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HDFS Undergraduate FAQ
- What career options are available to HDFS graduates?
- Is an internship required of all HDFS majors?
- How many hours per week do I work on my internship?
- How and when do I apply for an internship?
- Why must I be fingerprinted and have a criminal background check?
- What is Professional Liability Insurance and why do I need it?
- What is a Certified Family Life Educator?
- How do I apply to graduate school?
- How do I compute my HDFS GPA?
1. What career options are available to HDFS graduates?
CAREER OPTIONS IN INFANCY AND PRESCHOOL
Daycare licenser
Pediatrician's assistant
Child care information and referral specialist
University laboratory school director or teacher
Preschool, K-3, daycare teacher/administrator
Early childhood intervention specialist
Family daycare consultant
And many others....
CAREER OPTIONS IN SCHOOL-AGE AND ADOLESCENCE
Child life hospital specialist
Cooperative Extension/4-H agent
After-school daycare program director
Parks and recreation activities director
Scouting/YMCA/YWCA director or staff
Substance abuse rehabilitation counselor
Juvenile program director/counselor
Leisure services director
And many others....
CAREER OPTIONS IN ADULTHOOD AND AGING
Employee assistance specialist in industry
Crisis center director or counselor
Health maintenance specialist
Consumer credit counselor
Senior citizen center
Cooperative Extension
And many others....
2. Is an internship required of all HDFS majors?
Yes. All senior HDFS students complete an 8 to 12 credit hour internship. For more information, see the Internship Handbook by clinking on the link on the left column of this page.
3. How many hours per week do I work on my internship?
The rule of thumb is that for each credit hour in which you are enrolled, you will work 2.5 hours per week. So, if you are taking an 8 credit hour internship, you will be expected to work 20 hours per week, and if you are taking a 12 hour internship, you will be expected to work 30 hours per week.
4. How and when do I apply for an internship?
You are required to apply for your internship two semesters in advance. For a Fall semester internship, applications are due the preceding March 15. For Spring semester internship applications are due by the preceding June 15. For Summer semester internships, applications are due no later than the preceding October 15. No exceptions to these due dates will be made.
After applying for the internship, students should follow this timeline:
---/---/--- After final approval of the internship application, it is the student's responsibility to contact and interview with and select his/her internship site.
---/---/--- One semester in advance, and once a field placement is mutually agreed upon by an agency and the student, the student will meet with the Internship Director for final approval of the placement site.
---/---/--- Before beginning the internship, the Agreement of Cooperation must be signed by the agency supervisor and be returned to the Internship Director.
---/---/--- During the internship, check your e-mail, and participate in regularly scheduled Internet chat discussions with fellow interns regarding professional issues.
---/---/--- Ensure that your internship supervisor submits the midterm and final evaluations to the Internship Director by the date specified.
---/---/--- Ensure that your senior internship project arrives at the Internship Director's office by date specified.
---/---/--- At the end of the internship semester, write a letter of thanks to the agency.
***Remember, your faculty advisors, Internship Director, and GTAs are great resources and are here to help. However, it is the student's responsibility to adhere to the timeline, meet deadlines, and make the internship happen.
Work hard and learn a lot!
5. Why must I be fingerprinted and have a criminal background check?
It is now the law in Alabama that anyone who works with children, youth, adolescents, or the elderly in either a paid or a voluntary capacity must undergo a criminal background check and be fingerprinted. Consequently, because you have selected HDFS as a major sometime during your four years at Auburn you will be asked as part of your course work to make observations in child care centers, work with faculty on a research project that includes children or the elderly, etc. Therefore, you must adhere to this law.
Forms necessary for the criminal background check and fingerprinting can be obtained from the HDFS office in 206 Spidle Hall. You must go to the Lee County Sheriff's Office on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday between the hours of 1-4 pm to have the fingerprinting done.
Effective, Spring 2003, HDFS majors who have not shown evidence that they have had a criminal background check will be blocked from registering for classes.
6. What is Professional Liability Insurance and why do I need it?
Beginning in your sophomore year, you will be charged $14.50 per year for professional liability insurance. You will receive a Bursar's bill only once a year for coverage for the entire calendar year. Professional Liability Insurance protects you from loss against a claim of alleged negligent acts in your professional role when you work or volunteer in settings with infants, young children, adolescents, adults, the elderly or families. It does not cover you if you are found guilty of an illegal act ( for example, child abuse or corporal punishment). It does cover you, however, if a child or adult is accidently injured while under your supervision. For specific information on the amount of coverage your policy provides, please contact Auburn University Risk Management at 844-4533.
7. What is a Certified Family Life Educator?
National Council on Family Relations (NCFR) sponsors the only national program to certify family life educators. The Certified Family Life Educator (CFLE) program encourages applications from all professionals with course work and experience in family life education including formal teaching, community education, curriculum and resource development, health care, military family support, counseling, and ministry.
Family life education provides skills and knowledge to enrich individual and family life. It includes knowledge about how families work; the interrelationship of families and society; human growth and development throughout the lifespan; the physiological and psychological aspects of human sexuality; the impact of money and time management on daily family life; the importance and value of parent education; the effects of policy and legislation on families; ethical considerations in professional conduct; and a solid understanding and knowledge of how to teach and/or develop curriculum for what are often sensitive and personal issues
CFLE Application Form
8. How do I apply to graduate school?
To apply to the HDFS Graduate Programs, see Dr. Joe Pittman in Spidle 203 or see the Graduate Students portion of this WEB site.
There also are several excellent WEB sites that can provide you with information on how to apply to graduate school. Among them are:
http://www.cgsnet.org/ResourcesForStudents/timetable.htm
9. How do I compute my HDFS GPA?
1. Listed below are all required HDFS classes and all Human Sciences Core courses that are required before enrolling in the Internship.
2. For each class, convert the grade you made to a number-- A = 4, B = 3, C = 2, D = 1, F = 0.
3. Now multiply each grade equivalent times the semester credit hours for that course. For instance, if you made an A in a 3 credit course, you would have 4 (A = 4) X 3 (credit hours) = 12.
4. Add up the total "points."
5. Add up the total number of credit hours.
6. Divide the total number of credits into total semester points to get your HDFS GPA. You should get a number that looks like a GPA, that is a number between 0 and 4.00.
Required Courses
CAHS 2000 (3)
NUFS 2000 (3)
HDFS 2000 (3)
HDFS 2010 (3)
HDFS 2020 (3)
HDFS 2030 (3)
HDFS 3010 (3) or 3030 (3)
HDFS 3060 (3) or HDFS 4680 (3)
HDFS 3080 (3)
HDFS 4200 (3) or HDFS 4300 (3) or HDFS 4950 (3)
Total Semester Credits = 30
Total Points =
Total Credits x Points = GPA in the major = ____________.
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