Chair: Kay Pasley; Eminent Professor: Fincham; Professors: Darling, Krantz, Lee, R. Mullis, Ralston; Associate Professors: Cornille, McWey, A. Mullis, Readdick, Rehm; Assistant Professors: Cui; Associates in Family and Child Science: Barlow, Mills; Professors Emeriti: Dales, Greenwood, Hansen-Gandy, Hendrickson, Hicks, Pestle, Rapp, Ridley-Bell, Zongker
The Department of Family and Child Sciences offers two degree programs: family and child sciences and general human sciences. All programs require maintaining a GPA of at least 2.5 in the courses required for graduation as part of the degree program.
Within the family and child sciences degree, students can emphasize either family and child development or family life education. Both emphases address family relations, marital interaction, parent-child interaction, and the growth and development of children within life course and applied developmental science perspectives. In addition, both provide students with an introduction to working in applied settings, including human services agencies, educational settings, child care, and child and family advocacy. The unique focus of family life education is on courses that prepare students to develop and implement educational programs whose goal is to strengthen family life and that are directed toward children, youth, and families. This emphasis provides the necessary background to apply for certification from the National Council on Family Relations to become a "certified family life educator." It does not lead to teacher certification in Florida.
Both emphases include human sciences core courses (FAD 2230 AND 2 of the following: COA 3151, COA 4131, FAD 4455, HEE 3103, HEE 4054, HEE 4300, HME 4221, HOE 3050 or HUN 1201), developmental courses in the major, and in the case of family and child sciences, an approved area of concentration in an allied field. Appropriate internships in applied settings are encouraged. In family and child sciences, four courses are required prerequisites. Students must achieve at least a "B–" in FAD 2230, 3220, 3271, and CHD 2220. Individuals who apply for the major but who have not met the prerequisite requirements will be classified as Prerequisite Incomplete (PI) and cannot enroll in other classes in the major until these prerequisite classes are completed. Students who do not achieve a grade of "B–" may re-take these courses only once.
Within the general human sciences major, students take a variety of courses from the disciplines represented in the College of Human Sciences, including family and child sciences. The course content prepares students to take the Florida Teachers Examination (subject matter specific in Family and Consumer Sciences) as required for obtaining a temporary teaching certificate and ultimately being competitive for Florida's Alternative Teacher Certification. The curriculum is not approved by the State Board of Vocational Education for permanent certification. With careful guidance by an adviser, students can prepare for meeting the various requirements that allow them to seek teaching positions in middle and secondary schools. The major also prepares students for positions in human services agencies and the Cooperative Extension Service.
Curriculum guides stating specific degree requirements for the undergraduate majors are available through the Department of Family and Child Sciences and through our Web site, http://www.chs.fsu.edu/fcs.
A minor may be earned by completing twelve semester hours in family and child sciences with a grade of "C-" or better in each of the required courses: FAD 2230, FAD 3220, FAD 3271, and CHD 2220. At least nine credit hours must be completed at Florida State University.
All undergraduates at Florida State University must demonstrate basic computer skills competency prior to graduation. As necessary computer competency skills vary from discipline to discipline, each major determines the courses needed to satisfy this requirement. Undergraduate majors in family and child sciences and general human sciences satisfy this requirement by earning a grade of "C–" or higher in CGS 2064 or EME 2040. Undergraduate majors in family and consumer sciences education satisfy this requirement by earning a grade of "C–" or higher in CGS 2060, CGS 2064, or EME 2040.
The State of Florida has identified common program prerequisites for this University degree program. Specific prerequisites are required for admission into the upper-division program and must be completed by the student at either a community college or a state university prior to being admitted to this program. Students may be admitted into the University without completing the prerequisites, but may not be admitted into the program.
At the time this document was published, some common program prerequisites were undergoing revision. Please visit http://facts23.facts.org/navigation/detail_ext/cpp_intro.do?pageId=060304 for a current list of state-approved prerequisites.
The following lists the common program prerequisites or their substitutions necessary for admission into this upper-division degree program:
The Department of Family and Child Sciences offers a program in honors in the major to encourage talented juniors and seniors to undertake independent and original research as part of the undergraduate experience. For requirements and other information, see the "University Honors Office and Honor Societies" chapter of this General Bulletin.
CHD—Child Development
FAD—Family Development
HEE—Home Economics Education
CHD 2220. Child Growth and Development: The Foundation Years (3). The study of children from birth through middle childhood.
CHD 3472. Child Guidance (3). Prerequisite: Major status. Students will learn principles of positive guidance to apply in guiding children during early childhood, middle childhood, and adolescence in a variety of natural contexts, including home and school.
CHD 4225. Contexts for Early Childhood Development (3). Prerequisites: Major status and junior standing. Corequisite: FAD 4805. Students will learn to create contexts, relationships, activities, and environments for the enhancement of the physical, social, emotional, and cognitive development of young children from birth to five years of age in homes and other institutions.
CHD 4250. Middle Childhood Contexts (3). Prerequisites: Major status and junior standing. Corequisite: FAD 4805. This course has been designed to examine developmental processes of school-age children and adolescents. This course is a prerequisite course for practica experiences with these age groups. Consequently, strategies for working with school-age children and adolescents also will be addressed.
CHD 4251. Adolescent Contexts (3). Prerequisite: Major status and junior status. This course provides a basic understanding of adolescent development as it relates to human growth development and learning through a multi-disciplinary perspective. Biological, cognitive, and psychosocial tasks of adolescence within contexts such as family, peer group, school, community, culture, and other learning environments are examined.
CHD 4537. Parenting (3). Prerequisite: Major status. This course is a comprehensive review of the contemporary theory and research in parenting. This course is organized developmentally, focusing on the emerging needs, responsibilities, and skills required by parents at progressive stages of their children's development.
CHD 4615. Public Policy: Child and Family Issues (3). Prerequisite: Major status or instructor permission. Through readings, lecture, discussion, guest speakers, field work, research, and writing, students will become familiar with the process of formulating, implementing, and evaluating public policy. Family and child issues that have resulted in policy decisions at every level will be identified, and current issues that are in need of attention by policy makers will be explored. Research related to family issues and its impact on family policy will be analyzed with emphasis on enhancing the role of family and child professionals in policy process.
CHD 4630. Studying Children: Techniques and Issues (3). Prerequisite: Major status. A survey of methods of child study and research.
CHD 4905r. Directed Individual Study in Child Development (1–3). May be repeated to a maximum of nine (9) semester hours.
CHD 4944r. Internship Child Development (1–12). (S/U grade only.) Prerequisites: Senior standing and instructor permission. Supervised practical field experiences in various professional settings related to child development, including hospitals, extension service, education faculties, government agencies. Child development majors only. May be repeated to a maximum of twelve (12) semester hours.
FAD 2230. Family Relationships: A Life Span Development Approach (3). A study of families and interpersonal relationships in a changing society. Emphasis is on a life cycle approach to understanding the dynamics of family relationships.
FAD 3220. Individual and Family Life Span Development (3). Analysis of individual and family development as it applies to professional application in human services.
FAD 3271. Ecological Contexts for Individual and Family Development (3). An introduction to the overarching theoretical frameworks, providing a basis for understanding individual and family development. This course serves as a foundation for all major courses.
FAD 3432. Stress and Resilience in Individuals and Families (3). Prerequisite: Major status. This course provides undergraduate majors with an introduction to family-based, stress-focused mini-theories. The course will provide a framework for understanding the differences between family patterns when families are centered on growth related themes and when they are pre-occupied with a variety of stressor events.
FAD 4265. Contexts for Family Development (3). Prerequisite: Major status. This course is designed to expose students to the diversity of families by race, ethnicity, social classes, and structures in an eco-systemic context.
FAD 4451. Human Sexuality Education (3). This course examines sexuality through the lifespan regarding relationship issues and health concerns and provides training for professionals and parents in sexuality education.
FAD 4455. Family Life Education (3). Prerequisite: Major status. This course provides information and techniques needed to facilitate and evaluate home, school, and community relations through the lifespan.
FAD 4601. Foundations of Counseling (3). Prerequisites: Senior standing and instructor permission. Basic counseling skills for persons who, by nature of their work, are called upon to provide counseling. May be taken for graduate credit.
FAD 4805. Observation and Participation in Applied Developmental Science (3). Prerequisites: Major status, junior standing, and completion of at least 12 credits in major beyond CHD 2220, FAD 2230, FAD 3220, and FAC 3271.. Corequisite: CHD 4225 or CHD 4250 or CHD 4251. This course is designed to provide students with experience in a community setting serving children, families, and/or adults. These experiences will provide students with opportunities to relate class materials with the work environment of child and family services and to develop basic intervention skills.
FAD 4905r. Directed Individual Study (1–3). (S/U grade only.) May be repeated to a maximum of nine (9) semester hours.
FAD 4932. Professional Relations (1). Prerequisites: Major standing as well as FAD 3432, CHD 4537, and CHD 4615. This course provides an overview of the principles used to guide conduct and assist practitioners in the family and child sciences in utilizing best practices and ethical conduct.
FAD 4936r. Special Topics: Family or Housing (3–9). Each topic may be taken only once. Permission of the instructor required. May be repeated to a maximum of nine (9) semester hours.
HEE 3103. Philosophy and Methods of Teaching Family and Consumer Sciences (3). Prerequisite: Junior standing. This course develops teaching skills in daily lesson planning, delivery of content through various teaching strategies, identification of student needs, development of learning activities, and student assessment in family and consumer sciences. Observation/participation required.
HEE 4054. The Educative Process (3). Planned for human sciences majors who need preparation for teaching in special situations. Not open to family and consumer sciences education majors.
HEE 4300. Program and Curriculum Leadership in Family and Consumer Science Education. (3) This course develops skills in family and consumer sciences program and curriculum leadership, long-range planning, sequencing of objectives, classroom organization and management systems, youth development, and assessment planning.
HEE 4905r. Directed Individual Study (1–3). (S/U grade only.) May be repeated to a maximum of four (4) semester hours.
HEE 4912r. Honors Work (3). Open to upper-division majors with an overall grade point average of 3.2 and consent of instructor. May be repeated to a maximum of six (6) semester hours.
HEE 4941. Student Teaching (1–2). (S/U grade only.) Field experience in the teaching of vocational home economics.
HOE 4972r. Honors Work (3). Prerequisites: Upper-division majors with an overall grade point average of 3.5 and instructor permission. Course provides upper-division students in family and child sciences with an opportunity to undertake an independent and original research project in their particular area of interest. May be repeated to a maximum of six (6) semester hours.
CHD 5266. Advanced Child Development (3).
CHD 5617. Professional Development in Family and Child Sciences (1).
CHD 5619. Child Care Issues and Advocacy (3).
CHD 5618. Policy Development and Analysis in Child and Family Studies (3).
CHD 5906r. Directed Individual Study (1–3). (S/U grade only.)
CHD 5912r. Supervised Research (1–3). (S/U grade only.)
CHD 5915. Methods of Research I (3).
CHD 5919. Grant Writing in Family and Child Sciences (3).
CHD 5940r. Practicum in Child Development: Varied Ages (infancy, preschool, school-age) (3–9).
CHD 5942r. Supervised Teaching (1–3). (S/U grades only.)
CHD 6261. Theories of Child Development (3).
CHD 6264. Assessment Techniques for Children and Families (3).
CHD 6930r. Seminar in Child Development: Topics Vary and/or Ages Vary (prenatal, infancy, preschool, school-age through adolescence) (3–9).
FAD 5256. Parent and Child Relations (3).
FAD 5261. Families in Crisis (3).
FAD 5263. Advanced Family Studies (3).
FAD 5452. Human Sexuality Education (3).
FAD 5456. Family Life Education (3).
FAD 5481r. College Teaching in Family Sciences (2–3). (S/U grade only.)
FAD 5619. Professional Issues in Family and Child Sciences (3).
FAD 5900r. Readings in Family and Child Sciences (3).
FAD 5906r. Directed Individual Study (1–3). (S/U grade only.)
FAD 5912r. Supervised Research (1–3). (S/U grade only.)
FAD 5934r. Seminar in Family and Child Sciences (3–9).
FAD 5942r. Supervised Teaching (1–3). (S/U grade only.)
FAD 5944r. Internship-Family/Child (1–12).
FAD 5970. Special Project (3). (S/U grade only.)
FAD 6436. Theories of Family Sciences (3).
FAD 6450. Human Sexuality (3).
FAD 6606. Supervision in Marriage and Family Therapy (3).
FAD 6607. Family Therapy and Services Research Methods I (3).
FAD 6608. Family Therapy and Services Research Methods II (3).
FAD 6917. Methods in Family and Child Sciences (3).
FAD 6930r. Special Topics: Marital and Family Therapy (Topics Vary) (3–9).
FAD 6935r. Special Topics: Family and Child Development (Topics Vary) (3–9).
FAD 6940r. Practicum in Marital and Family Therapy (1–5).
HEE 5160. Methods and Media in Home Economics Education (3).
HEE 5340. Home Economics Program Development (3).
HEE 5560. Supervision of Home Economics (3).
HEE 5900r. Readings in Home Economics Education (3–12).
HEE 5905r. Directed Individual Study (1–3). (S/U grade only.)
HEE 5935r. Special Topics in Home Economics Education (1–6). (S/U grade only.)
HEE 6180. College Teaching of Home Economics (3).
The Department of Family and Child Sciences offers graduate programs leading to the Master of Science (MS) degree in the respective areas, and the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree in human sciences with specialization in either child development or family relations, and a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree in marriage and family therapy. For further information relating to graduate course work and thesis, dissertation, and master's and doctoral examinations and defense, consult the Graduate Bulletin.