Human Development & Family Sciences
Why Choose HDFS?
Texas Tech's Human Development and Family Sciences (HDFS) graduate program provides cutting-edge education focused on interpersonal relationships and human development across the lifespan. Students will have access to expert faculty whose research is published in some of the nation's leading journals and publications. Graduate students in the HDFS program participate in meaningful research that impacts the lives of children, adolescents, families, and elderly communities. Graduate students will graduate prepared to excel in professional and academic positions.
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See our list of graduate program Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).
What can you do with an HDFS degree?
Human development and family sciences graduate degrees prepare students to pursue many different career paths including:
- Teaching
- Crisis Specialists
- Social Services or Adoption Services
- Research
- Child Advocacy or Protective Services
- Family Counseling
- Program Directors
- Mental Health Services
- Program Evaluation Specialists
- Other Pre-Health Careers
Careers of Human Development and Family Sciences Alumni
Texas Tech HDFS alumni are making an impact in their careers. Below is a list of occupations and employers of some of our recent HDFS graduate alumni.
| Employer | Title |
| Nofa resort | Acting HR Manager |
| Texas Health and Human Services (HHS) | Research Specialist/Data Analyst |
| Miami Dade | Assistant Professor |
| Eckerd College | Assistant Professor |
| University of Wisconsin-Stout | Assistant Professor |
| Case Western Reserve University | Postdoctoral Scholar, Begun Center for Violence Prevention Research & Education |
| Middle Tennessee State University | Assistant Professor |
| Penn State Erie | Assistant Professor |
| McMurry University | Instructor of Psychology |
| Triada Capital (Hong Kong) | Operations Analyst |
| Colorado State | Assistant Professor |
| St. Anne's Maternity Home | Crisis Specialist |
| Crisis Center | Interpersonal Violence Prevention Educator |
| TTU Research Office | Research Administrator |
| Texas Public Policy Foundation | Director, Center for Families and Children |
| Buckner Childre and Family Servies | Aftercare Case Manager |
| Texas A&M | Assistant Professor |
| Montclair State | Senior Research Associate |
| Falcon Ridge Ranch (Hurricane, Utah) | Program Director |
| Texas A&M | County Extension Agent, Urban Youth Development |
| Oklahoma State | Program Evaluation Specialist |
| Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center | Unit Manager |
| Texas Tech University | Instructor |
| Texas Tech University | Associate Professor |
What type of research do we do?
Faculty in the Human Development and Family Sciences department conduct research surrounding individuals, couples, and families across the lifespan. Students participate in innovative research projects and areas of study from a wide range of topics such as:
- Studies of Foster Care and Youth in Foster Care
- Alcohol and Substance Use in Young Populations
- The Transition to Siblinghood: Early Predictors of Maladjustment
- Gender Differences in Maltreated Children
- Prenatal & Infancy Development
- Adolescent Development
- Middle Adulthood
- Gerontology
- Exploring development in context (e.g., cultural, ecological)
- Child and Maternal Risk and Protective Factors for Anxiety in Infancy
- Anxiety, Identity, and Female College Student Heavy Drinking Episodic Drinking
- Disordered Eating among Collegiate Recovery Program Students
- Life Span Human Development
- Contemporary Families
- Family Interactions
- Cross-Cultural Perspectives
- Measuring brain function using fMRI
- Inter-generational family relationships
For detailed dissertation information, please visit the Texas Tech Library Theses and Dissertation Website.
Human Development and Family Sciences
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Address
Texas Tech University, P.O. Box 41230, Lubbock, TX 79409-1230 -
Phone
806.742.3000 -
Email
hs.webmaster@ttu.edu