This course provides students with an overview of contemporary research and theory on intimate and family relationships. An historical overview of marriage, intimate partnering, and the family will be covered while also exploring diverse experiences. Emphasis will be placed on the cultural, societal, and political norms and tensions surrounding intimate and family relationships and related public policy. Students will also have an opportunity to reflect on their own attitudes, thoughts, and values.

This course focuses on applied financial management emphasizing teaching financial issues to a variety of audiences. Topics include savings, credit, insurance and retirement, and programs and resources available to facilitate financial education.

This course is an introduction to research methods as used in Human Development and Family Studies to provide students with a foundational understanding of how to design, implement, complete, and evaluate research studies. The research process will be emphasized, including review and application of current research literature, generating research questions, formulation of hypotheses, conceptual and operational definitions, measurement, sample selection, quantitative and qualitative analyses, designing and interpreting research designs, and understanding ethical responsibilities in research.

This course is designed to look at the challenging biological, cultural and situational factors that affect the contemporary family. Concerns such as immigration, terrorism, disease, and media influences will be discussed, along with global problems of climate change, war, violence, alcohol and drug abuse, and economic change. This class is about how families cope with the stress associated with these challenges, but also how they adapt, how to promote resilience, and how families can thrive in the face of adversity. Students will explore remedies, solutions and support networks that help families in crisis.