Child and Family Studies

Mission

This interdisciplinary major prepares students to become professionals who work within agencies that help children, adolescents, and their families.  The major recognizes that these individuals need both broad-based coursework and experiences in a variety of settings, and emphasizes both the understanding human development and the social context of development. At the core of the major are courses that focus on learning, developmental difference, and social and cultural factors that influence development. The interdisciplinary experience supports the University’s mission to foster critical thinking, positive action, and ethical sensitivity so that students may lead vocationally productive, personally satisfying, and socially responsible lives.

Program Learning Goals

• Majors will be familiar with major concepts and theories related to child development.
• Majors will be familiar with major concepts and theories related to the family and community in human development.
• Majors will be able to critically analyze and integrate research and theory related to child and family studies.
• Majors will be able to apply their knowledge of child and family studies to understand issues and consider multiple perspectives.