Health and Human Services - Child and Family Studies and Early Childhood Education

Overview

The Health and Human Services - Child and Family Studies and Early Childhood Education program of the University at Buffalo is designed for students with an interest in child development, the social and educational institutions that influence children and families, and the treatments and interventions associated with childhood issues. While in this major, students will examine various social problems, the systems delivering human services to individuals and communities, and the professions and professionals providing services. The curriculum incorporates introductory social science, statistics and research methods, human biology, ethics and specialized courses developed for the Child and Family Studies concentration.

In the graduate portion of the program you will master the skills needed to become an effective teacher. In the final year residency, you will co-teach alongside an expert teacher to experience the inner workings of the classroom.

At the end of the five-year program, successful students will receive recommendation for New York State Initial and Professional Teacher Certification.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of all requirements, the student will have the ability to:

• Identify a range of health and human services professions and their characteristics; understand typical human services (HS) problems and client needs; understand the theoretical foundations of human service intervention.

• Understand the foundational principles of two social science disciplines critical to HS intervention.

• Critically evaluate social science methodologies and research; propose a research project that would answer a significant research question; utilize statistical methods to evaluate data in relation to knowledge claims.

• Recognize the importance of human values and cultural diversity in the provision of health and human services.

• Develop personal characteristics and professional skills-e.g., interview, presentation, writing-necessary for success in HS positions.

• Demonstrate knowledge of child and adolescent agencies and services, early childhood development, language development, educational research and practice, family structure/functions, and childhood interventions.

Career Outlook

Employment opportunities exist as New York State and other states nationwide are facing current and future teacher shortages. Program graduates will be well equipped to find professional employment in public, private, and charter schools as teachers from birth to grade 6. Graduates also may find career opportunities as educators, consultants, and researchers in public and private industry, as well as in government agencies.