Penn State Altoona Academics at Penn State Altoona Academics at Penn State Altoona

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Arts & Humanities Business & Engineering Education, Human Development, & Social Sciences Mathematics & Natural Sciences

Education, Human Development, & Social sciences

B.A. in Human Development & Family Studies (HFSAL)

Recommended Academic Plan

Human Development & Family Studies (HFSAL)
Life Span Human Services Option (LSHS)




Freshman Year

Fall
HDFS 1293
GS3
GN3
English 015 (GWS)3
GQ3
FYS (or spring)1
Total credits16
Spring
HDFS 229, or 239. or 2493
CAS 100 (GWS)3
GA3
Stat 200 (GQ)4
GH3
Total credits16

Sophomore Year

Fall
HDFS 229, or 239, or 2493
HDFS 311 (or spring)3
HDFS 312W and/ or HDFS 315Y3
HDFS supporting3
GN3
GHA1.5
Total Credits16.5
Spring
Engl 202 (GWS)3
GS3
HDFS 315Y and/or HDFS 312W3
HDFS supporting3
GH3
GHA1.5
Total Credits16.5

Junior Year

Fall
HDFS 4553
HDFS 4143
HDFS 4183
HDFS 445 and/or 4333
Supporting course 400-level3
Total credits15
Spring
Other supporting3
HDFS 301 (or fall)3
HDFS 428, and/or 4293
HDFS 411 (or fall)3
GN3
Total credits15

Senior Year

Fall
HDFS 4013
supporting course 400-level3
Supp/elective3
Other US cultures3
GA3
Total credits15
Spring
HDFS 4024
HDFS 495C9
Total credits12

Bold Type indicates courses in which the student must earn a 'C' or better to count for the major.

Bold and Italics type indicates courses that are required for the major, and full fill a General Education requirement , and in which the student must earn a 'C' or better for the course to count for the major.

  • GWS, GHA, GQ, GN, GA, GH, GS, and FYS are codes used to identify General Education Requirements.
  • US and IL are codes used to designate courses that satisfy university United States/International Cultures requirements.
  • W is the code used to designate courses that satisfy university Writing Across the Curriculum requirements.
  • Y is the code used to designate courses that satisfy both university US/International cultures requirements, and Writing Across the Curriculum requirements.

This major requires 6 credits of US courses; 3 credits is covered by the required course HDFS 315Y. Students must full fill the IL requirement and the additional US requirement by picking courses on their own; these may be supporting courses, a Gen Ed or an elective.

DEPARTMENT NOTES:

The following upper division required courses are offered only once a year:
Fall term: HDFS 414, 418, 433, 445, 455 and 401
Spring term: HDFS 429 and 428.

Suggestions for supporting courses are included with suggestions for courses in support of different occupations, on pages 8-10 of the Altoona HDFS BS Degree Handbook. A list of supporting courses for the major may be found at http://www.hhdev.psu.edu/hdfs/undergrad/supporting_courses.html

The Internship is made up of three courses: HDFS 401, which includes the preparation for the internship, HDFS 495C, the internship itself, and HDFS 402, the department's capstone course, a professional seminar. Students are expected to have satisfactorily completed all their required courses before they do the internship. Students should take HDFS 401 the fall term before the year they expect to do the internship. HDFS 495C and HDFS 402 are currently (Fall 2007) offered in the spring and in the summer.

For further information contact:
Dr. Margaret S. Benson, Program Coordinator
Office: 122 Hawthorn
Phone: 814-949-5289
E-mail:

Last updated 8/28/2007