Child and Family Studies Major (B.S.C.F.S.)

This program prepares students to work with children, adults, and families throughout their lifespan in a broad range of settings. The developmental orientation of the program is designed to provide a thorough understanding of every major developmental period in life in multiple contexts from birth to adolescence, to working with mid-life and older adults. It includes child, adult, and family development classes in the Department of Social and Public Health, with a lifespan emphasis, as well as courses that include diversity in families, family ties and aging, human sexualities, the impact of stress and trauma, and death and dying. Professional skill development is an essential part of the program and is intended to give students the practical skill set needed by human services specialists.

Required courses from other departments or programs include early childhood and elementary education, health, psychology, sociology, and social work. Also required are a 75-hour practicum and a 400-hour full-time internship. These provide practical experience and the opportunity to integrate theory and course content into real-life situations. The program is also designed to provide a strong foundation for those students who plan to go on to graduate school. The child and family studies program offers three concentrations to choose from: child, adult, and family services; child life; and family gerontology. All CFS majors must complete all other university and major course requirements before enrolling in CFS 4910 - Child and Family Studies Internship. The 400-hour internship is the final requirement of the degree.

Child, Adult, and Family Services Concentration

This concentration prepares students to work with individuals and families in diverse settings, including human and social service agencies, as well as programs for children, adolescents, and young, mid-life, and older adults. Students learn about the nature of individual and family interactions, family dynamics, how individuals within the family contribute to and are shaped by these dynamics, and how broad societal contexts (e.g., schools, peers, gender, poverty) influence individual development and family functioning. By studying varied developmental pathways, including those pathways characterized by stress and trauma, students will have the opportunity to acquire the professional skills necessary to work with individuals, couples, and families in a broad range of human service settings.

Child Life Concentration

This concentration prepares students for careers working with children and families in pediatric health care settings, including the Ronald McDonald House, Make-a-Wish organization, and children's hospitals. This concentration also prepares students to become a Certified Child Life Specialist (CCLS), as designated by the Child Life Council, the governing organization that oversees this profession. The CCLS helps normalize the hospitalization experience for children and families, and provides specific services that include preparations for medical procedures, coping skills for children during stressful health care experiences, support for siblings and parents, therapeutic medical play, planning and implementing activities to enhance growth and development, and interdisciplinary team involvement. In addition to core courses in the child and family studies program, students in this concentration are required to take courses in biology, psychology, early childhood and elementary education, and health. Students following the CCLS career path must maintain a 3.0 or higher in order to apply for the required child life practica and internships. However, many other career options working with psychosocial issues for children and families navigating stressful health care experiences exist within this concentration (besides CCLS).

NOTE: By 2022, all individuals sitting for the CCLS certification exam must have a master's degree in child life. The Department of Social and Public Health offers a graduate degree in child life.

Family Gerontology Concentration

This concentration focuses on aging within the context of families, more specifically the implications, support needs, and outcomes for adults and their family members as they age and the quality of their relationships across the life course. Child and family studies students who choose this concentration will also receive an undergraduate gerontology certificate to help them better prepare for careers advocating for and helping older adults and their family members. With this concentration, students typically seek employment working with mid-to-later life adults and their family members or pursue graduate work in such areas as marriage and family therapy, social work, human development and family studies, rehabilitation services, and public/community health.

Program Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the program:

• Students will be able to demonstrate practical knowledge about current approaches to helping people in their chosen field within the profession.
• Students will be able to demonstrate the ability to work effectively with diverse populations.
• Students will be able to demonstrate written skills in the classroom and in required field experiences.
• Students will be able to demonstrate verbal communication skills in the classroom and in required field experiences.
• Students will be able to apply academic knowledge in a professional setting in a 400-hour final internship.