Human Development

All WSU undergraduates must complete a minimum of 120 semester credits of which 40 credits must be at the 300 – 400 level. Students must also complete the University Common Requirements (UCORE). These can generally be satisfied with a direct transfer degree. For a list of direct-transfer agreements, visit WSU’s Transferring an Associate Degree web page.

Students can be admitted to the major if they have earned 24 credits and have a 2.0 GPA. To retain admission to the major, students must maintain a 2.6 HD GPA.

• 2.6 HD GPA
• 2.0 cumulative GPA
• Minimum of 21 HD credits must be taken at WSU
• Completion of Field Placement/Internship or ECE Practicum (135 – 270 hours)

• H_D 101 [SSCI] – Human Development Across the Lifespan
• H_D 204 [SSCI] – Family Interactions
• H_D 220 – Human Development Theories

• H_D 310 [M] – Research Methods
• H_D 350 [DIVR] – Family Diversity
• H_D 410 [M] – Public Policy and Issues in Human Development

The Lifespan Development option is for students who desire to deepen their understanding of the foundations of development from childhood, adolescence, to adulthood. Students in this option will gain psychosocial and bioecological perspectives on the interrelationships between individuals, families, organizations, and communities. A Lifespan Development focus opens the doors for many helping professions. Students are ready for careers in public and private human service agencies, and local, state and federal government.

Lifespan Core

• H_D 306 – Child Development
• H_D 307 – Adolescence and Emerging Adulthood
• H_D 308 – Adult Development
• HD 309 – Gerontology

Family Studies Core (Choose one)

• HD 300 Child and Family Violence, Abuse, and Neglect
• HD 301 Family Stress and Coping
• HD 302 Parent-Child Relationships

Human Development Electives (Choose Three)

• HD 320 [M] – Resource Management
• H_D 341 – Guidance in Early Childhood Programs
• H_D 360 – Death and Dying
• H_D 384 – Prevention and Intervention in Human Development
• H_D 385 – Perspectives in Human Services
• H_D 403 [CAPS] – Families in Poverty
• H_D 406 – Work and Family
• H_D 408 – Advanced Adolescent Development
• H_D 430 [M] – Professional and Grant Writing Skills
• H_D 479 – Planning and Evaluation in Human Development
• H_D 482 – Child Assessment and Evaluation

Culminating Experience

• H_D 497 – Professional Preparation Seminar
• H_D 498 – Internship (135 hours)

Note: The Early Childhood Education (ECE) Option is available only to students residing in the state of Washington. It is not a licensure to teach.

The Early Childhood Education option focuses on children birth-age 5. Students gain a deeper understanding of the importance of building relationships with children, observing and documenting their development and learning, planning and implementing age-appropriate curricula and assessing the success of the planned curricula. This option prepares students to be early childhood educators as they complete a 270-hour practicum in a high-quality, early childhood classroom. While this option focuses on preparing for a teaching role, students are also ready for careers outside of the classroom working with young children and their families.

Early Childhood Core

• H_D 235 – Introduction to Early Childhood Programs (1 credit)
• H_D 306 – Child Development
• H_D 341 – Guidance in Early Childhood Programs
• H_D 342 – Curriculum for Early Childhood Programs (4 credits)

Family Requirements

• H_D 300 – Child and Family Violence, Abuse, and Neglect
• H_D 302 – Parent-Child Relationships
• H_D 403 [CAPS] – Families in Poverty

Assessment and Evaluation

• H_D 482 – Child Assessment and Evaluation

Culminating Experience

• H_D 445 – Early Childhood Professional Preparation Seminar
• H_D 446 – Practicum in Early Childhood Programs (270 hours)