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Undergraduate Minor inHuman Development and Family Studies

Program summary

Support your major by learning about a range of topics related to family conflict and human development. This minor is designed to provide an understanding of the ways that people think, behave, and interact in support of a wide range of professional goals.

100% Online

Complete your Penn State course work at your own pace and 100% online.

Credits and costs

18 Credits$632/$678 per credit

Enhance Your Penn State Degree

Add a minor to get even more value out of your education.

Gain Specialized Human Development and Family Studies Knowledge

The minor in human development and family studies (HDFS) can give you an advantage in your chosen career by helping you understand human development and issues related to individuals, families, and communities.

By examining topics that range from how human beings develop over their lifespans to resolving family conflict, you can complement your major course work with knowledge and skills about the ways people think, behave, and interact with each other throughout their lives.

This minor is open to all interested undergraduate World Campus students who meet the prerequisites, but has been most popular among students majoring in criminal justice, international politics, law and society, multidisciplinary studies, nursing, organizational leadership, political science, and psychology.

Online Human Development and Family Studies Courses

To earn a minor in HDFS, you must complete 18 credits of HDFS course work with a grade of C or better.

As a student who minors in HDFS, you are encouraged to tailor the focus of your minor by selecting courses that fit your interests and complement your major area of study.

Requirements of the minor include:

  • HDFS 129: Introduction to Human Development and Family Studies (3 credits)
  • 9 credits of HDFS courses from any level
  • 6 credits of 400-level HDFS courses

Core Courses (3 credits)

  • 3
    credits

    Introduction to psychosocial and family development at all stages of the individual and family life cycle.

Elective Courses (select 15 credits)

At least 6 credits must be at the 400 level.

  • 3
    credits

    Theory, research, and methods of social/behavioral/biological sciences related to developmental processes and intervention during infancy and childhood.

  • 3
    credits

    Social, behavioral, and biological development and intervention throughout adolescence.

  • 3
    credits

    Physiological, psychological, and social development and intervention from young adulthood through old age.

  • 3
    credits

    Examines bases for choices among values in personal and professional relations in human development processes and supporting services.

  • 3
    credits

    Survey of individual and family formal and informal intervention efforts; historical and current perspectives and approaches.

    • Prerequisite

      HDFS 129

  • 3
    credits

    Introduction to the skills involved in critical thinking in general and the methods of empirical inquiry in particular.

    • Prerequisite

      a grade of C or better required in EDPSY 101 or STAT 200

  • 3
    credits

    Family functions over the life course; family from a multidisciplinary perspective, emphasizing adaptation and change.

    • Prerequisite

      HDFS 129 or 3 credits in social, behavioral, or human biological sciences

  • 3
    credits

    Theory and research related to interpersonal conditions which facilitate personal growth; intensive interpersonal competency training.

    • Prerequisite

      (HDFS 311 and HDFS 312W) or 6 credits in human development and family studies or psychology

  • 3
    credits

    Strategies for, and roles of professional specialists in, the solution of problems in human development and family functioning.

    • Prerequisite

      HDFS 312W and 6 credits in human development and family studies or psychology

  • 3
    credits

    Dynamics of family interaction; effects of parenthood, sibling and intergeneration relationships on family solidarity.

    • Prerequisite

      HDFS 312W and (HDFS 315Y or HDFS 315W)

  • 3
    credits

    Conceptual analysis, assessment, and empirical investigation of normal and deviant development, prenatal through first two years of life.

    • Prerequisite

      (HDFS 229 or PSYCH 212) and HDFS 312W

  • 3
    credits

    Processes of development during childhood from birth to adolescence. Emphasis on theory, method, and empirical research.

    • Prerequisite

      (HDFS 229 or PSYCH 212) and HDFS 312W

  • 3
    credits

    Conceptual analysis and empirical investigation of interrelationships between developmental processes during the period of pubertal growth.

    • Prerequisite

      HDFS 239 and HDFS 312W

  • 3
    credits

    Fundamentals of program development and administration of human service programs in community settings; emphasis given to program content, strategies, and the overall planning process.

    • Prerequisite

      HDFS 311

Note: As part of the course planning process, consult with an adviser as early as possible to be sure you will meet the prerequisites for courses you plan to use toward completion of the minor. For instance, with proper planning, completing HDFS 229 (which is a prerequisite of HDFS 428) can count toward the 9-credit block of HDFS courses from any level. Then, you will be eligible to take HDFS 428, which would count toward the 6-credit block of 400-level HDFS courses.

Course Availability

If you're ready to see when your courses will be offered, visit our public LionPATH course search (opens in new window) to start planning ahead.

Costs and Financial Aid

Learn about this program's tuition, fees, scholarship opportunities, grants, payment options, and military benefits.

Costs and Financial Aid

Undergraduate Tuition

Undergraduate tuition is calculated based on the number of credits for which you register and the number of total credits you have accrued at or transferred to Penn State.

Tuition is due shortly after each semester begins and rates are assessed every semester of enrollment.

2024–25 Academic Year Rates

Tuition rates for the fall 2024, spring 2025, and summer 2025 semesters.
How many credits do you plan to take per semester?If you have 59 or fewer creditsIf you have 60 or more credits
11 or fewer$632 per credit$678 per credit
12–19$7,678 per semester$8,288 per semester

2025–26 Academic Year Rates

Tuition rates for the fall 2025, spring 2026, and summer 2026 semesters.
How many credits do you plan to take per semester?If you have 59 or fewer creditsIf you have 60 or more credits
11 or fewer$638 per credit$685 per credit
12–19$7,755 per semester$8,371 per semester

Undergraduate students taking more than 19 credits will be charged the flat tuition rate plus the regular per credit hour rate for each credit above 19. 

Financial Aid and Military Benefits

Some students may qualify for financial aid. Take the time to research financial aid, scholarships, and payment options as you prepare to apply. Federal financial aid may only be used to pay for credits used to satisfy program requirements.

Military service members, veterans, and their spouses or dependents should explore these potential military education benefits and financial aid opportunities, as well.

Additional Cost of Attendance Details

To view the detailed list of cost of attendance elements:

Convenient Online Format

This program's convenient online format gives you the flexibility you need to study around your busy schedule. You can skip the lengthy commute without sacrificing the quality of your education and prepare yourself for more rewarding career opportunities without leaving your home.

A Trusted Leader in Online Education

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Penn State has a history of more than 100 years of distance education, and World Campus has been a leader in online learning for more than two decades. Our online learning environment offers the same quality education that our students experience on campus.

How to Add a Minor to Your Degree

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You must be a current student and meet specific requirements to apply for a minor.

Application Instructions

Steps to Apply

  1. To be eligible for admittance into this minor, you must:

    • be a current Penn State undergraduate student in your fifth semester and be in a bachelor's degree major
    • maintain a grade of C or better in all courses for the minor
    • confirm that the minor code and major code do not match
  2. Talk with your academic adviser about incorporating the minor into your major and to develop a semester-by-semester plan for meeting requirements. You should add the minor as early as possible, but you can apply up to the late drop deadline of your graduating semester.

  3. Add the minor in LionPATH

    You will receive a confirmation email once you declare the minor in LionPATH.

Admissions Help

Please work with your adviser if you have questions about adding a minor. You can find your adviser's contact information in your student portal or by calling advising at 814-863-3283.

Contact Us

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Have questions or want more information? We're happy to talk.

To learn more about the Minor in Human Development and Family Studies, offered in partnership with the Penn State College of Health and Human Development, please contact:

World Campus Advising
Phone: 814-863-3283
[email protected]