Undergraduate Majors
Bachelor of Science Degree in Human Development and Family Studies (HDFS)
This major prepares students to work with individuals of all ages and their families. The study of theory and research findings is coordinated with a variety of supervised field experiences. Students investigate the ways individuals interact within the family system and the larger social and economic environments. Students select an area of concentration in adult development and aging, child and adolescent development, or family studies. Document
Career Potential
The program prepares students for careers as administrators of child development or family services programs, child development specialists, school age program coordinators, youth program specialists, community education instructors, parent educators, senior center coordinators, family financial planners, consumer advocates, and family public policy advocates. Students are required to complete a 128-credit, integrated course of study that culminates in an internship experience during the senior year.
Contact Information
For more information about a degree in HDFS, contact Amy Poetschat at (775) 682-6838 or amyp@unr.edu.
Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education (ECE)
The program in early childhood education is an interdisciplinary program offered jointly by the Department of Human Development and Family Studies, in the College of Health and Human Sciences, and the Department of Educational Specialties, in the College of Education. The program is designed to provide specific training to students interested in working with young children from birth through grade 2. Students must formally apply for admission to the program.
Career Potential
The early childhood education program prepares students to work in a variety of settings with young children and their families. Graduates may work in programs within public schools, Head Start, and child care as teachers, master teachers, curriculum specialists, parent education specialists, parent program coordinators and administrators. They may also work in a variety of public and private agencies that provide services for young children and their families. Graduates of the program can apply for a Nevada teaching license to teach in public school settings with children from birth through second grade.
Admission to the Program
Students enter the program as pre-majors, and must apply for admission to the Early Childhood Education major. Specified courses are open only to students who have been admitted to the program. Applications are due to the College of Education on October 1 for spring admission and March 1 for summer and fall admission. To be admitted to the program, prospective students must meet the following requirements Document
- completed 30 credits of college course work
- maintain a minimum GPA of 2.75 in all college course work
- successfully pass the reading, writing, and mathematics sections of the Pre-Professional Skills Test (PPST) or the California Test of Basic Skills (CBST)
- complete an application form for Admission to Teacher Education
- submit 2 confidential letters of recommendation
- submit a typed two to three page essay entitled, “Qualities I Bring to the Early Childhood Teaching Profession”
Contact Information
For more information about a degree in ECE, contact Dr. Melissa Burnham at (775) 784-7012 or mburnham@unr.edu.