FAMILY STUDIES (FAST)
College of Arts and Sciences, Interdisciplinary Program
Director: Dr. Audra Nuru (Comm & FAST)
Advisory Committee: Buri, Jessee, Lemmons, Lundquist, Nuru, Zimmerman
Associated Faculty: Balke, Niskanen, Sorenson
Family Studies Department Web Site
Family studies is an interdisciplinary field of study in which the family is the primary unit of analysis. The purpose of this major and minor is to enable students to critically examine the family using a variety of theories and methods. Family studies scholars can develop understanding of business and communication dynamics, health and social concerns, and psychological and theological matters affecting families and their members. A major and minor in family studies are flexible and multidisciplinary, providing for both broad exposure and disciplinary integration. Both the major and minor provide preparation for advanced study in family studies and the allied fields, as well as professional work in organizations focusing on families.
Major in Family Studies
A student may take no more than three courses from a single discipline toward the major in Family Studies. The major in family studies does not provide a license for a student to do therapy or counseling; it does provide a foundation for employment in the human services field and/or for graduate studies in multiple areas where a license can be earned, if so desired. Students will select elective courses in careful consultation with the director of family studies and/or his or her advisor, choosing those that best support the student's future professional, graduate and/or personal goals and aspirations. The elective selections might also include strong recommendations for a double major in another discipline and/or courses in research methods taken in a constituent department - the latter especially recommended for students wishing to pursue graduate work in Family Social Science or Psychology, Social Work, or other related fields.
All students must take:
- FAST 200 Foundations of Family Studies (4 credits)
- FAST 400 Family Studies Capstone Seminar (4 credits)
All students must take 4 credits (1 course) in research methods, chosen in consultation with the student’s adviser from the following list:
- PSYC 212: Research Methods in Psychology (4 credits)
- SOCI 210: Research Methods in Sociology (4 credits)
- SOWK 380: Social Work Research (4 credits)
All students must take 8 credits (2 courses) of the following:
- COMM 374: Family and Couple Communication (4 credits)
- PSYC 288: Psychology of Marriage and the Family (4 credits)
- SOCI 321: Global Marriages and Families (4 credits)
All students are required to take 20 credits (5 courses) of elective courses, chosen in consultation with the student's adviser from the following list:
- CHDC 305: Chemical Dependency and the Family (4 credits)
- COMM 220: Interpersonal Communication (4 credits)
- COMM 374: Family and Couple Communication (4 credits)
- EDUC 329: Diverse Learners and Families (4 credits)
- ENTR 349: Family Business Management (4 credits)
- FAST 243, 393, or 495: Individual Study (2 or 4 credits)
- FAST 476 or 478: Experiential Learning/Internship (2 or 4 credits)
- HIST 211: History of Women & Families in the Americas
- HLTH 462: Human Sexuality Education (4 credits)
- PHIL 234: Love, Sex, and Friendship (4 credits)
- PSYC 200: Psychology of Infancy and Childhood (4 credits)
- PSYC 202: Lifespan Development (4 credits)
- PSYC 203: Psychology of Adolescence (4 credits)
- PSYC 204: Psychology of Adulthood and Aging (4 credits)
- PSYC 288: Psychology of Marriage and the Family (4 credits)
- SOWK 181: Introduction to Social Work
- SOWK 210T/2100C: Relationships, Intimacy and Sexuality (4 credits)
- SOWK 240T: People and Environment: Theories of Behavior, Justice and Impact (4 credits)
- SOWK 291: Anatomy of Violence (4 credits)
- SOWK 401: Practice with Individuals and Families (available only to social work majors) (4 credits)
- SOCI 298: Youth Culture & Education in Puerto Rico (4 credits)
- SOCI 304: Adolescence in Society (4 credits)
- SOCI 321: Global Marriages and Families (4 credits)
- SOCI 354: Sex in Society (4 credits)
- THEO 226: Spirituality: Christian Marriage (4 credits)
NOTE: Students may take no more than three courses from a single discipline (excluding the course taken to fulfill the methods requirement) toward the major in Family Studies.
Minor in Family Studies
A student may take no more than two courses from a single discipline toward the minor in Family Studies. Students interested in a minor in family studies should meet with the director.
All students must take:
- FAST 200 Foundations of Family Studies (4 credits)
All students must take 4 credits (1 course) from the following:
- COMM 374: Family and Couple Communication (4 credits)
- PSYC 288 Psychology of Marriage and the Family (4 credits)
- SOCI 321 Global Marriages and Families (4 credits)
All students are required to take 12 credits (3 courses) of elective courses, chosen in consultation with the student's adviser from the following list:
- CHDC 305: Chemical Dependency and the Family (4 credits)
- COMM 220: Interpersonal Communication (4 credits)
- COMM 374: Family and Couple Communication (4 credits)
- EDUC 329: Diverse Learners and Families (4 credits)
- ENTR 349: Family Business Management (4 credits)
- FAST 243, 393, or 495: Individual Study (2 or 4 credits)
- FAST 476 or 478: Experiential Learning/Internship (2 or 4 credits)
- HIST 211: History of Women & Families in the Americas
- HLTH 462: Human Sexuality Education (4 credits)
- PHIL 234: Love, Sex, and Friendship (4 credits)
- PSYC 200: Psychology of Infancy and Childhood (4 credits)
- PSYC 202: Lifespan Development (4 credits)
- PSYC 203: Psychology of Adolescence (4 credits)
- PSYC 204: Psychology of Adulthood and Aging (4 credits)
- PSYC 288: Psychology of Marriage and the Family (4 credits)
- SOWK 181: Introduction to Social Work
- SOWK 210T/2100C: Relationships, Intimacy and Sexuality (4 credits)
- SOWK 240T: People and Environment: Theories of Behavior, Justice and Impact (4 credits)
- SOWK 291: Anatomy of Violence (4 credits)
- SOWK 401: Practice with Individuals and Families (available only to social work majors) (4 credits)
- SOCI 298: Youth Culture & Education in Puerto Rico (4 credits)
- SOCI 304: Adolescence in Society (4 credits)
- SOCI 321: Global Marriages and Families (4 credits)
- SOCI 354: Sex in Society (4 credits)
- THEO 226: Spirituality: Christian Marriage (4 credits)
NOTE: Minors may take no more than two courses from a single discipline toward the minor in Family Studies
Family Studies Undergraduate Courses
| Course Number | Title | Credits | |
|---|---|---|---|
| FAST 200 | Foundations of Family Studies | 4 | |
| Description of course Foundations of Family Studies : | As a foundation of the Family Studies major and minor, this course provides an interdisciplinary exploration of the discipline and profession of Family Studies. Students will be introduced to primary family theories and the practical nature of theorizing for understanding, explaining and strengthening all families; read original and translated/applied research on family topics; explore substantive topics of the field; examine the current state of Family Studies and its multidisciplinary roots; become familiar with family studies’ occupations and professional organizations; review ethical principles of working with and studying families; and examine a range of contemporary issues for families in the 21st century. | ||
| FAST 243 | Individual Study | 2 OR 4 | |
| Description of course Individual Study : | No description is available. | ||
| FAST 269 | Research | 2 OR 4 | |
| Description of course Research : | No description is available. | ||
| FAST 297 | Topics | 4 | |
| Description of course Topics : | The subject matter of these courses will vary from year to year, but will not duplicate existing courses. Descriptions of these courses are available in the Searchable Class Schedule on Murphy Online, View Searchable Class Schedule | ||
| FAST 378 | Comm & Underrep Families | 4 | |
| Description of course Comm & Underrep Families : | Given that demographic changes, immigration patterns, transnational adoption, new U.S. Supreme Court rulings impacting LGBTQ+ families, and the addition of a multiracial option on the 2010 Census have all contributed to changes in the ways that individuals and families identify, are formed, and are (re)negotiated, it is of critical importance to examine scholarship highlighting these diverse (and often underrepresented) family forms. Families in the United States today are faced with opportunities and challenges that have never been experienced by families before. The first 21 years of this century have produced large social, civil, and technological changes that impact not only the communication among family members, but has also impacted larger societal discourses about what constitutes “family.” Although family communication scholars have long called for the inclusion of more diverse samples in family research, to date this research remains very limited in the understanding of family functioning, relationships, and processes in families of color, LGBTQ families, transnational and neo-ethnic families, discourse dependent families, and other family forms. To this end, this course examines the communicative experiences of contemporary and underrepresented families. | ||
| FAST 389 | Research | 2 OR 4 | |
| Description of course Research : | No description is available. | ||
| FAST 393 | Individual Study | 2 OR 4 | |
| Description of course Individual Study : | No description is available. | ||
| FAST 400 | Family Studies Capstone Sem. | 4 | |
| Description of course Family Studies Capstone Sem. : | This advanced capstone course for the Family Studies major is a multidisciplinary seminar taken after a student has completed at least four courses in the Family Studies major. The course incorporates a variety of methods, theories, and pedagogies drawn from the family studies paradigm. A substantial portion of the course will be devoted to student experience in the community and professions, including reflections and analyses that incorporate family studies scholarship. Prerequisite: FAST 200, plus two of COJO 374 (formerly COJO 472), PSYC 288, SOCI 321, plus six other courses from the list of approved courses for the Major. | ||
| FAST 450 | Intro to Marriage/Family Psych | 4 | |
| Description of course Intro to Marriage/Family Psych : | This course is an overview of marriage and family counseling, including application of family psychology theory to family problems and intervention strategies.This course offers an opportunity for students to study an overview of the major marriage and family therapy theories as well as be exposed to many of the fundamental constructs in the family therapy field. Different themes will be compared using the lenses of the role of family history, use of insight, whether the whole system or parts of the family are areas of focus, family problem resolution, as well as strategies useful to each therapeutic approach. An integral part of the course is an understanding of,both,family systems theory and the family in the context of a diverse, pluralistic society. Prerequisites: Majoring in Family Studies and permission from instructor. | ||
| FAST 476 | Experiential Learning | 1 TO 4 | |
| Description of course Experiential Learning : | No description is available. | ||
| FAST 490 | Special Topics | 4 | |
| Description of course Special Topics : | No description is available. | ||
| FAST 491 | Research | 2 OR 4 | |
| Description of course Research : | No description is available. | ||
| FAST 495 | Individual Study | 2 OR 4 | |
| Description of course Individual Study : | No description is available. | ||