Family and Consumer Sciences Major
**Available to students graduating on or before spring 2024.**
The multidisciplinary family and consumer sciences degree provides a wide range of career opportunities by training students in areas including financial security, housing, nutrition, health and wellness, personal and family relationships, and sustainable quality of life.
100%
OF STUDENTS COMPLETE INTERNSHIPS
1 of 4
FAMILY AND CONSUMER SCIENCES MAJORS IN VIRGINIA
37
CREDIT HOURS APPLY TOWARDS TEACHER LICENSURE
24
AVERAGE UPPER-LEVEL CLASS SIZE
Total Credit Hours: 120
Family and Consumer Sciences Core Requirements (29 hours)
Family and Consumer Sciences Electives (15 hours)
AHRM Core Requirements (19 hours)
General Education (45 hours)
Electives (12 hours)
You'll complete courses in the areas that comprise the profession. These courses are required for licensing to teach family and consumer sciences in middle and high schools in Virginia. You'll also complete 18 credits in controlled electives to build expertise in one or more professional fields.
Core Requirements:
- 120 credit hours for a bachelor of science degree, including Virginia Tech's Pathways
- 24 credits of AHRM courses, including options such as:
- Family Financial Management
- Housing Environments
- Consumer Rights
- 29 credits of family and consumer sciences courses including:
- Clothing and People
- Human Nutrition and Foods
- House Planning
- 29-35 credits of approved electives, including:
- Residential Drafting Lab
- Intro to Hotel, Restaurant & Institutional Management
- 3 credits (minimum) of action learning via study abroad, field study, independent study, or undergraduate research as a part of AHRM requirements
Related Links
What is a Family and Consumer Sciences Degree?
Family and Consumer Sciences is a multidisciplinary program designed to prepare graduates to teach and support students, families, and communities as they make critical decisions about their well-being, relationships, and use of resources.
Why Study Family and Consumer Sciences Here?
The major puts you on track for our Career and Technical Education master’s degree, which provides the credentials and experiences needed to be a licensed family and consumer sciences teacher. Financial security, housing, nutrition, health and wellness, personal and family relationships, and a sustainable quality of life are important issues that can be addressed by knowledge gained in the program.
Beyond the Classroom
Continuing Your Education
Qualified graduates of the family and consumer sciences program are eligible to enroll in the Master of Science in career and technical education to complete their qualifications to become licensed teachers in middle and high school family and consumer sciences programs.
Scholarships are available for students planning to enter the career and technical education masters’ program through the School of Education.
Continuing Your Education
Professional Development
The Virginia Association of Family and Consumer Sciences is an affiliate of the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (AAFCS). It is an organization that represents and supports professionals interested in family and consumer sciences issues. Student members participate in state and national programs and apply for scholarships.
Professional Development
Faculty Invested in You
Our small class sizes provide individualized attention while you are learning. Our faculty members are productive scholars, authors, and award-winning teachers who are always eager to mentor students.
Internships
Gain hands-on experience through internships. Our students complete internships closely aligned with their curriculum. Graduates pursue jobs in:
- Community organizations
- Cooperative extension
- Business
- Public affairs
- Public relations
What Our Students Are Saying
"This past summer I had an internship with the Virginia Cooperative Extension. I felt very confident in completing all of the tasks that I was given because of the knowledge and skills that I had gained through my in-major classes."
Christina Crider, '16
Careers and Further Study
Make Your Degree Work for You
A recently added major, our program was designed to prepare students for a career in family and consumer sciences. The program requires students to take courses required for licensure and offers students the opportunity to pursue a M.S. in Career and Technical Education to become a licensed family and consumer sciences teacher in middle and high schools.
Christina Crider, '16
Christina is now a graduate student in Virginia Tech's Career and Technical Education Department. She is on her way to becoming a Family and Consumer Sciences teacher, and she is excited to find out where both of her degrees will take her in the future.
What do I do with a major in family and consumer sciences?
Teachers in career and technical education, including those in family and consumer sciences, are frequently identified as being on the critical shortage list in Virginia and other states, providing ample job availability.
Other careers students may pursue at the end of the four-year bachelor’s program include community organizations, Cooperative Extension, business and industry public affairs, and public relations.
To learn more about career opportunities in the family and consumer sciences major, contact:
Julia O. Beamish - Career Advisor
- 246 Wallace Hall (0410)
- (540) 231-8881
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