Life Span Developmental Science Option

As a Human Development and Family Studies major at Penn State, you’ll choose between two options: Life Span Human Services or Life Span Developmental Science.

Both options build upon a core set of HDFS courses that address basic individual and family development, research methods, ethics, and approaches to individual and family interventions.

Students who pursue the Life Span Developmental Science (LSDS) option focus on the theory and research process upon which the HDFS field is grounded.

• Work in a research lab and a senior research project or honors thesis under supervision of an HDFS faculty member is an integral component of this option.
• Take advantage of extra flexibility in selecting additional HDFS courses and supporting courses in other fields. In this way, students can specialize their degree around their personal and professional interests.

Visit the Penn State Bulletin for a complete list of requirements.