HDFS
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Browse all Human Development and Family Studies courses →
Red: department · Gray: UW–Madison
GPA and percentages are weighted by recorded letter grades. UW comparisons use the same terms. Cross-listed courses count once within this department and once across UW; department totals should not be added together. Grade counts are not unique students. Offering counts reflect captured records, not a complete historical schedule.
Grades have not been recorded for this term. Historical results remain in the overview above.
No released grades for this term.
25 courses
Introductory course examining research at the intersection of family and poverty, focusing on socioeconomic influences on family behaviors, childrearing, and the role of policy.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2023–Spring 2026Introduction to racially and culturally diverse families, focusing on structural factors like demographic, economic, and historic trends that shape family similarities and distinctions.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Polina Levchenko
Weekly materials were often posted late, and a final paper prompt arrived the night before its due date, creating tight deadlines for students.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026Examines careers in Human Ecology and human development/family studies through presentations by high-level leaders in related professions such as counseling, social work, and health care.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Kristy Burkholder
Reviewers found the workload fair for a one-credit class but criticized the lack of organization and late release of final paper details.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026Development of the Young Child provides a basic foundation for understanding development from conception through middle childhood, covering theoretical foundations, research findings, and practical applications.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2023–Spring 2026Provides a basic foundation for understanding development from adolescence through old age, covering theoretical foundations, research findings, and practical applications.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2023–Spring 2026Examines family stress and resilience across the life cycle from psychological, sociological, and biosocial perspectives. Topics include parenting, poverty, violence, work-family balance, aging, and health.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
No recorded grade history
Examines infant and child health through a socioecological lens, covering conceptual models and applications from individual clinical interventions to systems-level public health approaches.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2024–Spring 2026Research Methods in Human Development and Family Studies covers basics of research design for family studies and individual development, including quantitative, qualitative, participatory action, and evaluation research.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Janean Dilworth-Bart
Success required a good deal of studying and reading, with attendance and note-taking essential for achieving high grades on difficult exams.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026Explores infant/toddler development milestones from conception to 36 months and evaluates child care access, quality, and real-time observation of infant development.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2024–Spring 2026Examines family and community influences on young children, focusing on child interaction in socialization settings and processes within the child-family-community system.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Polina Levchenko
Assignments were often posted less than 24 hours before deadlines, and in-class activities required immediate completion to count toward the grade.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026Explores parent-child relations, including parental programs and interactions with external institutions.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Kristy Burkholder
The class was fairly easy, graded mostly on reflections, essays, and a group presentation, though she was not a hard grader.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2023–Fall 2025Examines diversity of family life and human development across racial ethnic groups in the U.S., focusing on race, culture, biculturalism, and social contexts like history and immigration.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Polina Levchenko
Grading was slow, and assignments were often posted close to due dates. An in-class assignment worth most of the grade occurred every session, making the workload difficult for those with jobs.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026HDFS 501 covers specialized subject matter of current interest under the title SPECIAL TOPICS.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Amy Wagner
The course involved weekly quizzes and two papers, with students noting that watching lecture videos was sufficient for quizzes without doing the textbook readings.
No recorded grade history
Explores theoretical perspectives on how intimate relationships develop, thrive, or deteriorate, connecting relationship science to real-life experiences.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Polina Levchenko
A student reported that study materials were posted less than 24 hours before they were needed.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026This course examines the development of the paternal role and its consequences for family well-being and child development across the lifespan.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
No recorded grade history
Research experience under the supervision of a faculty member in Human Development and Family Studies.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Quentin Riser
Students reported the class was manageable, noting that only a few items contributed to the final grade.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026Studies the purposes, contexts, and implementation of parenting support and education programs; some sections may include a service learning component.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Kristy Burkholder
The workload was considered manageable, with one student noting that attending class was sufficient for success, while another found papers daunting but achievable with last-minute effort.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026Developmental and Family Assessment introduces family-focused developmental assessment with infants and young children, covering family interviewing, developmental histories, child observation, and screening.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Julie Poehlmann
Students described the workload as heavy on readings. One review noted that completing the readings was sufficient to do well, while another found the homework and readings felt like a waste of time due to the self-taught format.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2026Senior thesis involving individual study arranged with a faculty member.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
No recorded grade history
Independent study for directed projects arranged with a faculty member.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
No recorded grade history
Introduction to research on families and poverty. Learn how family behaviors vary by socioeconomic status; how romantic relationships, childbearing, and childrearing may be implicated in poverty; what the consequences of poverty are for family functioning and children; and about the role of policy in influencing families and poverty.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
Past student reviews · Quentin Riser
The course was rated as low difficulty, with students describing it as an enjoyable and engaging experience.
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2023–Fall 2025 · limited sampleCurrent Topics in Human Development and Family Studies examines specialized subject matter of current interests, including literature, research, and trends relevant to teaching and parent education.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
historical GPA · grades
Spring 2024–Spring 2026 · limited sampleFamily Theory I (Survey) examines current theories and models in family research, focusing on structure-functional, interactional, developmental, systems, and exchange theories for research and application.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
historical GPA · grades
Fall 2022–Spring 2025 · limited sampleResearch and thesis individual study arranged with a faculty member.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
No recorded grade history
Independent study course offering directed study projects arranged with a faculty member.
Offering recorded · Spring 2027 · Sources
No recorded grade history