ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses a better understanding of career options, training, and desired skills for professionals within the area of human development and family studies (HDFS) to possess. The unfamiliarity of HDFS for many students, and the variety of options, makes it essential for students to become informed about careers within HDFS and actively seek courses, out-of-class experiences, and experiential education to support their specialization. Some undergraduates tend to be attracted to HDFS programs more so than Psychology and Sociology due to their sense of job potential at the bachelor's level. Graduate programs in HDFS may emphasize specific areas of study, such as individual development and family development. Most family science programs surveyed stated that human growth and development is required of all students in the program. For students in nursing programs the link between their training and career is often obvious to others and they tend to explore a specialty, such as pediatrics, within their undergraduate nursing program.
