EXHIBITS
What's in a Name?: The Department Today
After the 1980s, the Department of Family and Human Development remained a stable component of the College of Family Life as family management professions increased in number. Undergraduates could take courses in marriage, infant and child development, and also have internship opportunities. Graduate courses emphasized research, theory, and practicum for those interested in therapy occupations. [1] In 1996, the department began to offer a certificate in Gerontology, giving students access to an important qualification for working in nursing home environments. [2] By 2000, the department was offering a degree emphasis in Deaf Education, a sign of yet more changes to come. [3]
In 2004, the department underwent yet another name change, becoming the Department of Family, Consumer, and Human Development within the College of Education and Human Services. [4] This put it in closer contact with departments such as Elementary Education, Psychology, and Special Education. Most recently, its name was changed to the Department of Human Development and Family Studies in 2018. [5] What had once been a small addition to an already small program tailored to enhancing women’s domestic and child-rearing skills now provides comprehensive education and professional experience in fields like family finance, early childhood education, and marriage counselling.