Family and Consumer Sciences Education and Studies

• The Family and Consumer Sciences program is the only four-year program in Iowa.

• Year after year, the Family and Consumer Sciences Club competes at a national level and brings home awards for outstanding community involvement, scholarly publications and research studies, and exceptional member activity.

• The Collegiate Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) club integrates FCCLA into our program of work and helps with high school district and state FCCLA events.

• The program provides a broad knowledge base with seven content areas.

• The program offers a low student teacher ratio.

• Students benefit from excellent job placement.

• The Iowa Teacher of the Year graduated from the Family and Consumer Sciences program.

Family and Consumer Sciences curriculum requirements 2012-13 (doc)

Department information page

Program options:

• Teacher licensure–preparation to teach FCS curriculum in middle schools and high schools
• Communications–general studies for using knowledge of family and consumer sciences in businesses or social agencies
• Professional studies–educator or trainer for non-school settings such as business or extension

Content area options:

• Consumer resource management
• Family studies
• Foods and nutrition
• Housing
• Human development
• Parenthood education
• Textiles and clothing

Options are outlined on the second page of the curriculum sheet.

Family and Consumer Sciences Licensure 4-year plan 2012-13 (doc)

Family and Consumer Sciences Communications 4-year plan 2012-13 (doc)

Family and Consumer Sciences Professional Studies 4-year plan 2012-13 (doc)

Department information page

For current and recent class syllabus examples go to the Class Websites page for the Human Development and Family Studies department.

• Family and Consumer Sciences Education and Studies majors, as part of the AESHM department, need only complete one College of Human Sciences online application to automatically apply for all college-level and department-level scholarships. The application is available from November through February.

• Program scholarships range from $400 up.

• Scholarships are also available from professional organizations through the Family and Consumer Sciences Education and Studies Club.

• Forgivable loans may be a possibility for students who teach family and consumer sciences in schools.

A degree in Family and Consumer Sciences Education and Studies provides a background in seven content areas, so career options are wide open and job placement rates are close to 100%.

Alumni have held positions as:

• Grade 5-12 FCS teacher
• Adult educator
• Consumer advocate and information director
• Cooking school instructor
• Director of parent education
• Extension specialist
• Family life educator
• Event planning professional
• Textbook writer
• Human resources director
• Director of youth education for non-profit and religious organizations

• Contact our adviser and visit campus.
• Take high school chemistry.
• Community college courses that will help: developmental psychology, American history.

College of Human Sciences transfer information

Family and Consumer Sciences Education and Studies Club

IAFCS and AAFCS

Apparel, Merchandising, and Design

Child, Adult, and Family Services

Coaching (minor)

Dance (minor)

Diet and Exercise

Digital learning (minor)

Early Childhood Education

Entrepreneurial Studies minor

Event Management

Family Finance, Housing, and Policy

Food Science

Food safety (minor)

Hospitality Management

Human Nutrition

Teacher licensure students gain a total of 80 hours field experience and student teaching in high schools and middle schools in central Iowa.

Communications and Professional Studies students do internships. Examples include museums, ISU Alumni Center, Ames Main Street Cultural District, Reiman Gardens, nonprofit organizations, and FCS-related publishing and business sectors.

View Family and Consumer Sciences Education and Studies internship experiences at Career Connections.

The Family and Consumer Sciences Education and Studies faculty take pride in a program that provides students with opportunities to engage in practica and field experiences for career preparation. Our faculty are committed to hands-on, project-based learning with a focus on improving the quality of individual and family life through education.

• Students have access to the labs in each content area.
• Family and Consumer Sciences Education and Studies has its own resource library and study area that includes curriculum guides for all content areas.
• Students have access to large computer labs in the College of Human Sciences.

The College of Human Sciences offers the only Family and Consumer Sciences master’s degree in Iowa. The Family and Consumer Sciences online master’s degree is flexible and offers three areas of concentration. Depending on the concentration, the entire degree can be earned online.