Students who major in this department enter a variety of occupations and fields. Although you may change your interests or the focus of your degree, here are a few areas of human services that our students have been interested in, and a list of courses for each that will help you develop a strength in that area.

1. Preschool teacher/Early childhood educator

   Be advised, the trend is for pre-kindergarten and pre-school programs to move into the public school system. When that happens anyone wishing to be a teacher in a pre-school or pre-k program will have to have a teaching certificate. So, although at present this degree can get you a job in a preschool classroom you might want to pursue a Masters of Education in Early Childhood Education. In the meantime this degree does prepare you to work with young children in Head Start and licensed Day Care facilities as well as other private preschools, and can make you eligible for Private Academic School Certification. (To obtain the latter you must “be a graduate of an approved 4-year college or university and submit documentary evidence of the successful completion of a minimum of 24 semester hours in the theory of child development, early childhood or elementary education.” For more information go to www.teaching.state.pa.us/teaching and follow links to “how to obtain certification” and then “private academic certification.”)

   Core requirements for this occupation are provided by the required courses for the major. To be well prepared you should select the following courses:

   • HDFS 229: Child Development
   • HDFS 429 (Advanced Child Development), and/or HDFS 428 (Infant Development)
   • HDFS 330 (Observation of Children) and/or HDFS 430 (Practicum in a Preschool) at present we offer these only as independent study. For more information contact Margaret Benson, enz@psu.edu.
   • HDFS 450 (Developmental Children’s Programs)

   Plan to do your internship in an Early Childhood setting that is either accredited by NAEYC, or has 3 or more stars in the Keystone STARS program.

   For more information about working with young children you might check the website of the National Association for the Education of Young Children at www.naeyc.org

2. Child Life Specialist

   This is an area that is growing rapidly, and ours is a major that seems particularly well suited to prepare people for it. Child Life Specialists work with children in hospitals and other health care settings, helping them to understand the procedures, and therapies that they undergo, using play therapy and counseling techniques to help children and their families cope with the challenges and stresses associated with modern health care. You should plan to work for certification as a Child Life Specialist, and possibly to get a Masters Degree.

   For more information go to the home page of the Child Life Council, at www.childlife.org.

   Core requirements for the major provide you with the basic preparation for this field. To be well prepared consider the following:

   • You must take 6 credits of development from 200-level courses. HDFS 229 (Child Development) and/or HDFS 239 (Adolescent Development) would seem most relevant
   • You must take 3 credits of development from 400-level classes, and HDFS 428 (Infant Development) and/or HDFS 429 (Advanced Child Development) and/or HDFS 433 (Transition to Adulthood) seem the most relevant
   • Either HDFS 477 (Analysis of Family Problems) or HDFS/SOC 431 (Family Disorganization and Stress Points) will build on your understanding of families acquired in HDFS 315Y (Family Development) and HDFS 418 (Family Dynamics), how they function and what is going on when they are not functioning well.

   Plan to do your internship in a hospital with a Child Life program. There are very few of these, and so one must compete with other students from all over the state and the country to get into them. You will need at least a 3.0 gpa and excellent letters of recommendation from members of the faculty.

3. Social Worker

   This is an excellent major for anyone who wants to go into Social Work, but note that if you want the job title “Social Worker” you must earn a Masters degree in Social Work. This means that even if you take a year or two to work before continuing your studies, you will need at least a 3.0 gpa, and excellent letters of recommendation from faculty members. In Pennsylvania you must also meet the criteria to become a Licensed Social Worker (LSW).

   The core requirements for the major provide you with a strong background for this profession. But in addition you might consider the following courses:

   • HDFS 477 (Family Dynamics) and/or HDFS 431 (Family Disorganization and Stress)
   • PSY 412 (Abnormal Psychology)
   • CNED 403 (Foundations of Guidance and Counseling Process) and/or CNED 404 (Group Procedures in Guidance and Counseling)

   You might consider doing either a minor in Psychology, or Criminal Justice.

4. Counselor or Psychotherapist

   This is a major that does a good job of preparing people to work in counseling settings. However, to have the job title “Counselor,” or “Therapist” you will need more training than this degree provides. In most instances you will need a Masters degree; in some you may need certification. Therefore work to have at least a 3.0 gpa, and excellent letters of recommendation from faculty members.

   Core courses for the major provide a foundation for this work, but you might also wish to take:

   • PSY 412 (Abnormal Psychology)
   • CNED 403 (Foundations of Guidance and Counseling Process) and/or CNED 404 (Group Procedures in Guidance and Counseling)

   A minor in Psychology, or the Chemical Dependency Prevention and Counseling Certificate offered through Continuing Education at this college, is highly recommended

5. Specialist in Services for the Elderly

   This is the growth area in our profession. The Baby Boomers are middle-aged now, and the first of them will be 60 this year. For the next 20-years they will be reaching “old” age, and we fully expect that many, many, of them will live to be octogenarians. They will need services – and many of those services will be for healthy retirees with time on their hands. Other services will help those who have become physically less able than they were, and the demand for services for the frail and ill will expand also.

   To be prepared to work with adults you should take HDFS 249 and 445 on adult development and ageing. You should also work HDFS 446 (Programs and Services in Gerontology) and HDFS 434 (Social Gerontology) into your schedule.

   You should plan to do an internship in an agency that serves the elderly.

   We strongly urge you to complete the Minor in Gerontology.

   For more information about working with the elderly check out the website of the Gerontology Society of America at http://www.geron.org. For jobs with the elderly the GSA has a website at http://www.agework.com.

Appendix E is a matrix showing courses, and what terms we expect to offer them.

Our 100-and 200-level courses have multiple sections, including sections in the evening. Most of our upper division courses are offered only in the day time. The exceptions (and two of these as of fall 2007 are required courses) are courses taught by adjunct faculty, whom we hire for their professional expertise, and who have jobs out in the real world so that they are only available in the evening.

There are still some courses that are prescribed for the major that we offer only once a year. These are:

• HDFS 401 – offered only in the fall
• HDFS 414 – offered only in the fall
• HDFS 418 – offered only in the fall
• HDFS 455 – offered only in the fall

Be sure to arrange your planned schedule so that you are prepared to take them, and register in time to get into the class the term that it is offered. Remember that you will not be allowed to do your internship until all the courses required for the degree have been completed.

We offer the upper division “development” courses only once a year.

• HDFS 433 and HDFS 445 in the fall
• HDFS 428 and HDFS 429 in the spring

The revised curriculum requires students to take 6 credits of 300- or 400- level courses in HDFS. We will be offering courses to fulfill this requirement each term. However, at present, specific courses may be offered only every other year. Getting the best courses for your career goals will mean careful planning.

There are several minors offered at Altoona, or across the University, that might be of interest to HDFS majors, and which might further your career goals. Each of these can be found in some detail on the web.

Most Penn State minors require 18 credits of courses in the discipline of the minor, and at least 6 of those must be 400-level courses. Some minors prescribe courses; others give you a lot of leeway in making choices. Courses for a minor can be double-counted as gen eds, or supporting courses for the major.

Minor in Psychology. Go to http://www.altoona.psu.edu/psych/minor.htm. Although the minor lists PSY 301W, a methods course as required, HDFS majors do not need to take it, as you must take a methods course for our major. However, you will need to take an alternative course so that you have the full 18 credits of Psychology courses.

Minor in Criminal Justice. Go to http://www.altoona.psu.edu/cj/minor.htm.

Minor in Women’s Studies. Go to http://www.altoona.psu.edu/women.

Minor in Gerontology Go to http://geron.psu.edu/education/undergrad.html#Inter. This is a minor offered across the university, but managed by the College of Health and Human Development. You will need their forms to enter the minor. At Altoona we offer courses necessary to complete the minor.

Minor in Health Policy and Administration. Go to http://www.altoona.psu.edu/academics/hpaal_default.asp.

Minor in Dance Studies. Go to http://www.altoona.psu.edu/dance

Minor in English. Go to http://www.altoona.psu.edu/academics/engal_minor.asp