An exploration of different perspectives and realities focused on experiences of death, dying, grief, and loss across the lifespan. We will examine the cultural context of death, the personal meaning of death at different stages in the life cycle, and the effect of death upon surviving family members.
Additional Requirements for Graduate Students: Graduate students will be expected to develop a presentation focused on bibliotherapy with grieving children, lead service-learning project groups, and complete a case study paper.
Athena Title
Grief Loss and Bereavement
Equivalent Courses
Not open to students with credit in HDFS 4830, HDFS 4830E or HDFS 6830, HDFS 6830E
Undergraduate Prerequisite
(HDFS 2100 or HDFS 2100H or HDFS 2100E) and (HDFS 2200 or HDFS 2200H or HDFS 2200E) and (HDFS 2950-2950L or HDFS 2950E) and (HDFS 3700 or HDFS 3700E or HDFS 3700S) and HDFS 3710
Graduate Prerequisite
Permission of department
Semester Course Offered
Offered fall
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Student learning Outcomes
Students will demonstrate conceptual frameworks and cognitive theories about death, dying, and grief.
Students will model effective development and sensitivity to issues concerning death, dying, and grief.
Students will demonstrate awareness and sensitivity to one’s personal assumptions, biases, attitudes, and reactions to death, dying, and grief.
Students will demonstrate death competency and lower death anxiety in order to increase sensitivity, awareness, and skills in:
a. coping with loss and bereavement
b. supporting others in their struggle to deal with death issues
c. finding meaning and personal growth through encounters with death, loss, and grief
Service-Learning Course Objectives
d. navigating interpersonal communication with respect, maturity, and/or awareness of cultural differences.
Students will engage in service-learning with children and families either by direct involvement or via a partnership with a community agency. As you do, you will tailor communication strategy, style, and convention appropriately for various audiences and/or contexts.
Topical Outline
Introduction to Talking about Death and Dying and Death Awareness Inventory
