Many students pursuing a degree in Human Development and Family Studies plan to apply to graduate or professional programs in a variety of health professions. The Pre-Health Professions concentration prepares students for these careers and supports their goals of obtaining graduate training. Some of the careers students in this concentration pursue are nurse, dentist, occupational therapist, physical therapist, optometrist, pharmacist, veterinarian, allied health practitioner, anesthesiologist assistant, child life specialist, chiropractor, dentist, medical doctor, music therapist, naturopathic or complementary medicine practitioner, physician's assistant, podiatrist, public health educator, or speech and language pathologist. The courses within this concentration include a focus on science and are designed to prepare students to work with individuals (and their families) with disabilities, mental and physical illness, or those experiencing death, dying, or grief. In addition, students in this concentration are strongly encouraged to consult with the Health Professions Advising team in the Collaborative for Student Achievement for the specific course (and corresponding course prerequisite) recommendations based on the credentials that they are pursuing, as the prerequisite requirements vary for graduate and professional programs.
Effective Fall 2024
A minimum grade of C (2.000) is required in all courses used to satisfy the requirements of the Major in Human Development and Family Studies, Pre-Health Professions Concentration. Courses used as substitutions also require a minimum grade of C (2.000).
| Freshman | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| AUCC | Credits | ||
| CO 150 | College Composition (GT-CO2) | 1A | 3 |
| HDFS 101 | Individual and Family Development (GT-SS3) | 3C | 3 |
| HDFS 277 | Introductory Seminar in HDFS | 1 | |
| Select two courses from the following: | 6 | ||
| General Psychology (GT-SS3) | 3C | ||
| Introduction to Sociology (GT-SS3) | 3C | ||
| Public Speaking | |||
| Select one course from the following: | 3-4 | ||
| Humans and Other Animals (GT-SC2) | 3A | ||
| Attributes of Living Systems (GT-SC1) | 3A | ||
| Arts and Humanities | 3B | 3 | |
| Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion | 1C | 3 | |
| Quantitative Reasoning | 1B | 3 | |
| Electives | 6 | ||
| Total Credits | 31-32 | ||
| Sophomore | |||
| HDFS 250 | Introduction to Research Methods | 3 | |
| HDFS 310 | Infant and Child Development in Context | 3 | |
| HDFS 311 | Adolescent and Emerging Adult Development | 3 | |
| HDFS 334 | Family and Parenthood Across the Lifespan | 3 | |
| Select one course from the following: | 3 | ||
| Writing Arguments (GT-CO3) | 2 | ||
| Writing in the Disciplines: Sciences (GT-CO3) | 2 | ||
| Writing in the Disciplines: Social Sciences (GT-CO3) | 2 | ||
| Pre-Health Professions Concentration Course (See list below)1 | 3 | ||
| Arts and Humanities | 3B | 3 | |
| Biological and Physical Sciences | 3A | 3-4 | |
| Historical Perspectives | 3D | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | ||
| Total Credits | 30-31 | ||
| Junior | |||
| HDFS 312 | Adult Development-Middle Age and Aging | 3 | |
| HDFS 350 | Applied Research Methods | 4A | 3 |
| HDFS 375 | Lifespan Intervention and Prevention Science | 3 | |
| HDFS 402 | Couple and Family Studies | 3 | |
| Select one course from the following:2 | 1 | ||
| Professional Preparation: Local Internship Placements | |||
| Professional Preparation: Distance Internship Placements | |||
| HDFS Professional Development | |||
| Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Justice Course (See list below)3 | 3 | ||
| Pre-Health Professions Concentration Courses (See list below)1 | 6 | ||
| Electives | 9 | ||
| Total Credits | 31 | ||
| Senior | |||
| HDFS 434 | Risk and Resilience Across the Lifespan | 4B | 3 |
| HDFS 488C2 | Internship: Pre-Health | 4-6 | |
| HDFS 492 | Capstone--Evidence-Based Program Proposals | 4C | 3 |
| Pre-Health Professions Concentration Courses (See list below)1 | 6 | ||
| Electives4 | 9-11 | ||
| Total Credits | 27 | ||
| Program Total Credits: | 120 | ||
Pre-Health Professions Concentration Courses
Of the required total of 15 credits, a minimum of 9 credits must be HDFS courses. A minimum of 9 credits must be upper-division (300- to 400-level). Courses from this list may not double-count for more than one HDFS concentration or as the required Diversity Equity, Inclusion & Justice Course.
| Code | Title | AUCC | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Select 9-15 credits from the following courses: | |||
| HDFS 201 | Perspectives in Gerontology | 3 | |
| HDFS 217 | Creative Experiences for Children | 3 | |
| HDFS 275 | Foundational Helping Skills | 3 | |
| HDFS 286C | Practicum: Pre-Health Professions | 3 | |
| HDFS 315 | Disability Across the Lifespan and Culture | 3 | |
| HDFS 317 | Disabilities in Early Childhood Education | 3 | |
| HDFS 332 | Death, Dying, and Grief | 3 | |
| HDFS 372/AGED 372 | Inclusive Mentoring for Neurodiverse Peers | 3 | |
| HDFS 404 | Child Life Theory and Practice | 3 | |
| HDFS 445/FSHN 445 | Early Childhood Health, Safety, and Nutrition | 3 | |
| HDFS 475 | Leadership and Advocacy in Human Services | 3 | |
Two courses from the following may count: | |||
| Promoting Early Socioemotional Development | |||
| Developmental Transitions in Adolescence | |||
| Mental and Physical Health in Adulthood | |||
Three credits from the following may count: | |||
| Campus Connections: Youth Mentor | |||
| Campus Connections: Mentor Coach | |||
| Group Study: Student Respect/Wellness Education | |||
| Select 0-6 credits from the following courses: | |||
| ANTH 379 | Evolutionary Medicine and Human Health | 3 | |
| ANTH 416 | Gender, Culture, and Health | 3 | |
| BMS 300 | Principles of Human Physiology | 4 | |
| BMS 301 | Human Gross Anatomy | 5 | |
| BMS 302 | Laboratory in Principles of Physiology | 2 | |
| BZ 350 | Molecular and General Genetics | 4 | |
| CHEM 245 | Fundamentals of Organic Chemistry | 4 | |
| CHEM 341 | Modern Organic Chemistry I | 3 | |
| FSHN 150 | Survey of Human Nutrition | 3 | |
| FSHN 444 | Nutrition and Aging | 1 | |
| FSHN 461 | Global Nutrition | 2 | |
| HES 300 | Physiology for Clinical Health Professions | 4 | |
| HES 345 | Population Health and Disease Prevention | 3 | |
| HES 434 | Physical Activity Throughout the Lifespan | 3 | |
| LIFE 205 | Microbial Biology | 3 | |
| LIFE 206 | Microbial Biology Laboratory | 2 | |
| MIP 300 | General Microbiology | 3 | |
| MIP 302 | General Microbiology Laboratory | 2 | |
| OT 110 | Introduction to Occupational Therapy | 3 | |
| OT 215 | Medical Terminology | 1 | |
| OT 355 | The Disability Experience in Society | 2 | |
| PBHL 200 | Introduction to Public Health (GT-SS3) | 3C | 3 |
| PH 121 | General Physics I (GT-SC1) 3 | 3A | 5 |
| PSY 252 | Mind, Brain, and Behavior | 3 | |
| PSY 300 | Positive Psychology | 3 | |
| PSY 320 | Psychopathology | 3 | |
| PSY 327 | Psychology of Women | 3 | |
| PSY 328 | Psychology of Human Sexuality | 3 | |
| PSY 345 | Occupational Health Psychology | 3 | |
| PSY 452 | Cognitive Psychology | 3 | |
| SOC 344 | Health, Medicine, and Society | 3 | |
| WS 397 | Group Study | 3 | |
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Justice Courses3
Select upper-division 3 credits from the following list. Selected course may not double-count as a concentration course.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ANTH 317 | Anthropology of Human Rights | 3 |
| ANTH 333 | Anthropology of Sex and Reproduction | 3 |
| ANTH 338 | Gender and Anthropology | 3 |
| ANTH 416 | Gender, Culture, and Health | 3 |
| ANTH 423 | Cultural Psychiatry | 3 |
| ANTH 472 | Human Biology | 3 |
| ANTH 479/IE 479 | International Development Theory and Practice | 3 |
| ETST 300 | Queer Studies and Women of Color | 3 |
| ETST 310 | African American Studies | 3 |
| ETST 320 | Ethnicity and Film--Asian-American Experience | 3 |
| ETST 332 | Contemporary Chicanx Issues | 3 |
| ETST 342 | Queer Indigenous Studies | 3 |
| ETST 354 | Black Cinema and Media | 3 |
| ETST 362/WS 362 | Indigenous Consciousness and Gender | 3 |
| ETST 365 | Global Environmental Justice Movements | 3 |
| ETST 438/E 438 | Native American Literature | 3 |
| HDFS 315 | Disability Across the Lifespan and Culture | 3 |
| HDFS 317 | Disabilities in Early Childhood Education | 3 |
| IE 470 | Women and Development | 3 |
| IE 471 | Children and Youth in Global Context | 3 |
| PHIL 350 | Social and Political Philosophy | 3 |
| PHIL 353 | Feminist Philosophies | 3 |
| PSY 437 | Psychology of Gender | 3 |
| SOC 330 | Social Inequality | 3 |
| SOC 333 | Gender and Society | 3 |
| SOC 334 | Sociology of Intersectionality | 3 |
| SOC 357 | Women, Crime, and Victimization | 3 |
| SPCM 334 | Co-Cultural Communication | 3 |
| SPCM 335 | Gender and Communication | 3 |
| SPCM 357 | Film and Social Change | 3 |
| SPCM 401 | Rhetoric in Social Movements | 3 |
| SPCM 434 | Intercultural Communication | 3 |
| WS 340 | Race and Sexuality | 3 |
| WS 375 | Intersectionality--Theory, Method, Practice | 3 |
- 1
All-University Core Curriculum (AUCC) courses may not be used to fulfill both AUCC requirements and Pre-Health Professions Concentration Course requirements.
- 2
Students with substantial concentration-specific work experience may petition the Director of Undergraduate Advising in HDFS to replace HDFS 488C with additional coursework and complete HDFS 478 instead of HDFS 477A or HDFS 477B.
- 3
Other 300 and 400 level courses related to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice are subject to advisor approval.
- 4
Select enough elective credits to bring the program to a minimum of 120 credits, of which at least 42 must be upper-division (300- to 400-level).
Distinctive Requirements for Degree Program:
Human Development and Family Studies is an open-entry major for freshmen. For sophomores and above, students must complete and/or be enrolled in HDFS 101, PSY 100 or SOC 100 in order to declare HDFS. HDFS subject code courses must be completed with a grade of C (2.000) or higher. Background check required prior to participating in the internship course (HDFS 488C) during the senior year. Students will complete a graduation contract with an HDFS Academic Advisor during the first two weeks of the semester in which they are graduating.
| Freshman | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Semester 1 | Critical | Recommended | AUCC | Credits | |
| CO 150 | College Composition (GT-CO2) | X | 1A | 3 | |
| HDFS 101 | Individual and Family Development (GT-SS3) | X | 3C | 3 | |
| HDFS 277 | Introductory Seminar in HDFS | X | 1 | ||
| Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion | X | 1C | 3 | ||
| Quantitative Reasoning | X | X | 1B | 3 | |
| Elective | X | 3 | |||
| Total Credits | 16 | ||||
| Semester 2 | Critical | Recommended | AUCC | Credits | |
| Select two courses from the following: | X | 6 | |||
| General Psychology (GT-SS3) | 3C | ||||
| Introduction to Sociology (GT-SS3) | 3C | ||||
| Public Speaking | |||||
| Select one course from the following: | X | 3-4 | |||
| Humans and Other Animals (GT-SC2) | 3A | ||||
| Attributes of Living Systems (GT-SC1) | 3A | ||||
| Arts and Humanities | X | 3B | 3 | ||
| Elective | X | 3 | |||
| CO 150 and HDFS 277 must be completed by the end of Semester 2. | X | ||||
| Total Credits | 15-16 | ||||
| Sophomore | |||||
| Semester 3 | Critical | Recommended | AUCC | Credits | |
| HDFS 310 | Infant and Child Development in Context | X | 3 | ||
| HDFS 334 | Family and Parenthood Across the Lifespan | X | 3 | ||
| Arts and Humanities | X | 3B | 3 | ||
| Biological and Physical Sciences | X | 3A | 3-4 | ||
| Historical Perspectives | X | 3D | 3 | ||
| Total Credits | 15-16 | ||||
| Semester 4 | Critical | Recommended | AUCC | Credits | |
| HDFS 250 | Introduction to Research Methods | X | 3 | ||
| HDFS 311 | Adolescent and Emerging Adult Development | X | 3 | ||
| Select one course from the following: | 3 | ||||
| Writing Arguments (GT-CO3) | 2 | ||||
| Writing in the Disciplines: Sciences (GT-CO3) | X | 2 | |||
| Writing in the Disciplines: Social Sciences (GT-CO3) | X | 2 | |||
| Pre-Health Professions Concentration Course (See Department List on Concentration Requirements tab) | X | 3 | |||
| Electives | X | 3 | |||
| Total Credits | 15 | ||||
| Junior | |||||
| Semester 5 | Critical | Recommended | AUCC | Credits | |
| HDFS 312 | Adult Development-Middle Age and Aging | X | 3 | ||
| HDFS 402 | Couple and Family Studies | X | 3 | ||
| Pre-Health Professions Concentration Course (See Department List on Concentration Requirements tab) | X | 3 | |||
| Electives | X | 6 | |||
| Total Credits | 15 | ||||
| Semester 6 | Critical | Recommended | AUCC | Credits | |
| HDFS 350 | Applied Research Methods | X | 4A | 3 | |
| HDFS 375 | Lifespan Intervention and Prevention Science | X | 3 | ||
| Select one course from the following: | X | 1 | |||
| Professional Preparation: Local Internship Placements | |||||
| Professional Preparation: Distance Internship Placements | |||||
| HDFS Professional Development | |||||
| Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Justice Course (See Department List on Concentration Requirements tab) | X | 3 | |||
| Pre-Health Professions Concentration Course (See Department List on Concentration Requirements tab) | X | 3 | |||
| Elective | X | 3 | |||
| Total Credits | 16 | ||||
| Senior | |||||
| Semester 7 | Critical | Recommended | AUCC | Credits | |
| HDFS 434 | Risk and Resilience Across the Lifespan | X | 4B | 3 | |
| HDFS 488C | Internship: Pre-Health | X | 4-6 | ||
| Pre-Health Professions Concentration Course (See Department List on Concentration Requirements tab) | X | 3 | |||
| Electives | X | 3-5 | |||
| HDFS 350 must be completed by the end of Semester 7. | X | ||||
| Total Credits | 15 | ||||
| Semester 8 | Critical | Recommended | AUCC | Credits | |
| HDFS 492 | Capstone--Evidence-Based Program Proposals | X | 4C | 3 | |
| Pre-Health Professions Concentration Course (See Department List on Concentration Requirements tab) | X | 3 | |||
| Electives | X | 6 | |||
| The benchmark courses for the 8th semester are the remaining courses in the entire program of study. | X | ||||
| Total Credits | 12 | ||||
| Program Total Credits: | 120 | ||||