Return to: Majors and Minors

All Family and Consumer Sciences majors complete a curriculum composed of courses in general education, family and consumer sciences core, and a selected program option (Dietetics; Apparel and Textiles, Financial Literacy, Hospitality, and Merchandising Option; or Family Services). The program is designed to prepare students for a variety of public and private organizations related to dietetics, financial literacy, family services, hospitality management, textiles and apparel, and merchandising.

I. Criteria for Admission to the School of Family and Consumer Science Major:

1. Completion of 15 semester hours of course work taken at EIU or at another institution of higher education.
2. Minimum of 2.0 cumulative grade point average.

II. School of Family and Consumer Sciences Degree Requirement

To meet the requirements for a degree in the School of Family and Consumer Sciences, students must earn a minimum grade of “C” in each of the following courses:

• FCS 2500 - Foundational Focus of Family and Consumer Sciences. Credits: 3
• FCS 3500 - Orientation to Family and Consumer Sciences Internship. Credits: 3

Programs and Policies

The School of Family and Consumer Sciences academic programs are accredited by the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences and the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. The National Council on Family Relations recognizes the Family Services option as an undergraduate degree program with course work that includes content covering ten family life education content areas required for approval of graduates as provisionally Certified Family Life Educators (CFLE).

Mission Statement

The mission of the School of Family and Consumer Sciences is to prepare students to empower individuals, strengthen families, and enable communities within the global environment through an integrated focus on individual and family development, nutrition and dietetics, financial literacy, merchandising, apparel and textile design, and hospitality management. The educational purpose is enhanced by high impact integrative learning experiences.

Family and Consumer Sciences Majors and Minors

The School of Family and Consumer Sciences offers the Bachelor of Science in Family and Consumer Sciences degree with options and concentrations in the following areas:

• Dietetics Option
• Family and Consumer Sciences in Apparel and Textiles, Financial Literacy, Hospitality, and Merchandising Option

- Apparel and Textile Concentration (includes a minor in Print and Textile Design Technologies)
- Financial Literacy Concentration (includes a minor in Financial Literacy)
- Hospitality Management Concentration (includes a minor in Business Administration)
- Merchandising Concentration (includes a minor in Business Administration) 

• Family Services Option

The School of Family and Consumer Sciences also offers a minor in Family and Consumer Sciences.

The School of Family and Consumer Sciences participates in the Interdisciplinary Minor in Print and Textile Design Technologies which provides students with a program of study designed to provide a knowledge base in the demanding area of digital printing technology as applied to finished products. Critical examination of design and technical skills needed to compete in multi-faceted printing markets and textile design are key components. See the Interdisciplinary Minor in Print and Textile Design Technologies for minor requirements.

The School of Family and Consumer Sciences participates in the Interdisciplinary Minor in Financial Literacy that offers an interdisciplinary course of study focusing on family financial management and economic and well-being of individuals and families. The minor allows students to enhance their careers by providing additional certifications related to financial resource management. See the Interdisciplinary Minor in Financial Literacy for minor requirements.

Transfer Students

New transfer students who meet the above admission criteria should indicate on the application for admission to the University that they intend to major in the Family and Consumer Sciences program.  No special application to the School of Family and Consumer Sciences is required.  Grades received from other schools will be used in calculating the GPA for entrance into the School of Family and Consumer Sciences.

Further Information Contact:

Academic Advisor
School of Family and Consumer Sciences
Klehm Hall 1046
Eastern Illinois University
Charleston, IL  61920
217/581-5310
E-mail: famsci@www.eiu.edu

Department Faculty

Melanie Tracy Burns, Interim Chairperson
Rose Myers-Bradley, Academic Advisor

Andrade, J; Baker, M.; Brooks, L.; Burns, M.; Coonce, D.; Duzan, T.; Frank, J.; Hart, K.; Hugo, N.; Hurt, J.; Kennedy-Hagan, K.; Lord, J.; Murphy, F.;  O’Rourke, K.; Reifsteck, D.; Shaw, K.; Sherwood, M.; Simpson, L.; Wilkinson, R.; Yousaf, C.

Department Telephone: 217.581.6076

Return to: Majors and Minors