Undergraduate Catalog 1999 - 2000

School of Family Studies

Charles M. Super, Ph.D., Dean, School of Family Studies
Thomas O. Blank, Ph.D., Associate Dean, School of Family Studies
Mary Alice Neubeck, M.A., Director of Undergraduate Studies

Link to the School of Family Studies Website here: http://www.familystudies.uconn.edu/

The School of Family Studies focuses on human development within the context of families and the broader social environment. Curriculum in the Human Development and Family Relations Program emphasizes the following areas: Early Childhood Development and Education, Adolescence, Family Relations and Counseling, Family Social Policy and Planning, and Adult Development and Aging.

Admission Requirements. See Admission to the University.

In planning expenses for course work, students should make money available for transportation, field trips, field study, and class projects.

Bachelor's Degree Requirements

On the recommendation of the faculty of the school and by vote of the Board of Trustees, students who meet the specified requirements receive the degree of Bachelor of Science. Those requirements include: (1) earned a total of 120 credits, (2) earned at least a 2.0 grade point average for all calculable Upper Division course work, (3) met the General Education Requirements, and major and related requirements.

General Education Requirements

The University Senate has adopted General Education Requirements in a variety of curricula areas which must be satisfied as part of every bachelor's degree program. These requirements are listed in the Appendix of this Catalog.

Prerequisites. Students planning a major in Human Development and Family Relations must pass HDFR 190, PSYC 132, 133 and SOCI 107. The Pass/Fail Option cannot be used to meet the 100-level courses required as prerequisites to the major.

Junior and Senior Years

Major Fields and Statement of Requirements

The major in Human Development and Family Relations requires 48 credits in courses at the 200's level including 36 HDFR credits and 12 credits in courses related to but outside the major. The related courses, determined with the student's academic advisor, are used to supplement and extend the course work in HDFR. They are selected from other programs, schools and colleges of the University.

A student completing requirements for a major must have a grade point average of 2.0 or better in the credits that count toward the major in Human Development and Family Relations. Credits used for major and related courses cannot be taken on Pass/Fail.

Elective Courses: other courses to complete 120 credits for graduation. Students should plan elective courses carefully with their academic advisor. These courses should meet the personal and professional goals of each student.

A student who has the consent of the Dean and the faculty member concerned may elect independent study courses and seminars. Those who wish to qualify for candidacy for a degree with distinction must elect 6 credits in special problems courses and seminars.

Human Development and Family Relations Major

Students study Human Development and Family Relations from a lifespan and societal perspective. Courses focus on contemporary issues and research concerning individual development and family processes. The importance of direct experience through field study placements is emphasized. Students can prepare for immediate job placement after graduation in family service agencies dealing with issues such as child welfare, youth services, family violence, substance and sexual abuse, and chronic mental and physical illness; in programs working with young children; and in programs serving the aging. Students also can prepare for graduate training in fields such as human development, family studies, therapy, counseling, or education.

Students are allowed much flexibility in tailoring their major to meet their particular interests and educational goals. Most students choose to focus their
work in one or more of the following concentrations:

This major must include all of the following required courses:

Credits

HDFR 201 _ Diversity Issues in Human Dev. and Family Relations 3
HDFR 202 _ Human Development: Infancy through Adolescence 3
HDFR 204 _ Human Development: Adulthood and Aging 3
HDFR 273 _ Family Interaction Processes 3
HDFR 290 _ Research Methods in Human Dev. and Family Relations 3

This major must include the completion of one of the following courses:

HDFR 264 _ Legal Aspects of the Family 3
HDFR 274 _ Public Policy and the Family 3
HDFR 276 _ Planning and Managing Human Service Programs 3
HDFR 281 _ Comparative Family Policy 3

This major also must include at least 18 credits from the following courses. These courses may include courses listed above which were not taken to meet that requirement (HDFR 264, 274, 276, 281). No more than 3 credits from the following group of courses may be used toward completion of these 18 credits: HDFR 221,224, 227, 228, 288, 292, 299.

HDFR 218 _ Observational Child Study 3
HDFR 220 _ Introduction to Programs for Young Children 3
HDFR 221 _ Programs for Young Children:Introductory Laboratory 1
HDFR 222 _ Activities for Young Children: Play, Art, Music 3
HDFR 223 _ Activities for Young Children: Language Arts, Math., Sci. 3
HDFR 224 _ Child Development Laboratory: Practicum I 3
HDFR 225 _ Analysis of Programs for Young Children 3
HDFR 227 _ Supervised Practicum in Early Childhood Programs 9
HDFR 228 _ Advanced Practicum in Early Childhood Programs 6
HDFR 231 _ Infancy 3
HDFR 234 _ Social and Personality Development During Childhood 3
HDFR 245 _ Parent-Child Relations in Cross-Cultural Perspective 3
HDFR 248 _ Aging in American Society 3
HDFR 250 _ Gender and Aging 3
HDFR 252 _ Death, Dying, and Bereavement 3
HDFR 259 _ Men and Masculinity: A Social Psychological Perspective 3
HDFR 260 _ Woman: A Developmental Perspective 3
HDFR 264 _ Legal Aspects of Family Life 3
HDFR 266 _ Introduction to Counseling 3
HDFR 269 _ Family Violence 3
HDFR 270 _ Low Income Families 3
HDFR 271 _ Black American Family Patterns 3
HDFR 272 _ Family and Work 3
HDFR 274 _ Public Policy and the Family 3
HDFR 275 _ Family Pathology 3
HDFR 276 _ Planning and Managing Human Services Programs 3
HDFR 277 _ Issues in Human Sexuality 3
HDFR 278 _ Family in Society 3
HDFR 279 _ History of the Family 3
HDFR 280 _ Material Culture in American Family Life 3
HDFR 281 _ Comparative Family Policy 3
HDFR 284 _ Adolescence: Youth and Society 3
HDFR 287 _ Parenthood 3
HDFR 288 _ Supervised Field Experience Arr
HDFR 292 _ Research Practicum in Human Dev. and Family Relations Arr
HDFR 298 _ Selected Topics in Human Dev. and Family Relations Arr
HDFR 299 _ Independent Study for Undergraduates Arr

Gerontology Minor

Specialized training in aging is available through a minor in Gerontology offered by the School of Family Studies. The minor offers students preparing for careers in aging the opportunity to pursue a formally recognized program of studying gerontology. The 18-credit minor is open to all undergraduate matriculated students within the University of Connecticut, and consists of both course work and field experiences working in community settings serving older adults. A minimum of a "C" average is required in all courses applied to the minor.

Course Requirements

1. Three required courses (Nine credits)

HDFR 204: Human Development: Adulthood and Aging
HDFR 248: Aging in American Society
HDFR 250: Gender and Aging

2. One course (three credits) from the following:

HDFR 252: Death, Dying and Bereavement
HDFR 274: Public Policy and the Family
HDFR 276: Planning and Managing Human Service
AH 203: Aging: Implications for Health Professionals

3. Six credits in HDFR 288: Fieldwork in Community Settings Working with Older Adults

Six credits of fieldwork with older adults may consist of either two 3-credit field experiences during different semesters or one 6-credit field experience.

The minor is administered under the auspices of the Social and Behavioral Sciences Division, Center on Aging, in the School of Family Studies. Faculty in the School of Family Studies and other academic programs serve as advisors. Students should contact the Director, Social and Behavioral Sciences Division, Center on Aging, U-58, School of Family Studies.

Link to the School of Family Studies Website here: http://www.familystudies.uconn.edu/