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Bachelor of Science in Human Developmental Sciences

The Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Human Developmental Sciences is designed for those considering advanced graduate level study or other professional engagement in the health sciences, therapy, rehabilitation, or research. The B.S. requires additional coursework that the Bachelor of Arts in Human Developmental Sciences does not require.

Please note the following:

  • All classes taken for the Bachelor of Science must be taken for letter grades. 
  • All coursework must be completed with a grade of C- or better.

Note: Courses are displayed in TSS with leading zeros--they are still the same class! Please note the zeros and hyphen when searching for classes. Examples:

  • HDS 1 appears as HDS-001 in TSS
  • HDS 60 appears as HDS-060 in TSS
  • HDS 191 appears as HDS-191 in TSS

Specializations

In addition to our traditional B.S. outlined below, Bachelor of Science students can declare a developmental specialization in Equity and Diversity or Healthy Aging.

Lower-Division ("Major-Prep") Requirements

8 courses (32 units)

Introduction to Human Developmental Sciences (1 Course)

HDS 1 - Introduction to Human Developmental Sciences

(Offered fall and spring)

Statistics (1 Course)

For students who declared the HDS major Fall 2021 or later:


For students who declared the HDS major prior to Fall 2021:
One course selected from the following approved list:

Formal Skills (2 Courses)

Two courses selected from the following approved list:

Biological Sciences (2 Courses)

Two courses selected from the following approved list:

Social Sciences (2 Courses)

Two courses selected from the following approved list:

Upper-Division Requirements

13 courses (56 units)

Core Series (4 Courses)

A total of 4 courses with at least 1 course from each Domain is required.

Domain 1 - The Biological Basis of Human Development (one required):

Domain 2 - The Cognitive and Linguistic Basis of Human Development (two required, one from each area):

  • 2A. Social-Cognitive Development (one required)
  • 2B. Language Development (one required)
    • HDS 120 - Language Development (Prerequisites: HDS 1 or LING 4 or equivalent).
    • COGS 156 - Language Development (Prerequisites: Upper-division standing. background in developmental psyc and/or linguistics is recommended).
    • LIGN 171 - Child Language Acquisition (Prerequisite: LIGN 101 or Upper division standing or consent of instructor).

Domain 3 - The Socio-cultural Basis of Human Development (one required):

Development Courses (5 Courses)

A total of 5 courses is required, with no overlaps:
At least one course from each domain, plus two electives. 

 

Domain 1 - Biological Development:
(At least one of the 5 classes must be from this area. Courses cannot double-count for 2 areas)

Domain 2 - Cognitive and Language Development:
(At least one of the 5 classes must be from this area. Courses cannot double-count for 2 areas)

Domain 3 - Socio-Cultural Development:
(At least one of the 5 classes must be from this area. Courses cannot double-count for 2 areas)

Methods of Research (2 Courses)

These courses are designed to introduce students to the philosophy and methods of developmental research in both laboratory and real-world settings (must be taken in residence).

HDS 181 - Experimental Projects in Human Development Research (Prerequisites: HDS 1, Statistics,  and a minimum of three upper-division HDS major courses, at least one in each domain. Department approval required to enroll. HDS majors only).

HDS 191 - Field Research in Human Development (Prerequisites: HDS 1 & HDS 181. Department approval required to enroll. HDS majors only).
  • Students must submit the pre-enrollment questionnaire one academic year prior to enrollment. See the HDS 191 Page for details

Methods Elective (1 Course)

The Methods Elective is a third methods/practicum requirement and is selected and designed for future professional interests. Options include a variety of courses within traditional lab or field research environments, as well as well as research studies supported within apprenticeships, internships, or professional observations necessary for field specializations.

 One course selected from the following approved list (note: new options for FALL 2026):

Individual Projects 

Quantitative options (incorporates stats, coding, or other numerical data)
  • COGS 120 -  Interaction Design (Prerequisite:  COGS 108 or CSE 12 or DSC 30 and COGS 1 or COGS 10 or DSGN 1 or ENG 100D.).
  • PH 102 (previous FMPH) - Biostatistics in Public Health (Prerequisite: PH 40; PSYC 60 or MATH 11).
Qualitative options (incorporates fieldwork, volunteering, or interviewing)

Senior Seminar (1 Course)

The Senior Seminar couse is a special topics seminar that provides advanced-level study on subfields of human development (must be taken in-residence).

 

HDS 150 - Senior Seminar (Prerequisites: Fulfillment of 8 LD courses, completion of 3 Core Series courses, and HDS 181).

  • Must be an approved HDS major with senior standing. Priority given to graduating seniors.