BS Human Development and Family Science at The Ohio State University

Programme overview

The human development and family science major is a great choice for a "people person." As the only major at Ohio State with a primary concentration on families and human development, you'll get broad knowledge of how children, adults and families develop, alongside undergraduate research opportunities and personalized attention from faculty. This program prepares you for a professional career or further education. Our professional specializations give you the opportunity to create a degree program that meets your interests and professional goals.

Faculty: Education and Human Ecology | Study mode: full-time | Location: Columbus, OH, United States

What you will study

Students in human development and family science complete course work in life span human development, family development, child development, middle childhood and adolescent development, advanced family development, sexuality across the life span, advanced writing, statistics, and professional development. Areas of professional specialization: - Family/Community Human Services - Aging Studies - Adolescent and At-Risk Youth - Intimacy/Sexuality Studies - Social Policy and Population Studies - Pre-medicine - Integrated Studies Family studies requires course work in human service organizations, developing helping skills, children and families under stress, and parenting.

Career pathways

Getting a degree in human development and family science prepares you for a variety of professions in human services, student affairs, or law enforcement and corrections. Examples include program or outreach coordinator, caseworker, probation or parole officer, admissions counselor or academic advisor, social service manager, and researcher.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

Admission to the university (and the Education and Human Ecology college where applicable) applies; no separate programme-specific requirement published. Upon admission to the university, students enroll directly into the human development and family science program as a pre-major. After completion of the following major admission requirements, students are placed in the major.

Domestic applicants: USD 12,921 a year (2026-27). Columbus campus on-campus Instructional Fee (tuition) for students beginning Autumn 2026: $6,460.50 per semester at 12-18 credit hours, shown as two semesters (Autumn and Spring). The Ohio State Tuition Guarantee fixes this rate for four years for Ohio re Source

Entry terms for first-year applicants to the Columbus campus: Autumn 2027 and Spring 2027 (Spring 2027 deadline November 1, 2026). Summer first-year applications are not accepted.

Transfer applicants can start in Spring, Summer or Autumn 2027.

First-year, Columbus campus, Autumn 2027: early action (non-binding) deadline November 1, 2026; regular decision deadline January 15, 2027; financial aid priority date February 1; acceptance fee deadline May 1, 2027. Early action decisions: December 11 (Ohio residents and Stamps Eminence applicants) and January 22 (non-Ohio residents and international applicants); regular decision decisions March 5.

First-year applicants apply with the Common Application. ACT or SAT scores are required for first-year Columbus applicants (superscored; sent directly by the testing agency); applicants out of high school two or more years are not required to submit scores. The essay is not required.

Transfer applicants (Columbus campus): Spring 2027 deadline November 1, 2026; Autumn 2027 deadline March 1, 2027; Summer 2027 deadline May 15, 2027. Regional campuses: December 1, 2026, April 15, 2027 and July 15, 2027 respectively.

International transfer applicants: Spring 2027 deadline October 1, 2026; Autumn 2027 deadline March 1, 2027.

Apply through the official page: https://undergrad.osu.edu/apply

Explore more study programmes

Arts & Humanities