The Master of Science Degree or Master of Arts Degree in the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences is designed for professionals seeking advanced study in one of the specialty areas of family and consumer sciences:
Our department currently offers a master’s degree program in Family and Consumer Sciences, and this degree program allows an emphasis in Human Development and Family Resources (HDFR). This program option is most appropriate for individuals interested in careers in the human development and family resources field who have related degrees such as psychology, sociology, and social work. Our master’s degree program is less appropriate for students with a bachelor’s degree in human development and family resources since our department does not currently offer a separate master’s degree program in Human Development and Family Resources.
Career Possibilities with a M.S. degree with an HDFR Emphasis:
Careers opportunities for graduates are in the areas of educational programming for individuals and families, community outreach services and other related areas. Positions could include working as case managers, program coordinators or administrators.
The department also offers a separate graduate Child Life Specialists Program which prepares graduates to become Certified Child Life Specialists (CCLS), who are professionals specially trained to help children and their families understand and manage challenging life events and stressful healthcare experiences. Child Life Specialists are certified through a program administered by the Child Life Council (CLC).
Family and Consumer Sciences graduate students with an interest in the human development and family resources field can choose among fourteen graduate-level courses in the human development and family resources area as part of their graduate degree program. These courses include:
FCS 305 – Families in Later Life (3 sem. hr.)
FCS 306 – Seminar in Child Life Studies (3 sem. hr.)
FCS 307 – Advanced Child Development Applications (3 sem. hr.)
FCS 308 – Organization and Administration of Early Childhood Programs (3 sem. hr.)
FCS 309 – Couple Relationships (3 sem. hr.)
FCS 310 – Family Crises(3 sem. hr.)
FCS 314 – Early Childhood Nutrition Education (3 sem. hr.)
FCS 330 – Decision-Making for Consumers (3 sem. hr.)
FCS 331 – Consumer Materials (3 sem. hr.)
FCS 333 – Family and Consumer Public Policy (3 sem. hr.)
FCS 364 – Basic Counseling Skills (3 sem. hr.)
FCS 380 – Organization and Administration of Vocational Cooperative Education Programs (3 sem. hr.)
FCS 382 – Coordination Techniques of Cooperative Vocational Education Programs (3 sem. hr.)
FCS 394 – Health Aspects of Aging (3 sem. hr.)
The Graduate Catalog provides course descriptions and other information about these 14 graduate-level courses and our mater’s degree program. Lower level courses are also available for students needing to complete deficiency coursework for their master’s degree and future career success.
Students may choose one of the following degree program options:
- 32-semester-hour program which includes a thesis
- 39 semester hour program of course work
Other Related Degree Options at Illinois State University:
Students interested in counseling are referred to the Clinical-Counseling Psychology (M.A./M.S.) Program offered by the Department of Psychology. This program meets the curricular requirements to sit for both the Illinois Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor and Licensed Professional Counselor Examinations. The Department of Social Work offers a concentration of study in Child and Family Practice, which prepares graduates for advanced social work practice emphasizing agency-based practice with at-risk families.
A Graduate Certificate in the Social Aspects of Aging is also offered as a multidisciplinary program by our university. The program is designed to offer a limited number of academically and professionally oriented graduate experiences in aging. The Department of Sociology and Anthropology offers the graduate certificate in cooperation with our Department of Family and Consumer Sciences and the Departments of Health Sciences, Psychology, and Speech Pathology and Audiology. Admission requirements and other requirements are available at the Department of Sociology and Anthropology website.
- Minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale in the last 60 hours of undergraduate coursework
- The GRE exam with a preferred verbal score of 420
- Three letters of recommendation
- Statement of goals for seeking the degree
The Ohio State University, Ph.D.
The Ohio State University, Ph.D.
The University of Alabama-Tuscaloosa, Ph.D.
University of Illinois-Champaign-Urbana, Ph.D.
Illinois State University, M.S.
Illinois State University, M.S.
For information about other Illinois State University graduate programs, visit the Graduate Program Web site.
Robert Cullen, Ph.D.
Graduate Program Coordinator
Department of Family and Consumer Sciences
Campus Box 5060
Office: Turner 203F
Phone: (309) 438-8850
Fax: (309) 4388-5659
Email:
