Human Development and Family Studies Minor

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About the Program

The minor in Human Development and Family Studies is designed for students who are interested in a career working with children, adolescents or adults, and emphasizes the family as an important developmental context. Students learn about developmentally appropriate practices in working with these populations which employers may value in a variety of career settings, including hospitals, counseling, child care, schools, and other social institutions.

Program Requirements

This minor is a total of 18 credits.
At least 3 courses (9 semester hours) in the minor must be upper division.
A grade of “D-” or better does count toward the bachelor’s degree. However, students in the HDFS minor program must have a GPA of 2.00 in their minor as well as an overall GPA of 2.00 to graduate. Students should note that programs differ in the minimum grade required.
Transfer students must have completed both semesters of a two-semester introductory psychology course for equivalence to exist. Three semester hours will count toward the major or minor; three semester hours will count as general electives (i. e., PSY 8888) to graduate. If a student has taken only one semester of a two-semester introductory course and takes PSY 1001 at MSU Denver, the transfer introductory credits will not count toward the degree. If a student has taken only one semester of a two-semester introductory course, it will transfer in as PSY 8888 and will count as a general elective. The student must complete PSY 1001 to meet the major or minor requirement.

Required Courses: 9 credits

PSY 1001 - Introductory Psychology Credits: 3
PSY 2210 - Psychology of Human Development Credits: 3
PSY 3340 - Cognitive Development and Learning Credits: 3
OR
PSY 3350 - Psychology of Social Development Credits: 3

Developmental Specialization Course: 3 credits

Select one of the following:

PSY 3240 - Infancy Credits: 3
PSY 3250 - Child Psychology Credits: 3
PSY 3260 - Psychology of Adolescence Credits: 3
PSY 3270 - Adulthood and Aging Credits: 3

Applied Developmental Course: 3 credits

Select one of the following:

PSY 1800 - Developmental Educational Psychology Credits: 3
PSY 2240 - Parenting Across the Lifespan Credits: 3
PSY 2270 - Death, Dying, and Grieving Credits: 3
PSY 3460 - Psychology of Play Credits: 3
PSY 3580 - Development in the Family Context Credits: 3

Interdisciplinary Applications Course: 3 credits

Select one of the following:

AAS 3550 - The Black Family Credits: 3
COMM 3210 - Family Communication Credits: 3
CHS 3210 - The Chicano Family Credits: 3
HSP 2040 - Family Systems Credits: 4
NUT 3050 - Concepts of Lifecycle Nutrition Credits: 3
PSY 2001 - Careers and Professional Development in Psychology Credits: 3
PSY 3030 - Cultural Psychology Credits: 3
PSY 3050 - Psychology of Gender Credits: 3
PSY 3060 - Psychology and Racism Credits: 3
PSY 3370 - Undergraduate Research Assistant Credits: 3
PSY 3390 - Undergraduate Teaching Assistant Training Credits: 3
PSY 3400 - Child Psychopathology Credits: 3
PSY 3490 - Child Life Theory and Practice Credits: 3
PSY 3980 - Internship in Psychology Credits: 3
PSY 4100 - Clinical/Counseling Psychology: Treatment, Practice, and Skills Credits: 3
PSY 4450 - Advanced Psychological Data Science Credits: 3
SOC 3410 - The Family and Society Credits: 3
SWK 1010 - Introduction to Social Work Credits: 3
SWK 3010 - Social Work Practice with Children and Youth Credits: 3
SWK 3030 - Social Work with Older People Credits: 3
SWK 3150 - Social Work and Child Maltreatment Credits: 3

Summary of Requirements

Required Courses	9 credits
Developmental Specialization Course	3 credits
Applied Developmental Course	3 credits
Interdisciplinary Applications Course	3 credits
Total for the Human Development and Family Studies Minor	18 credits