This specialization prepares students for a variety of careers, from applied work as a child life specialist or in the human services to contributing to the knowledge base as a researcher or policy analyst. All students in this specialization obtain in-depth coursework in the processes of lifespan development and normative family functioning. They also complete a skill based sequence involving grant writing, teaching, and/or an internship and learn how to design and analyze research studies. Moreover, those who choose to do so learn the skills needed to develop and evaluate programs. Working with their adviser, students in FDS select additional elective courses that support their career goals. Examples of careers that FDS students have entered include:
Our graduate program is well regarded in the U.S. for its preparation of child life specialists. Students receive a nice blend of research and theory in child development, family functioning, and grief and loss; practical experience with hospitalized children through a child life internship; applied skills in curriculum development and assessment; and research skills that are important to evidence-based practice and knowledge generation.
Many of our graduates manage intervention and support programs in the human services sector. These include comprehensive family centers, hospices, adolescent treatment centers, social services agencies, Cooperative Extension offices, support programs for the elderly, and school based diagnosis and intervention programs. Students learn intervention skills that allow them to apply their in depth knowledge of normative development and family functioning. These skills include assessment and diagnosis, program planning and evaluation, program administration, grant writing, research design, and technical communication.
Several graduates have gone on to careers in policy analysis, either for state governments or in academic settings. Elective course work on policy analysis is available in several departments at CSU, and students typically complete an internship with a government agency.
The FDS specialization appeals to students who are interested in teaching at the university, community college, or junior college level. M.S. graduates who want to work with young adults, especially at risk populations, have found careers in college student support services. We also have had graduate students in HDFS who were elementary teachers or consumer and family studies teachers.
For this career track, elective courses will emphasize the integration of research and theory, and the acquisition of research skills. Students develop advanced competencies in research design and statistics, technical writing, teaching and research presentations, research project management, and a content area such as parenting, gender issues, or adolescence.