Family and Consumer Sciences Education - BS, BA

About This Degree

The Family and Consumer Sciences Education (FCSE) program trains students to become family and consumer sciences (FCS) educators in both school-based and community-based settings.

The program prepares students to enter a high-demand profession throughout the U.S. FCSE graduates are qualified to teach many subjects, including apparel and textile construction, nutrition and foods, interior design, child and human development, financial literacy, and more.

Students in the school-based program are qualified to teach in secondary settings and can advance to higher education with continued graduate degrees. Students in the community-based emphasis program are prepared to become non-formal FCS educators in various settings such as extension, FCS-related industries, and nonprofit organizations.

What You Will Learn

In addition to courses focused on formal and non-formal teaching methods, students can take various classes from other departments to increase their knowledge in the different FCS content areas. The FCSE program works closely with the Nutrition, Dietetics, and Foods Sciences Department, Interior Design Program, Human Development, Family Studies Department, and Secondary Education Department to ensure students receive a broad and well-rounded education.

Emphases:

Students may choose an emphasis in one of the following areas.

School-Based Family & Consumer Sciences Education:

The school-based FCSE emphasis prepares students to meet state teacher certification requirements to teach FCS content in public, charter, and private schools. Students can become school-based FCS teachers and FCCLA advisors in middle, junior, and high schools. School-based FCS teachers educate students on a wide variety of subjects, including financial literacy, human relationships, child development, apparel and textile construction, interior design, nutrition and foods, FCCLA leadership, analytical thinking, and problem-solving. Students have the unique opportunity to work with mentor teachers starting their sophomore year to receive instruction and build professional relationships before entering the classroom as student teachers. Upon completing student teaching, students are eligible to apply for and obtain a secondary teaching license in Utah.

Community-Based Family & Consumer Sciences Education:

This emphasis prepares students for outreach and education in non-formal settings and community engagement. Students will develop a diverse background in FCS content areas. The curriculum includes courses in all the FCS areas: financial literacy, human relationships, child development, apparel and textile construction, interior design, nutrition and foods, and FCCLA leadership. Additional courses in non-formal education include non-formal teaching methods, volunteer programs, community programming and evaluation, and youth development. Students will also gain knowledge about communication, analytical reasoning, critical thinking, effective writing, and teamwork. Students in the community-based program will complete two internships starting their junior year with an FCS-based business, public or private agency, commodity organization, nonprofit organization, or extension office. Students may take some additional coursework to obtain a Family Finance Minor.

Education Component

School-Based Family and Consumer Sciences Component:

In order to obtain a teaching license for family and consumer sciences (grades 6-12), students must complete 120+ credits in FCS, secondary education, and general education courses. The first years of the program (2/3 of the degree) focus on taking classes specific to the different FCS content areas and completing general education requirements. In the last years (1/3 of the degree), students are focused on teacher education courses taught by faculty from TEAL and the Applied Sciences, Technology, and Education Departments.

Students are required to be admitted into the Secondary Teacher Education Program (STEP), which includes one semester of student teaching in a public school. This program is administered by USU's School of Teacher Education and Leadership (TEAL) within the Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services. These courses are taught in addition to the FCSE content taught through the School of Applied Sciences, Technology, and Education. Students in the family and consumer sciences education program do not need to complete a minor because the program provides students with comprehensive knowledge in several subject areas, expanding their career options.