Human Development and Family Sciences Careers
Help individuals and families thrive at every stage of life
Career paths in human development and family sciences
A career in human development and family science offers the chance to make a lasting impact by supporting individuals' growth and strengthening family relationships.
Whether you work in health care, social services or family advocacy, you’ll help people navigate life’s challenges, promote well-being, and shape policies that support thriving communities.
Transform your passion for helping others into a force for positive change.
Values and interests
If any of these values and interests sound like you, an HDFS career might be a great fit.
Values
- Empathy
- Equity
- Growth and development
- Individual and family empowerment
- Personal fulfillment
- Social impact
- Strengthening family relationships
Interests
- Child, adult and family well-being
- Counseling and providing support
- Family dynamics and relationships
- Human development across the lifespan
- Interdisciplinary learning
- Mental health and emotional resilience
- Policy and advocacy for families and individuals
- Prevention and early intervention
- Trauma-informed care
Employers of OSU grads
HDFS graduates support the health, development and well-being of individuals and families at every stage of life, helping them grow, adapt and thrive from childhood through adulthood.
Human services
Recent jobs in human services or graduate programs secured by our alumni:
Job titles
*Requires additional education
- Academic counselor
- Behavioral health counselor*
- Community health worker
- Community outreach advocate
- Direct support professional
- Housing grants coordinator
- Independent living services coordinator/director
- Social worker*
- Volunteer coordinator
Organizations
- Boys and Girls Club
- Child Protective Services
- City government
- Community Outreach Inc.
- Extension services
- Health departments
- Oregon Department of Human Services
- OSU-Cascades
- YMCA
Counseling programs
- OSU-Cascades
- Western Oregon University
Social work programs
- Portland State University
Child development and early childhood
What jobs can you get with an early childhood or child development degree? Here are some examples of roles pursued by OSU graduates.
Job titles
*Requires additional education
- Associate teacher
- Author of PAWsitive Choices, Early Learning Curricula
- Counselor*
- Child life specialist
- Early childhood intervention specialist
- Family advocate
- Family engagement coordinator
- Head preschool teacher
- Health educator
- Instructor
- Owners/directors of childcare centers and preschools
- Parent advocate/educator
- Private nanny
- Speech language pathologist*
Organizations
- Campus Early Care and Education, OSU
- Early education centers
- Early Learning Hub of Central Oregon
- Early Learning System Initiative (ELSI), OSU
- Family Resource Center of Central Oregon
- Head Start programs
- Oregon State University
- School districts
Counseling programs
- OSU-Cascades
Teaching and education programs
- OSU-Cascades
Discover more HDFS career paths
HDFS internships
Through internships and field placements, you’ll gain real-world experience and a competitive edge in the job market.
Many OSU HDFS graduates secure positions where they interned.
What do recent HDFS graduates say?
Unique counseling perspective
“I came to OSU with an unclear vision of my future self and career, but by the time I graduated I realized I had so much to offer my community.
I'm incredibly grateful for my decision to major in HDFS. It's given me a truly unique counseling perspective, providing a depth of understanding that I likely wouldn't have achieved with a different major.”
Nikki Marr, ’19
Majored in: HDFS - Human Services
Next step: Master’s degree in Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling, Western Oregon University, ’22
Now: Behavioral health counselor, Benton County Health Department
Riley Hodges, ’24
Majored in: HDFS - Human Services
Now: Direct support professional, Home Life Inc.
Prepared for the real world
“As a direct support professional, I support adults with intellectual/developmental disability to engage in the community and live as independently as possible.
The HDFS program significantly prepared me for the real world. HDFS courses address topics encountered in everyday life and built my ability to analyze different situations through multiple perspectives.”
Supporting young learners
“From a young age, I wanted a career teaching and supporting young learners.
After graduating, I taught preschoolers and college students as an HDFS 430 Instructor at the OSU Child Development Center. Now, I work with the Early Learning System Initiative at the Hallie E. Ford Center, supporting Oregon's early educators, coaches, and program leaders.
I love using my experiences as an early educator to connect with and advocate for early childhood professionals in Oregon.”
Kiki Omoto, '13
Majored in: HDFS - Child Development
Now: Training Outreach Coordinator, Early Learning System Initiative, Hallie E. Ford Center
Eric Cerino, PhD ’19
Majored in: PhD in HDFS
Now: Assistant professor, Northern Arizona University
Rigorous training, impactful HDFS research
“A PhD in HDFS at OSU provides an unparalleled offering of strong methodological and statistical training, theoretical and conceptual foundations to research questions, and impactful scholarship opportunities with community impact and public health relevance."
HDFS to pediatric speech language pathology
“My HDFS degree provided me with foundational knowledge in a wide variety of areas—child development, poverty, psychology, social issues, etc.—that I tap into every day as a speech-language pathologist.
Whether I am running therapy groups, evaluating students, or consulting with parents, I use the principles from my HDFS degree every day.”
Joe Lake, '17
Majored in: HDFS - Child development
Next step: Master's in speech language pathology, University of Oregon
Now: Speech language pathologist, Linn Benton Lincoln ESD
Expand your career opportunities
Adding an HDFS minor or pursuing HDFS as a double major is a great complement to:
- Education
- Public health
- Public policy
- Pre-med
- Health professions
- Psychology
- Sociology
Plan to work with people and families?
Want to help people and families?
Start your HDFS career journey
An HDFS degree or minor opens doors to many career paths, from counseling and social work to education and advocacy, allowing you to adapt as your interests evolve.
HDFS undergraduate program
Offered online, on the Corvallis campus and at OSU-Cascades
