The mission of the Human Development and Family Sciences undergraduate program at the University of Houston is to advance rigorous scientific inquiry, provide transformative learning experiences, empower students to be change agents, and improve the lives of individuals and families across diverse contexts and cultures.

Program Values

Community Advocacy: Collaborating with community members as equitable partners to foster resilience among individuals and families and to advocating for public policies that facilitate the optimal development of diverse children, adults, families, and communities.

Academic Excellence & Student Success: Providing transformative and experiential learning opportunities for students that emphasize prevention, education, and community action to enhance the quality of life for individuals throughout the lifespan and diverse families within their contexts.

Research & Application: Advancing the rigorous scientific study of individual and family development throughout the life course using an interdisciplinary, bioecological approach that results in the development and implementation of evidence-based practices.

Critical Thinking: Thinking critically about social norms related to individual and family development while valuing multicultural conceptualizations of human development and dynamic family systems to advance culturally competent education, prevention, and intervention.

Professional Growth: Cultivating ongoing professional development for faculty, staff, and students, nurturing the lifelong pursuit of knowledge, and continually elevating and adapting our program so that it remains rigorous and effective in preparing students to be positive change agents in the world.