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Family Studies Major, B.A.; B.A.A.; B.S.

B.A. degree; B.S. degree; B.A.A. degree

Major Map

Some of the most important things we do in life happen at home. Raising children. Relating to a spouse. Coping with financial pressures. Dealing with substance abuse. In CMU's family studies program, you'll build the skills to help families confront these challenges and many others.  . The program prepares students for careers working in human service settings to help individuals and families build life skills using prevention and intervention-based educational programs (e.g., child and family services, crises intervention, adoption, and foster care). With appropriate graduate education, potential career options include: marriage and family therapy, counseling, social work, family law, family research and/or college instruction.

Admission Requirements, Retention & Termination Standards

  1. Student must have a minimum program GPA of 2.5 in order to graduate with this major.
  2. Student must receive a grade of C+ or better in HDF 219, HDF 319, and HDF 419 in order to graduate with this major.
  3. Students who take the Family Studies major cannot minor in Family Studies or double major in Child Development.
  4. Students may only double count 9 credits when combining the Family Studies Major with the Child Development Minor.

Program Requirements

Core Courses (9 hours)

Core HDFS

HDF 100Lifespan Development

3(3-0)

HDF 211Marriage and Close Relationships

3(3-0)

HDF 307Parent-Child Relations

3(3-0)

Required Courses I (9 hours)

Family Studies Content

HDF 213/WGS 213Introduction to Human Sexuality

3(3-0)

HDF 411Family Policy

3(3-0)

HDF 418Families and Aging

3(3-0)

Required Courses II (3 hours)

HDF 214QRPersonal and Family Finance

3(3-0)

Required Courses III (12 hours)

Professional Skills and Methods

HDF 207Introduction to Research Methods in HDFS

3(3-0)

HDF 219Applied HDFS: Introduction to the Field

3(Spec)

HDF 319Applied HDFS: Developing Programs for Children and Families

3(3-0)

HDF 419Applied HDFS: Internship

1-12(Spec)

Electives (6 hours)

Select additional hours from the following list:

HDF 110Oppression Past & Present: Impacts on Human Development and Families

3(3-0)

HDF 212Families in Cultural Context

3(3-0)

HDF 247Introduction to Gerontology

3(3-0)

HDF 302Infant and Toddler Development

3(Spec)

HDF 306Adolescent Development

3(3-0)

HDF 320HDFS International Service Learning

3-6(Spec)

HDF 413Facilitating Group Discussion on Human Sexuality

3(3-0)

HDF 414Human Development and Family Studies Applied Quantitative Research

3(3-0)

HDF 511Seminar in Human Sexuality

3(3-0)

HDF 513Readings in the Family

3(3-0)

HDF 517Readings in Marital Counseling and Divorce

3(3-0)

HSC 519Death Education and Suicide Prevention

3(3-0)

HSC 523AIDS Education

1(1-0)

HSC 524Workshop on Health Fitness

2(Spec)

HSC 525Sexually Transmitted Disease Workshop

1(Spec)

HSC 526Behavioral Health

3(3-0)

HSC 527Sex Education Workshop

1(Spec)

HSC 528Smoking and Health Education Workshop

1(Spec)

HSC 529Alcohol Education Workshop

1(1-0)

HSC 530Drug Abuse Workshop

1(Spec)

REL 334Death and Dying

3(3-0)

SWK 100Introduction to Social Work

3(3-0)

Note: You may select only one of HSC 519 OR REL 334.

Total: 39 Semester hours