Family and Consumer Sciences, General

Overview

Students learn ways that people respond and relate to their family, work, or community. They may learn to use this knowledge to protect and support consumers, or to sell them goods and services.

Family and consumer sciences programs include topics such as:

• Psychology
• Human development
• Consumers and the economy
• Communication strategies
• Legislative policies and management

Concentrations

In family and consumer sciences programs students may be able to focus in one of the following areas:

• Consumer services and advocacy
• Consumer merchandising/retail management
• Human sciences

Schools

Most community colleges offer certificate and associate degree programs in family and consumer sciences. A certificate program usually takes a year of full-time study. An associate degree program usually takes two years to complete.

Many colleges and universities also offer a bachelor's degree in family and consumer sciences. A bachelor's degree usually takes four years of full-time study. Some schools offer a post-bachelor's certificate program that usually requires one year of full-time study after getting a bachelor's degree.

Many universities offer graduate degrees in family and consumer sciences. A master's degree typically requires two years of study beyond a bachelor's degree. Doctoral (PhD) degree programs usually require two or more years of study beyond the master's degree.

See schools that offer this program.

Related Educational Programs

• Apparel and Textiles
• Child Care Services Management
• Child Development
• Community Services
• Consumer Economics
• Family Resource Management
• Family Studies and Human Development
• Food, Nutrition, and Wellness Studies
• Housing and Human Environments
• Human Services
• Interior Design
• Psychology, General
• Public Policy Studies
• Social Sciences, General
• Sociology

Related Careers

Careers to Consider

• Adult and Vocational Education Teachers
• Child Care Workers
• Community Health Workers
• Farm and Home Management Advisors
• High School Teachers
• Marketing Managers
• Public Relations and Fundraising Managers
• Public Relations Specialists
• Retail Salespeople
• Route Salespeople
• Sales Managers
• Sales Worker Supervisors
• Social and Community Service Managers
• Social and Human Service Assistants
• Technical Writers
• University and College Teachers
• Writers

Program Admission

You can prepare for this program by taking courses in high school that prepare you for college. This typically includes four years of English, three years of math, three years of social studies, and two years of science. Some colleges also require two years of a second language.

You also need to submit scores from one of the following exams:

• American College Testing (ACT) exam
• Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT)

Below is a list of high school courses that will help prepare you for this program of study:

• Consumer Economics and Personal Finance
• Consumer Law
• Economics
• Family Living
• Issues of American Culture
• Psychology
• Social Science Research
• Sociology

Graduate Admissions

Admission to graduate programs is competitive. You need a bachelor's degree, good grades, and good scores on the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) General.

Some schools require you to have a bachelor's degree in family and consumer sciences. Where that is not possible, you need to be able to show course work in closely related subjects such as the following:

• Developmental Psychology
• Economics
• Education

You also need to submit letters of recommendation and a statement of purpose.

Typical Course Work

Program Courses

This undergraduate program typically includes courses in the following subjects:

• Concepts of Personality and Family Management
• Consumer Education
• Consumer Issues
• Cultural Anthropology
• Cultural Diversity in Children and Families
• Developmental Psychology
• Economics
• Family and Consumer Resources
• Family Economics and Management Issues
• Family Intervention: Working with Families and Individuals
• Families, Legislation, and Public Policy
• Family Life Education
• Human Development
• Human Nutrition and Wellness
• Introduction to Family Science
• Practical Aspects of Evaluation
• Resource Management
• Self and the World of Work
• Sociology

Graduate Program Courses

Course work in graduate programs that lead to a master's or doctoral degree varies. However, the outline of a typical graduate curriculum looks like the following:

• Required core courses
• Thesis (master's degree only)
• Preliminary oral and written exams (doctoral degree only)
• Dissertation and dissertation defense (doctoral degree only)

In addition, depending on your particular interests in the field, you can often participate in an internship or practicum. Under the supervision of someone experienced in family and consumer sciences, you could work in a legislative office, advocating policies for family and consumer rights. Or you might work in a crisis intervention center for children who have run away. Because this program of study is so broad, you can choose to apply your studies in many different ways.

Things to Know

Graduating from an accredited bachelor's degree program in family and consumer sciences qualifies you to take a national certification exam.

Schools

East Side Area

Central Washington University

• Family & Consumer Sciences Education
• Family and Consumer Sciences Career & Technical Education Teaching Major
• Family and Consumer Sciences General

Washington State University - Pullman

• Human Development--Family and Consumer Sciences Education (5-12)

King-Snohomish Area

Seattle Pacific University

• Family and Consumer Sciences--Costume Design and Production
• Family and Consumer Sciences--Human Development & Family Studies
• Family and Consumer Sciences--Secondary Education