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There are three options in the Family and Consumer Sciences major. The Consumer and Family Economics option prepares students in the areas of financial planning, financial counseling, and consumer policy. The Family and Community Studies option prepares students for service delivery, administrative, interpersonal, and public policy roles in human service agencies. The Education option prepares students as educators in formal settings, as certified home economics teachers in public schools, and in non-formal settings, as educators in business, government, and community agencies. The Major Regardless of option selection, all majors are required to take a set of core requirements totaling 22 credits, including: 162 The Consumer in Our Society 270 Interpersonal and Group Dynamics 360 Personal and Family Finance 470 Family Policy: Issues and Implications 495F Senior Seminar A required 9-15 credit internship enables the student to apply theoretical knowledge gained in courses in a particular area. Consumer and Family Economics Option This option focuses on economic factors that affect individual and family consumption and resource allocation patterns. It provides students with a strong theoretical foundation in economics and social and behavioral sciences. a. Departmental courses - 18 credits in courses such as: 362 Consumer Protection and Legislation 450 Family Economic Issues through the Life Course 460 Family in Economic Systems 466 Family Financial Analysis b. Non-departmental courses - An additional 15 credits selected in Economics, Sociology, Political Science, Business and Finance, Marketing, and Resource Economics. Family and Community Studies Option This option examines social and psychological factors that impinge on family life. Emphasis is placed on linkages among the individual, family, and social environments. a. Departmental courses - 15 credits in courses such as: 176 Introduction to Marriage, Family and Intimate Relationships 370 Contemporary Family Theory 374 Community Organization and Services 440 Current Family Issues 474 Community Services Administration b. Non-departmental courses - An additional 21 credits selected in Human Development, Psychology, Sociology, Public Health, Education, and others in consultation with an adviser. Education Option Students seeking certification to teach home economics in Massachusetts must complete a major in the Colleges of Arts and Sciences in addition to completing the Education option (Formal emphasis) in the Family and Consumer Sciences major. Graduates can be certified to teach home economics from nursery school through 12th grade in Massachusetts, and meet teacher certification requirements in many other states. Contact the department for further information. Students who intend to become educators in business, government, and community agencies are subject to the requirements of the Non-Formal emphasis in the Education option. a. Fundamental courses - 30 credits for the Formal emphasis, and 18 for the Non-Formal. Both emphases include courses on learners across the life cycle and in families, nutrition, consumer economics, and contemporary critical social theory. The Formal emphasis also requires courses in textiles and housing. b. Professional courses - An additional 19 credits for the Formal emphasis, and 14 credits for the Non-Formal. They both include courses such as: 382 Curriculum and Methods 384 Educational Program Planning in Consumer Studies 388Y Educational Field Experience 484 Professional Studies in Education EDUC 325 Introduction to Special Education c. Practicum - Both emphases require completion of a practicum. Career Opportunities The Consumer and Family Economics Option prepares students for a variety of professional careers in state and federal governmental agencies that deal with issues of consumer policy and legislation; in business, preparing consumer information, translating needs of consumers to industry; and in financial service institutions as financial planners or counselors. Family
and Consumer Sciences | Courses
| Consumer Studies Faculty |
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