Human Development, Fashion, and Interior Design

Website: www.iup.edu/hdes
Karen M. Scarton, Chair

The Department of Human Development, Fashion, and Interior Design was created by the merging of the Family and Consumer Sciences Education and Consumer Services departments. The mission statement of the department is to empower individuals to support human and environmental needs, enabling them to perform professionally in a changing, diverse technological and global society.

The department is composed of majors that are interdisciplinary and share humanistic values. All majors have an applied research focus and stress critical thinking, professional judgment, decision making, and synthesis of information with direct focus on career paths.

The department offers academic programs leading to the bachelor of science degree with the following majors: human development and family science, fashion merchandising, and interior design. The K-12 Family and Consumer Sciences Education program leads to a bachelor of science in education. These majors prepare men and women for positions in business, the community, and education. The majors also prepare students for graduate study in the areas of interior design, housing, clothing, textiles, consumer economics, human service, child development, family studies, or education.

Faculty advisors work closely with students in planning and integrating the academic program to meet the students’ career goals and to supplement classroom experiences. Internships are available and encouraged so students can apply academic knowledge to actual situations. International study is also available to provide an enriching cultural experience.