Master of Arts – 36 total credits

Starting in Fall 2021, the Youth Development Program is initiating an updated curriculum to better capture the needed competencies of graduate-level youth professionals. Courses are organized below according to these professional competency blocks. Youth professionals work in a wide variety of settings so students are encouraged to choose elective courses that meet their own unique professional needs and goals.

Not all updates will be finalized by Fall 2021; see specific course notes for more information.

Required Courses (27 credits, courses in bold)
Elective Courses (6-9 credits, choose additional courses from any block)

Block I – Foundational Skills in Positive Youth Development

• HDFS 7231: Foundations of Youth Development (3) ^a
• HDFS 8232: Youth Professionals as Consumers of Research (3) ^b
• HDFS 8240: Youth Development (3) ^b

Block II – Relational Dynamics and Positive Youth Development ^c

• HDFS 8234: Adolescents and their Families (3)
• HDFS xxxx: Youth-Adult Relationships (3) – offered starting 2022-23
• HDFS 8237: Youth Culture and the Cultures of Youth (3)
• HDFS 8087: Adolescent Health & Sexuality (3)
• HDFS 7001: Youth, Sports, & Society (3)

Block III – Contexts of Youth Practice and Policy ^c

• HDFS 8236: Federal and State Policies that Impact Youth Development (3)
• HDFS 8239: Positive Youth Development in Community Settings (3)
• HDFS 7001: Youth Mental Health (3)
• HDFS 7001: Systems of Care for Youth at Risk (3) – offered starting 2022-23

Block IV – Youth Program Management, Evaluation, & Administration ^c

• HDFS 8235: Youth Personnel and Program Management (3) – course number/title will change in Fall22
• HDFS 8238: Design and Evaluation of Youth Programs (3) – course number/title will change in Fall22
• HDFS 7233: Basic Grant Development and Management (3)

Independent Capstone Effort (choose 1 option, 0 or 3 credits)

HDFS 8972: Internship (up to 3 credits, consult your adviser)
HDFS 8999: Comprehensive Exam (no course credit assigned)
No course credit is assigned to the exam option, so students in this option need 3 elective courses to meet the MA total credits required. Students typically complete the exam during their final semester of coursework. The Internship option is available with adviser approval.

^a HDFS 7231 must be completed in the first semester of enrollment.
^b HDFS 8240 and HDFS 8232 must be completed within the first one-two semesters of enrollment, may be taken concurrently with HDFS 7231 or other courses.
^c Blocks II-IV are not sequential, students may take courses in these blocks in any order they choose.
~ Elective courses rotate and may not be offered every year, students are advised to consult their adviser and plan ahead; Other adviser-approved courses may be utilized
Note: Up to 6 credits can be transferred from other graduate programs, if your adviser deems the courses relevant to the YD program of study