Family Studies and Human Development

A woman and child walk outside a building holdeing hands on a sunny day.

Are you curious about the challenges of human development and how families meet those challenges?

When you study Family Studies & Human Development, you will consider the changing structure of families and various ways family and child relations influence economic and social policies. Tailor your degree to explore theories of family structures in Canada, understand how laws and policies can affect families or research the complexity of child development – in the Family Studies & Human Development program, you decide! Is teaching in your future? Family Studies & Human Development students at Western can apply for admission to the Faculty of Education!

Under the guidance of your dedicated and academically renowned professors, you will enhance your writing, research and critical thinking skills through a variety of dynamic courses, including Immigrant and Refugee Families, Family Practices in a Global World and Family Resilience. Engage in research with your professors in areas such as work and family, engaged fatherhood, parenting, women’s health, youth sexual health, housing, gender-based violence, the health and well-being of vulnerable populations and arts-based and arts-informed research, among others.

Your Family Studies & Human Development experience extends beyond the classroom. Enhance your resume by working towards the Professional Home Economist (PHEc) designation through the Ontario Home Economics Association. Engage in experiential learning projects in courses such as Early Childhood Development and Diversity and the Canadian Family. Gain unique real-life experiences by enrolling in a supervised field placement while pursuing your degree. Further develop your skills and build a professional network by joining the Students' Human Ecology Association (SHEA).

The Family Studies & Human Development program allows you to:

  • graduate with an interdisciplinary degree
  • gain skills to positively impact families in our your community
  • understand societal factors that inform family experiences
  • develop skills to become an elementary teacher or a family studies secondary school teacher

Admission Requirements

Admission requirements for Ontario high school students:

  • Required for BA: Grade 12U English (ENG4U)
  • Required for BSc only: SBI4U, SCH4U, MCR3U or MCF3M
  • Recommended for Nutrition & Families: SCH4U or SCH3U

Career Opportunities

Employment opportunities for graduates include:

  • Social Worker
  • Family Therapist
  • Child and Youth Worker
  • Family Lawyer
  • Elementary or Secondary School Teacher

Program Modules

Explore a path towards your future degree. Click on the heptagons below to learn more.

  Honours Specialization Specialization Major Minor
Family Studies Yellow hexagon BSc Yellow hexagon BA Yellow hexagon BSc Yellow hexagon BA Yellow hexagon BA Yellow hexagon  
Families & Communities

 

 Yellow hexagon BA      
Nutrition & Families

 

 Yellow hexagon BA

 

 Yellow hexagon BA Yellow hexagon BA