Human Development and Family Studies Degree Program

Human Development and Family Studies (HDFS) is a Bachelor’s of Science degree program that provides students with a comprehensive, ecological systems-based program of study in human development, family development, and family resource management. The HDFS curriculum provides students with a multitude of experiences through coursework and off-campus activities to give them the knowledge and professional skills needed for careers in family/human services. The curriculum encompasses these studies:

• Changing needs, dynamics, and challenges of families over time
• Management of human, material, financial, and community resources to meet these needs
• Growth and development of individuals over the human life cycle
• Interrelationships of individuals, families, and communities in the context of diverse socioeconomic and cultural systems.

The HDFS curriculum provides students with comprehensive study of human development, family development, and family resource management. Students are prepared for positions in family service agencies; family life and parenting education programs; children's, youth, and gerontology programs; child care and early childhood education centers; and consumer affairs agencies. The courses cover these topics and more:

• Healthy family relationships
• Healthy and resilient human development at all ages
• Family caregiving for older adults and grandparents raising children
• Family public policy
• Family and consumer resource management
• Community leadership and resource development.

New Students

Students who are applying for admission to the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa (UHM) as freshman or as transfers from another institution can specify Human Development and Family Studies as their major on their application form. Acceptance will be based on a minimum cumulative UHM grade point (GPR) of 2.0.  


Transfer Students
Students wishing to transfer from another UH campus or outside college/university must submit an application for admission with the UH Manoa Office of Admissions.

Current UH Manoa students wishing to transfer from one UHM program into the HDFS program can send an email request to the CTAHR Advising Office at ctahradv@hawaii.edu.

Status as a HDFS major is not official until all necessary paperwork has been completed and processed. Students are encouraged to apply to the program within the first month of any given semester to allow adequate time to process their transfers prior to registration for classes.

A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 is required to apply to HDFS. Your admission to the program will be based on GPA. Students with a cumulative GPA below 2.0 will be accepted if they have at least a 3.0 GPA for the most recent 18 credits completed.

Important Note: Simply taking courses in the HDFS program will not lead to admission if the minimum GPA requirement is not met. Several HDFS courses required for graduation from the program are restricted to majors only: HDFS 360, HDFS 380-380L, HDFS 492, and HDFS 495. To enroll in HDFS 492 (Internship) and HDFS 495 (Capstone Portfolio), a C minimum grade (not C-) for core courses is required.