Careers and Opportunities
"What can I do with a degree in Human Development and Family Studies?"
HDFS graduates are unique in that they receive training in two important interrelated disciplines – the Lifespan and Human Development and Family Studies. Students with degrees in HDFS enter careers in a variety of sectors, including work in the social service arena, business and industry, the health professions, education, journalism, publishing, public administration, criminal justice and corrections, and government and international affairs. HDFS students who take specified courses can apply for national certification as Certified Family Life Educators, available through the National Council on Family Relations (www.ncfr.org). A degree in HDFS is also excellent preparation for further graduate work in HDFS or related fields including marriage and family therapy, adult and career counseling, psychology, sociology, business, education, or public health.
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What are some of the graduates from our programs doing now? Please visit our Alumni webpage to read about our alumni stories. |
HDFS-prepared under-graduate and graduate students work in a wide variety of positions. Potential careers, including jobs actually held by graduates in the human development and family studies, include:
- Family Life Educator working with U.S. military families in high stress environments
- Human resource specialists (providing assistance to employees and their families in securing needed services and support)
- Staff and administrators in substance abuse and rehabilitation programs
- Program directors for non-profit agencies such as the Ronald McDonald House, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Planned Parenthood
- Curriculum and program development specialist for Boys & Girls Club
- Designer of developmentally-appropriate toys for a large toy company
- Coordinator for AIDS education programs
- State or private adoption agency staff
- Specialist working with infants and children in rural Nevada
- Administrators of senior citizens' facilities and residential homes
- Program directors and managers in social service agencies
(managing diverse programs for the elderly, teen parents and
minority families in the areas of housing, nutrition,
domestic violence, etc.) - Managers of assisted-living facilities
- Probation officers and staff working with youth in juvenile justice settings (ex: Stead Job-Core facility and Wittenberg Hall)
- Marketing and consumer research specialists (for instance, running family focus groups to test new products for industry)
- Child Life Specialists
- Play and art therapy specialists in hospital settings (requires further training and certification)
- Marriage and family therapist or counselor (requires graduate degree in counseling)
- Coordinator of rural volunteer hospice
- Directors of private, public, and military child care and after-school programs for youth
- University professors and community college instructors in child development, family resources, public health, and end-of-life issues/bereavement counseling (requires graduate degree)
- Owner/operator of school to train nannies
- Lawyer specializing in family law (requires additional degree)
- Parent support staff for hospital intensive care nursery
- Author of children's books
- Ministers and church education program directors
- Advocates and lobbyists for children, youth and family issues in several states
- Parent educators for court-ordered parenting groups
- Teachers in early childhood, elementary, middle school and high schools (in conjunction with appropriate teaching certification)
- Family support services or curriculum specialists in Head Start programs
- Specialist in private practice on program evaluation
- Cooperative Extension program specialists, youth and family programs
"What can I do with a degree in Early Childhood Education?"
A degree in Early Childhood Education prepares students to work in a variety of settings with young children and their families. Graduates from the ECE program can apply for a Nevada State teaching certificate to work with children up to second grade in Nevada public schools
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- Public school teacher in Kindergarten, 1st, or 2nd grade
- Public school teacher in Pre-Kindergarten programs, including the COW Bus program
- Head Start or Early Head Start teacher
Teacher in a private child care program - Master teacher in early childhood various settings
- Curriculum specialist
- Parent education specialist
- Parent program coordinator
- Program administrator or director
- Specialist working with Children’s Cabinet
- Consultant in various early care and education settings
Academic Advising
Students should always discuss their career plans with their academic advisor. In addition, the University of Nevada Career Development Office can assist students with determining a career path and what types of degrees are most requested by potential employers.