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Course: Family and Consumer Sciences
This major used to be known as, and is sometimes still called, home economics. And when you think home economics, you might think homemade brownies and needlepoint throw pillows.
But if you study family and consumer sciences at the college level, you’ll find there’s a lot more to “home ec” than that. Students in this major learn about child development, family relations, consumer economics, personal finance, fashion design, housing, and nutrition.
Students of family and consumer sciences learn about issues that affect individuals, families, and communities -- especially issues that relate to the basic needs of food, shelter, clothing, and relationships.
Did You Know?
Knowledge of chemistry will help you succeed in courses like food science and nutrition, which are usually a part of this major.
Are You Ready To...?
- Conduct research projects
- Learn about interior and fashion design
- Improve your cooking
- Design and sew clothing
- Study money management techniques
- Learn about the issues that affect special needs groups, such as the physically challenged
- Study parenting techniques
- Learn about the stages and needs of children
It Helps To Be...
Interested in helping children, families, and communities. It also helps to be open to different approaches to understanding the issues that affect these groups.
College Checklist
- How much access will you have to your advisor? An advisor can help you plan course work, internships, and research.
- How many courses are required in the major? The more required courses, the less flexibility you might have to shape your degree.
- Does the program stress one aspect of this broad major, such as nutrition or child development, over others?
Did You Know?
Family and consumer sciences graduates are qualified for a variety of career options in such fields as business, government, education, and human services.
Course Spotlight
In their last year of study, many family and consumer sciences students complete an internship that provides both the work experience and the contacts they’ll need to find a job after graduation. If your focus is nutrition, you might answer people’s questions about diet at a series of community health fairs. If your focus is in interior design, you might get a taste for the business interning with an established interior design firm. Some programs even offer the chance to complete an international internship.