Get Started on the Path to Career Success
Career Paths
Wondering what you can do with a degree in Human Development and Family Studies? Check out these ideas and explore your options! This list is not all-encompassing but designed to get you started on your career development journey.
Human Development and Family Studies Concentration
The Human Development and Family Studies concentration prepares you for many of the careers below. Please consider all career options below as options for this concentration.
Early Childhood
* Denotes careers that will most likely require additional education or credentialing
- Early Childhood Education Teaching *
- Elementary Teaching *
- Child Life Specialist *
- Adoption Agencies
- Foster Care/Parenting Organizations
- Teaching Abroad
- International Orphanages, Mission Organizations
- Therapy/Counseling *
- Special Education *
- ESL Teaching *
- Recreational Therapy *
Pre-Health
* Denotes careers that will most likely require additional education or credentialing
- Nursing *
- Physician’s Assistant *
- Occupational Therapy *
- Physical Therapy *
- Medical Doctor *
- Allied Health Careers *
- Optometrist *
- Chiropractor *
- Speech Pathologist *
- Public Health *
- Health and Wellness Organizations
- Child Life Specialist*
- Activities Coordinator
Prevention and Intervention Sciences
* Denotes careers that will most likely require additional education or credentialing
- Mental Health Counseling *
- Marriage and Family Therapy *
- Probation Officer
- Parole Officer
- Collegiate Access Programs
- Student Affairs *
- Community Counseling *
- Secondary Teaching (with Family and Consumer Sciences) *
- Caseworker *
- Access Programs (Trio programs such as Upward Bound)
- Certified Addictions Counselor *
- School and Career Counseling *
- Grief Counseling*
- Activities Coordinator
- Special Education *
- Language Interpreter
- Teaching Abroad
- Psychologist *
- Rehabilitation Counselor *
- Adult Literacy and GED Preparation *
- Non Profits *
- Public Health *
- Service Organizations (Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, etc.)
Leadership and Advocacy
* Denotes careers that will most likely require additional education or credentialing
- Advocates
- Legal Services
- Event Planning
- Non Profits
- Public Relations
- Public Health *
- Human Resources
- Entrepreneurship (starting a business or nonprofit)
- School Principal *
- Administrative Assistant
- Government Positions
- Fundraising
- Training and Development Managers
- Lawyers *
Gerontology Interdisciplinary Minor
- Recreational Therapy
- Physician’s Assistant
- Occupational Therapy
- Physical Therapy
- Allied Health Careers
- Chiropractor
- Speech Pathologist
- Public Health
- Health and Wellness Organizations
- Mental Health Counseling
- Marriage and Family Therapy
- Community Counseling
- Certified Addictions Counselor
- Grief Counseling
- Activities Coordinator
- Language Interpreter
- Psychologist
- Rehabilitation Counselor
- Adult Literacy and GED Preparation
- Recreational Therapy
- Non Profits
Prevention Science Master's
- Interventionist
Manage intervention and support programs in the human services sector.
- Comprehensive family centers, hospices, adolescent treatment centers, school-based diagnosis
- Policy Analyst
State government or in academic settings
- Educator
Teaching at the university, community college, or junior college level.
- Researcher or Program Evaluator
Research center or community agency
- Research design and statistics
- Technical writing, teaching, and research presentations
- Research project management
Applied Developmental Science Ph.D.
- Academia – professor, research scientist
- Community Programs – management and evaluation
- State Agencies (Public Health, Education) – management and policy analyst
- Consultant Researcher – school systems and health care systems