Timelines)

Bachelor of Science in Family and Consumer Sciences (B.S.F.C.S.) Major in Human Development and Family Sciences

Required Courses (2025)

Human Development Courses

  • HDFS 1351: Lifespan Development
  • HDFS 2351: Child Development1
  • HDFS 3394: Adolescent Development1

Family Sciences Courses

  • HDFS 1355: Introduction to Family Relationships
  • HDFS 3359: Contemporary Families1
  • HDFS 4355: Family Theory1
  • HDFS 4351: Families in Context1   OR 
       HDFS 4358: Latinx Youth and Families2

Application Courses

  • HDFS 2353: Principles of Guidance1
  • HDFS 4301: Internship in Human Development and Family Sciences
  • HDFS 4352: Administration of Programs for Children  OR  
       HDFS 4356: Administration of Human Service Organizations3

Research Courses

  • HDFS 2311: Statistics and Data Analysis for HDFS  OR  
       MATH 2328: Elementary Statistics  OR  
       PSY 2301: Introduction to Statistics  OR  
       SOCI 3307: STAT BEH SCI
  • HDFS 4302D: Professional Development in HDFS  OR  
        FCS 3303: Intro to Research in Family & Consumer Sciences
  • FCS 4303: Research Procedures in Family and Consumer Sciences1

Career Interest Courses (12 Hours Needed)

  • HDFS 3344. Introduction to Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health
  • HDFS 3351. Creative Experiences for Children1
  • HDFS 3356. Introduction to Early Childhood Intervention1
  • HDFS 3358. Practicum in Child Development
  • HDFS 4302A/HDFS 4354. Play and Child Development1
  • HDFS 4302B/HDFS 4357. Grief and Bereavement1 or SOCI 3384. The Sociology of Death and Dying
  • HDFS 4302C. Human Welfare Across the Lifespan
  • HDFS 4304. Conducting Research with Latinx Adolescent Families
  • HDFS 4305. Conducting Research in Early Childhood
  • HDFS 4353. Introduction to Child Life1
  • HDFS 4391. Independent Study in Human Development and Family Sciences
  • COMM 3326. Family Communication
  • COMM 4351. Relational Communication
  • SPED 2360. Survey of Exceptionalities
  • SOWK 4315. Child Welfare

School Electives (6 Hours Needed)

  • Select from FCS, HDFS, CA, FM, ID, or NUTR courses

1 HDFS courses that have been pre-approved to meet the academic eligibility requirements for Child Life certification. 

2Students who take both HDFS 4351 and HDFS 4358 can utilize the second course as a Career Interest Course. Please contact Dr. Edna Alfaro (ea21@txstate.edu) to submit this substitution request. 

3Students who take both HDFS 4352 and HDFS 4356 can utilize the second course as a Career Interest Course. Please contact Dr. Edna Alfaro (ea21@txstate.edu) to submit this substitution request.