B.S. in Human Development and Family Science
Advising
Once you have declared HDF as your major, the HDF department offers two types of advising: academic advising and professional advising.
- Academic advising is a form of advising which helps students with course selection and to problem solve issues related to moving through the academic curriculum.
- Professional advising is a form of advising which helps students to explore career paths and graduate school options. In HDF, career advising is typically provided by tenure track faculty members who can help students to explore their career interests and discuss pathways to achieve their goals. Once you find a faculty member whose area relates to our professional interests, you can email the faculty member to set up a meeting or schedule a meeting on Starfish.
Please use the guide below to answer your questions about finding the best type of advising for you.
What information are you interested in?
- Academic Advising
- Professional Advising
Academic Advising
How do I schedule an advising meeting?
Students who declared the HDF major prior to June of 2022 have been assigned an HDF advisor. You should schedule an appointment via Starfish or email your advisor to set up an appointment. You can also find your advisor by clicking on the “find your advisor” button in blue.
Students who declared the HDF major after June of 2022 can schedule an academic advising meeting with any of the following HDF academic advisors via Starfish. Students can keep the same advisor throughout their time at URI if they prefer to. However, if they are unavailable any of the advisors listed below are available to help answer your advising questions:
- Phyllis Penhallow (general HDF advising/ECE double majors)
- Julianna Golas (general HDF advising)
- Elizabeth Gruebel (general HDF advising)
How do I prepare for an advising meeting?
Academic advising meetings are most productive when students come prepared. Please bring:
- an updated copy of your HDF curriculum sheet.
- Students should also follow the directions HERE to run their Academic Progress Report (APR) to track your progress toward your degree.
Professional Advising
How do I schedule an advising meeting?
Please review this document to learn more about the topics in which HDF faculty members specialize.
Once you have identified a faculty member who you would like to meet with, email the faculty member directly to request an appointment or set up a meeting on Starfish.
How do I prepare for an advising meeting?
Professional advising meetings are most productive when students have identified faculty members whose areas align with their future interests. During these meetings, you can ask general questions about pathways for graduate school, things to do in college to help you be competitive for graduate school, and possible job fields.
How do I plan which courses to take?
To help you with scheduling your courses, HDF has made the following grid of courses that will be offered across the next few years. Please use this as a guide for your four year plan. *Please note that these course offerings are subject to change at any time and without notice.
How do I choose the best HDF electives for me?
Your 3 HDF Professional Elective courses can be taken from anywhere across the HDF curriculum. To help you decide which course might best align with your professional interest, course suggestions by topic area are listed below.
*Indicates courses in the Leadership Minor.
| Suggestions for grouping HDF Elective Courses (these are only suggestions): |
| If interested in counseling, consider taking: HDF150, HDF551, HDF421, HDF450, HDF451 |
| If interested in non-profits or entrepreneurship, consider taking: HDF225, HDF418, HDF290*, HDF413* |
| If interested in working with families, consider taking: HDF430, HDF432, HDF433, HDF130G, HDF462, HDF290* |
| If interested in working with children, consider taking: HDF308, HDF434, HDF306, HDF460, HDF462 |
| If interested in social work, consider taking: HDF405, HDF434, HDF430, HDF433, HDF130G, HDF462 |
| If interested in leadership and administration, consider taking: HDF190*, HDF290*, HDF312, HDF412*, HDF413*, HDF415* |
| If interested in Interprofessional Education, consider taking: HDF290*, HDF413*, HDF415*, HDF450 |
| If interested in Gerontology, consider taking: HDF440, HDF431, HDF314, HDF415* |
| If interested in Child Life Specialist, consider taking: HDF200, HDF201, HDF421, HDF230/430, HDF460, HDF202, HDF462 |
HDF Interest Areas and Internships
There are a number of career paths and internship sites for each of HDF concentration—Counseling and Social Services, Child and Family Development, and Health and Aging Services, as listed on the following PDF. This information may be helpful in planning your program of study.
Intent to Graduate
The Intent to Graduate form should be submitted to the dean’s office by October 15 for May graduation, November 15 for August graduation or April 15 for December graduation. Check your email regularly for Intent to Graduate workshops regularly hosted by the College of Health Sciences Academic Dean’s Office.