Human Development, Bachelor of Science College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences
Department of Human Ecology; 1303 Hart Hall; 530-752-1805; Human Development, Faculty
Human development explores the developmental process in humans throughout the life cycle. Biological, psychological, social, and contextual processes on development are studied. Students can choose emphases in Health and Well being across the Lifespan, or Children and Families across the Lifespan.
The Program
Human development majors complete a group of preparatory courses in anthropology, biology, philosophy, psychology, and statistics. Upper division students can design their programs to specialize in one of two track areas. For instance, students can study either Health and Well being, or Children and Families, both of these tracks emphasize a lifespan developmental approach. Students can also pursue the general Human Development track which broadly exposes students to multiple influences on individual development and family processes.
Internships & Career Alternatives
At least one practicum course is required. A second practicum or supervised internship can be used to fulfill the restricted elective requirement for the major. In addition, students can intern in schools, early childhood education or senior centers, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, probation offices, group foster homes, mental health clinics, or as tutors for handicapped or bilingual students. Human development graduates fill a wide variety of positions in preschools, elementary and special educational settings, programs designed for parents, families, and the elderly, as well as governmental jobs related to social services for people of all ages. Students who choose the Health & Well being track can apply to medical school or pursue training for positions in the health sciences. Human development prepares students to pursue advanced degrees in behavioral and social sciences, education, social work, family law, or health sciences.
Preparatory Requirements
UC Davis students who wish to change their major to Human Development must be in good academic standing. Students must complete the following courses with a combined grade point average of at least 2.500. All of the following courses must be taken for a letter grade:
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| PSC 001 | General Psychology | 4 |
| Choose one: | 4 | |
| Elementary Statistics | ||
| Research Methods in Psychology | ||
| Choose one: | 4-5 | |
| Human Evolutionary Biology | ||
| Cultural Anthropology | ||
| From Birth to Death: The Evolution of the Human Life Cycle | ||
| Choose one: | 5-3 | |
| Introduction to Biology: Essentials of Life on Earth | ||
| Everyday Biology | ||
| Natural History of Infectious Diseases | ||
| Introduction to Human Heredity | ||
| Elementary Human Physiology | ||
| The Human Brain & Disease | ||
| Systemic Physiology | ||
| Introduction to Biological Psychology | ||
Students must have achieved a 2.000 GPA in any required upper division courses taken prior to declaring the major.
All courses satisfying the Preparatory Subject Matter, Depth Subject Matter, Restricted Electives and Human Development Major English Coursework Requirement must be taken for a letter grade.
Major Advisor
Leah Hibel
Graduate Study
Graduate study is available through a Master of Science degree in child development, and a Ph.D. degree in human development. See also Graduate Studies.
The major requirements below are in addition to meeting University Requirements & College Requirements; unless otherwise noted. The minimum number of units required for the Human Development Bachelor of Science major is 90.
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Preparatory Subject Matter | ||
| Anthropology | ||
| Choose one: | 4-5 | |
| Human Evolutionary Biology | ||
or ANT 001Y | Human Evolutionary Biology | |
| Cultural Anthropology | ||
| From Birth to Death: The Evolution of the Human Life Cycle | ||
| Biology | ||
| Choose two: | 6-10 | |
| Introduction to Biology: Essentials of Life on Earth | ||
| Everyday Biology | ||
| Genes & Gene Expression | ||
| Natural History of Infectious Diseases | ||
| Introduction to Human Heredity | ||
| Elementary Human Physiology | ||
| The Human Brain & Disease | ||
| Systemic Physiology | ||
| Introduction to Biological Psychology | ||
| Philosophy | ||
| Choose two: | 8 | |
| Critical Reasoning | ||
| Introduction to Bioethics | ||
| Introduction to Philosophy of Science | ||
| Appraising Scientific Reasoning | ||
| Understanding Scientific Change | ||
| Introduction to Philosophy of Biology | ||
| Psychology | ||
| PSC 001 | General Psychology | 4 |
| or PSC 001Y | General Psychology | |
| Statistics | ||
| Choose one: | 4 | |
| Research Methods in Psychology | ||
| Elementary Statistics | ||
or STA 013Y | Elementary Statistics | |
| Preparatory Subject Matter Subtotal | 26-31 | |
| Depth Subject Matter | ||
| Life Span | ||
| HDE 100A | Infancy & Early Childhood | 4 |
| or HDE 100AV | Infancy & Early Childhood | |
| HDE 100B | Middle Childhood & Adolescence | 4 |
| HDE 100C | Adulthood & Aging | 4 |
| Research Methods | ||
| HDE 120 | Research Methods in Human Development | 5 |
| Practicum | ||
| Choose one: | 4-6 | |
| Laboratory in Early Childhood (May only be taken for 4 units.) | ||
| Field Study With Children & Adolescents | ||
| Field Study with Emotionally Distressed Children & Adolescents | ||
| Field Studies of the Elderly | ||
| Area of Specialization (Tracks) | ||
| Choose one track, and take three courses within that track; see track options below: | 12 | |
General HDE; choose any three upper division HDE courses. These courses cannot overlap with the depth subject. | ||
| Restricted Electives | ||
| Choose additional upper division courses for 19-20 units from a list of restricted electives related to your track in consultation with faculty advisor. | 19-20 | |
| Depth Subject Matter Subtotal | 52-55 | |
| Human Development English Coursework Requirement | ||
| Choose three courses in English Composition; at least one must be upper division: 1 | 12 | |
| Introduction to Public Speaking | ||
| Major Works of the Ancient World | ||
| Major Works of the Medieval & Early Modern World | ||
| Major Works of the Modern World | ||
| Major Works of the Contemporary World | ||
| Introduction to Literature | ||
or ENL 003V | Introduction to Literature | |
| Introduction to Native American Literature | ||
| Introduction to Academic Literacies | ||
or UWP 001V | Introduction to Academic Literacies: Online | |
or UWP 001Y | Introduction to Academic Literacies | |
| Style in the Essay | ||
| Writing Research Papers | ||
| Choose at least one: | ||
| Advanced Composition | ||
or UWP 101V | Advanced Composition | |
or UWP 101Y | Advanced Composition | |
| The Upper Division Composition Exam does not satisfy the requirement. | ||
| Human Development English Coursework Requirement Subtotal | 12 | |
| Total Units | 90-98 | |
- 1
Advanced Placement English score of 4 or 5 which satisfies ENL 003 and/or UWP 001 will satisfy one of the three required courses.
Health & Wellbeing Area of Specialization
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Choose three: | ||
| Thriving Across the Lifespan | ||
| Stress, Adversity & Resilience | ||
| Health Behaviors Across the Lifespan | ||
| Contextual Determinants of Health | ||
| Special Topics in Human Development | ||
Children & Families Across the Lifespan Area of Specialization
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Choose three: | ||
| Children in Families, Schools, Communities | ||
| Families in Communities | ||
or HDE 110V | Families in Communities | |
| Family Stress & Resilience | ||
| Social Relationships Across the Lifespan | ||
| Special Topics in Human Development | ||