Students can elect to specialize in one of four content areas by earning a certificate.
- Adolescence prepares you to work in adolescent counseling centers, youth programs, the juvenile justice system, and other settings that focus on teens and youth.
- Early Childhood Education prepares you to work in childcare and preschool centers, Child Protective Services, crisis nurseries, and more. This option is open only to Human Development majors and graduates.
- Family Studies prepares you to work in family counseling centers, parent education organizations, family crisis centers, women’s shelters, and other settings that provide services to families.
- Gerontology prepares you to work in adult day care centers, nursing homes, home care services, community organizations that provide services to seniors, and other settings that focus on older adults.
Why a certificate?
- Focus your course of study.
- Added training in a concentrated course of study.
- Demonstrates additional area of specialization to potential employers. The certificate appears your transcript and can be included on a resume and/or application for graduate school.
How do I pursue a certificate?
- Select an area of specialty in consultation with a human development academic advisor.
- Maintain an overall GPA of 2.6 in the courses selected for your specialty area.