Child Development & Family Relations (B.S.)

Individual and Family Studies | Early Childhood Education | Early Childhood Professional | Research

Concentrations

Learning Outcomes

Careers

Accreditation

Next Steps

Contact

Highlights

Courses

Cost

Concentrations

Learning Outcomes

Careers

Accreditation

Next Steps

Contact

Highlights

Courses

Cost

About

The Child Development and Family Relations major helps students understand how human beings develop physically, emotionally and intellectually throughout their lives, as well as how families and relationships of all forms take shape. Our curriculum provides a solid foundation in issues and policies that impact, and best-practices for serving, infants and young children, at-risk youth, families, individuals with disabilities, the elderly and more. You can choose from a variety of concentrations that meet your personal and career goals. All students complete an internship or capstone field experience before graduation. The Katherine Miles Durst Child Development Learning Center in Merrill Hall, a state-licensed nursery school and prekindergarten program, provides opportunities to apply practical and theoretical knowledge by working with children ages 33 months to 5-years-old. Other internship/field experience opportunities include student teaching, or working with public or private organizations that serve children, families and individuals with special needs.

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Course Catalog

Program Highlights

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Requirements

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Concentrations

The Child Development and Family Relations major includes four concentrations, each of which provides students with the knowledge and skills needed to address the needs of children, adults, families and communities through evidence-based practices:

Individual and Family Studies: Supports professional preparation for careers working with children and families in community settings.
Early Childhood Education: Allows students to apply for the state of Maine endorsement 029: Early Elementary Teacher (public school grades K-3) or 081: Early Childhood Teacher (birth to age 5).
Early Childhood Professional: Prepares students to work in social service agencies supporting young children and families, or as an early educator in child care facilities, Head Start or other prekindergarten programs. This concentration does not lead to state teaching licensure.
Research: Provides students with direct experiences in applied research on human, family and relationship development. Students typically work closely with a faculty member on a research project of mutual interest, and are well-positioned for graduate study in the future.

Advising & Support

The College of Education and Human Development Advising Center provides students with academic guidance and personal support before they set foot on campus through graduation and beyond. Our professional advising team and student support staff build genuine relationships and provide timely information to help you navigate your program, college life, internships, work and whatever else is on your plate.

Program Learning Outcomes

While students have the option to pursue multiple pathways to obtain their Child Development and Family Relations degree, upon completion all students will be able to:

Demonstrate an understanding of human development across the lifespan
Demonstrate knowledge of the multiple influences on individual and family development
Demonstrate the ability to evaluate and apply research and theory to practice and policy
Demonstrate an understanding of the diversity within and across families and cultures
Demonstrate professional skills in their field experience (e.g., teaching, administration, program development and evaluation, research, case management, parent-child education, home economics, curriculum development)

Our program conducts annual assessments of courses, students, and capstone experiences.

Our students are evaluated prior to program entry to ensure they meet entrance requirements, and at exit to ensure they have met all requirements at an acceptable level of performance. Students admitted to the program are assigned a faculty advisor whom they meet with twice a year (minimally) for course advising, program progress check, academic performance review, and any concerns or questions that may arise.

Students’ performance is tracked in all courses across all instructors to ensure performance requirements are met. Each instructor is evaluated and each instructor’s syllabus is reviewed to ensure it complies with program, college and university requirements. The Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) are assessed across the scope of courses and all syllabi must include SLOs and assessments tied to the identified SLOs for the course.

All of our graduates complete a capstone experience (e.g., working in a community service agency or student teaching) in their final semester. Their internship or student teaching supervisor evaluates each student and these results are shared with the program coordinator and faculty advisors.

Careers

Graduates of the Child Development and Family Relations major are well positioned for careers in a variety of fields, including:

Social work
Children, youth and family services
Child life specialist
Parent educator
Case or care manager
Early interventionist

Advocacy and nonprofit work
Business and human resources
Health educator
Occupational therapist
Researcher

For students wishing to continue on to graduate school, a degree in Child Development and Family Relations is preparation for a variety of programs, including:

Social Work
Marriage and Family Therapy
Law
Occupational Therapy
Public Administration/Nonprofit Leadership

Psychology/Certified Professional Counselor
Medicine
School Counseling
Speech Pathology
Reading/Literacy Specialist

Teacher and children students sitting on the floor reading a book

At a Glance

College of Education & Human Development

Degree Level

Undergraduate Major

Degree Earned

Bachelor of Science in Child Development & Family Relations

Concentrations

Individual and Family Studies

Early Childhood Education

Early Childhood Professional

Research

Mode of Study

In-Person

time to Complete Degree

120 Credits

College of Education & Human Development

Degree Level

Undergraduate Major

Degree Earned

Bachelor of Science in Child Development & Family Relations

Concentrations

Individual and Family Studies

Early Childhood Education

Early Childhood Professional

Research

Mode of Study

In-Person

time to Complete Degree

120 Credits

Join the HonorS College

Open to students in all majors

Learn More

Featured Courses

XXX 101

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XXX 101

A really, really, really Long course title goes here

XXX 101

Research Learning Experience

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Learn More about RLE Courses

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Scholarships

Learn More about Scholarships

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Accreditation

The concentration in Early Childhood Education is a Maine Department of Education (MDOE) Pathway 1 approved program. Contact Maine DOE for more information about certification and credentialing (external link).

In addition, the College of Education and Human Development’s teacher preparation programs are nationally accredited by CAEP, the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation. CAEP accreditation is a seal of approval that assures quality in educator preparation and that our programs prepare new teachers to know their subjects, their students and have the training that allows them to enter the classroom ready to teach effectively.

National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA) statement

This program will prepare students to be eligible for licensure within the State of Maine. Visit the UMS State Authorization & Licensure page to learn more about the licensure requirements in other states and territories, in addition to the contact information needed to inquire further into the licensure requirements associated with this program.

Next Steps

Contact

Education & Human Development

Shibles Hall

umaine.edu/edhd

207.581.2441

coehd@maine.edu

Admissions

Undergraduate

Estabrooke Hall, Room 115

go.umaine.edu

207.581.1561

207.581.1213

umaineadmissions@maine.edu

International

Chadbourne Hall, Room 122

go.umaine.edu/international-undergraduate-admissions/

207.581.3437

207.581.2920

internationaladm@maine.edu

Apply for Fall 2027

For maximum financial aid, apply by December 1

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