Stephen F. Austin State University’s School of Human Sciences has launched a new degree program that allows students to earn a four-year degree completely online.
The program, which became available to SFA students in fall 2017, offers an entirely online Bachelor of Science in human sciences with an emphasis in human development and family studies. All core and elective courses are available online.
Dr. Rachel Jumper, assistant professor in SFA’s School of Human Sciences, said the online delivery allows students to earn a bachelor’s degree from a four-year university while working full time and living anywhere.
“We are meeting students ‘where they are’ rather than requiring them to come to us. They have access to the same faculty members, courses and university resources while not having to uproot their lives,” Jumper said. “While the human development and family studies degree has been an online completer program for several years, going fully online allows even more students to become Lumberjacks immediately rather than having to transfer from another school.”
Drs. Lynda Martin, director of the School of Human Sciences, and Hyunsook Kang, assistant professor, agree the online delivery method benefits both the students and university.
“We want to attract more students from diverse populations, which may enhance our quality of education,” Kang said. “An online program’s flexibility and convenience may increase our enrollment.”
With this degree, students learn to become “caretakers for our society,” Jumper said. Students learn to understand the growth, change and development of children, adults and the family while integrating a lifespan, multi-contextual and family systems approach.
Upon graduation, students have a variety of career options, including becoming early intervention specialists, lobbyists, directors of child care and senior citizen facilities, Head Start teachers, parent educators, camp directors and more.
“We are passionate about educating individuals regarding families and lifespan development,” Martin said. “By making this information available online, our reach is much greater, and the theory and research can be shared with more individuals.”
For more information about the program, visit sfaonline.info/human-development-and-family-studies.
By Kasi Dickerson, senior marketing communications specialist at Stephen F. Austin State University.
