FAMILY AND CONSUMER RESOURCES
(FCR /RCS /FS )
The School of Family and Consumer Resources provides instructional, research, extension and outreach programs that enable families, individual family members and consumers to achieve an optimum quality of life throughout the lifespan. Instructional programs prepare professionals for careers serving families and consumers in a culturally diverse and rapidly changing society.
The undergraduate program has as its major objectives: (1) specialization in various aspects of Family and Consumer Resources, in preparation for professional positions, and (2) courses to enrich the professional preparation of students in other colleges.
The school is organized into two divisions, Family Studies and Retailing and Consumer Studies.
Graduate degree programs offered by the School of Family and Consumer Resources include the Master of Science with a major in family and consumer resources or home economics education; the Master of Education with a major in family and consumer resources; and the Master of Home Economics Education with a major in home economics education. For the Master of Science degree with a major in family and consumer resources, and concentrations are available in family studies; consumer studies; retailing; and home economics education. The school also offers the Doctor of Philosophy with a major in family and consumer resources. Emphases are available in consumer studies; retailing; human development, interpersonal relationships and family resource management. For further information, consult the Graduate Catalog.
Students enrolled in majors in Family and Consumer Resources may select a minor subject area with the approval of the student's advisor.
Family and Consumer Resources (FCR)
The major in Family and Consumer Resources combines three disciplines into a coherent and intellectually challenging major. Designing the major requires that the student (a) prepare a written proposal, (b) meet with an advisor, (c) have a final proposal accepted, and (d) receive an advisor's signature. Each student completes two subject areas (21 units each) from within FCR. The student completes a third subject area outside of FCR. All applications must be submitted to an FCR committee for approval.
Division of Retailing and Consumer Studies
The major in retailing and consumer studies (RCS) focuses on business theory and practices of providing consumer products and services through retail channels with an emphasis on meeting consumer interests and needs.
Students in the retailing and consumer studies major study the whole spectrum of the industry including retailing of fashion soft goods, food and other consumer goods and services. Three supplemental, specialized certificate programs are available, in food retailing, international retailing and visual merchandising.
Course work for the major, concentrated in the upper-division portion of the degree program, focuses on the effective and efficient delivery of products and services to consumers through four core components of the program; products and services environment, business environment, visual and aesthetic environment, and consumer and global environment.
Prior to the upper-division standing, students are encouraged to complete a basic foundation of general education, including course work in communications, mathematics, physical and environmental science, arts, literature and language, the social and behavioral sciences, and world civilization.
It is important for students to note that they are required to meet the advanced upper-division standing requirement (a cumulative grade-point average of 2.6 or above) in retailing and consumer studies to establish eligibility for the upper-division level courses in the major. Also important is to note the advanced standing requirements (a cumulative grade-point average of 2.75 or above) required by the College of Business and Public Administration to establish eligibility for the upper-division level business courses.
Any course work that might be applicable to the upper-division professional core or major requirements taken while enrolled in other colleges or at other universities is subject to acceptance by the School of Family and Consumer Resources for degree certification purposes.
Certificate Programs: Under the Southwest Retail Center, three certificate programs can be completed in conjunction with, or in addition to , one's major field of study.
The certificate program in international retailing is designed to expose students to topics affecting international retail businesses and to provide a broad understanding of multicultural businesses and social issues affecting retailers in selected regions of the world. Students can choose a specialization in one of the following world regions: Latin America and Mexico, Europe or the Pacific Rim. The program is designed for retailing and consumer studies majors and non-majors. Students must have completed a foreign language prerequisite consisting of a minimum of eight to 10 semester hours in a foreign language appropriate for one of the three major world regions identified above.
The food retailing certificate program is designed to provide students an opportunity to explore a career in the food retailing industry. This program is highly recommended for, but not limited to, students in retailing and consumer studies, agricultural and resource economics, nutritional sciences and marketing. Students are encouraged to apply for the program at the beginning of the second semester of their sophomore year.
The visual merchandising and display certificate program will provide retailing and consumer studies majors with the opportunity to complement their program of study in retailing with a concentration of creative design courses in art, theater arts and retailing and consumer studies. This program will prepare students in the optimum presentation of merchandise. It will be of value and benefit to those graduates who have responsibility to sell merchandise or who are concerned about the concept to be sold or the image to be projected.
For additional information about the certificate programs, and for specific requirements, consult the Division of Retailing and Consumer Studies.
Division of Family Studies
The major in family studies focuses on generation and dissemination of basic and applied knowledge concerned with human development and family relations throughout the life span. Students may elect courses in consultation with faculty members to reflect an emphasis in human development or interpersonal relations. The major in family and consumer sciences education leads to certification for teaching life management in public schools; concentrations in secondary education and family life education are available. Candidates for admission to undergraduate programs in family and consumer sciences education must present evidence of having completed 56 units of work applicable to the Bachelor of Science degree. Family and consumer sciences education majors will not be allowed to register for 300- or 400-level family and consumer sciences education or College of Education courses until successful completion of the writing proficiency exam.