Child and Family Studies Minor

Child and Family Studies is an interdisciplinary department that offers courses that focus on the development and interactions among children, adolescents, adults, and families, their resources, their environments, and their communities throughout the lifespan. The CFS Department promotes the development and maintenance of strong and healthy families through educational experiences that lead to the enrichment of individual and family life. A special emphasis is placed on the development of effective communication skills and research skills needed by professionals who will be working with children, adolescents, adults, and families in various academic and professional roles. A minor in Child and Family Studies can be particularly useful for students whose future plans include working with and/or have an interest in children, adolescents, adults, seniors, and/or families, as well as nutrition and food studies.

Exploring the Minor— Students considering Child & Family Studies as a minor should begin exploring this interdisciplinary field through the department’s 100 level introductory courses: CFS 103 or CFS 115; CFS 130; and CFS 145.

Admission to the Minor—Students must (a) have earned a grade of C+ or higher in CFS 130; (b) have earned a C or higher in any other CFS course taken at the time of declaring the minor; (c) must have an overall G.P.A. of 2.00; (d) be interviewed by a member of the Child and Family Studies department; (e) submit the required written essay; and (f) receive a positive recommendation from the CFS Department.

Course Sequencing Considerations (in order to complete degree requirements within eight terms)— CFS 130 and CFS 207 (also WGS) are prerequisites for upper-level courses and are offered every regular term. Upper-level courses sometimes are offered only once a year or alternate years, so early curricular planning is very important. If a student elects to take CFS 395/495 to fulfill a requirement, the Internship may be completed after the first year is completed. However, the Department recommends that CFS Internships be completed after the sophomore or junior year. Most CFS Internship placements are during the Summer terms. Students may use only one department-approved CFS 186/286/386/486 and/or 395/495 towards completion of the minor.

Proficiency Requirements for Retention in and Completion of the Minor— Students must earn at least a C in each of the remaining CFS courses for successful completion of the minor. In addition to specified course requirements, each student must satisfy departmental standards for written and oral communication.

Other Considerations and Recommendations—

• No more than one CFS transfer credit may be counted toward the CFS minor.
• No more than two CFS courses in the CFS minor can count toward a student’s major in a different department or count toward a different minor.
• Students pursuing the minor are eligible for enrollment in CFS 441 or CFS 480, the two capstone/senior seminar courses with permission of the department.