Human Behavior in the Near Environment - Emphasis in Housing Studies

Graduate work in Housing Studies considers interrelationships between human behavior and residential environments. Course work and research may focus on the impact of the socio-psychological, economic or political forces on individuals or families and their housing environments. To pursue graduate level study in human behavior in the near environment with a focus on housing, a background in a related discipline is needed.

What is the Near Environment?

The environment is all factors that impinge upon or influence an individual. The near environment or the immediate or personal environment is that part of the environment which is close to the individual and with which the individual interacts; our clothing, building interiors, and housing are all components of the near environment. The near environment includes the specific places and things with which an individual engages daily or regularly. The near environment has both tangible and intangible components. The focus of study for students in the Department of Design and Human Environment is both the tangible products -- apparel and other textile products, interiors, housing -- and intangible aspects -- cultural and individual values and attitudes, social institutions, individual perceptions and motivations, and so forth -- of the near environment. Students in all areas of concentration study the tangible components as influenced by the intangible aspects.

The following courses are offered in support of the housing studies emphasis:

DHE 532 Advanced Housing Design and Client Communications (3 credits)
DHE 534 Housing the Aging Population (3 credits)
DHE 535 Housing Policy (3 credits)
DHE 536 Real Estate Finance and management (5 credits)
DHE 564 Contemporary History of Interiors and Housing (3 credits)
DHE 582 Aesthetic and Perceptual Theories of the Near Environment (2 credits)
DHE 585 Human Behavior and the Near Environment (3 credits)
DHE 588 Theories in Housing (3 credits)
DHE 685 Advanced Topics in Human Behavior and the Near Environment (3 credits)

Suggested Minor Areas:

Human Development and Family Studies, Gerontology (courses such as):

HDFS 514 Social Gerontology (3 credits)
HDFS 522 Adult Development and Aging (3 credits)
HDFS 564 Public Policy and Family Issues (3 credits)
HDFS 565 Special Topics: Family Policy (3 credits)

Anthropology (courses such as):

ANTH 535 Cultural Resources: Policy and Procedures (3 credits)
ANTH 575 Theory of Culture (3 credits)
ANTH 585 Uses of Anthropology (3 credits)
ANTH 595 Anthropological Research Design (3 credits)

Communications (courses such as):

COMM 522 Small Group Communication Theory and Research (3 credits)
COMM 524 Communication in Organizations: Theories and Issues (3 credits)
COMM 526 Intercultural Communication: Theories and Issues (3 credits)
COMM 540 Theories of Conflict and Conflict Management (3 credits)

Sociology (courses such as):

SOC 513 Sociological Theory (3 credits)
SOC 521 Social Change and Modernization (3 credits)
SOC 524 Social Psychology (3 credits)
SOC 526 Social Inequality (3 credits)