Major: Family and Consumer Sciences Education
Our world is changing fast. There's always a new and improved gadget to help us keep in touch and stay organized. We're bombarded by messages about what to eat, how to exercise, and what products to buy. As we approach adulthood, how do we learn the skills and savvy to make the right choices?
Family and consumer science teachers show students how to manage the adult challenges of career, family, and day-to-day living. They help students learn the skills they need -- from shopping for nutrition bars and fuel-efficient cars to negotiating a raise and resolving a family dispute -- to enjoy healthy, productive lives.
This program prepares majors to teach vocational home economics programs to students in various grades (mostly high school). Students in this major may also work in a variety of settings, such as corporations.
Did You Know?
- During the last century, Cornell University aired household advice over radio and TV and even demonstrated canning on a traveling train car.
Are You Ready To...?
- Practice teaching in front of your peers
- Work with professors on their research projects
- Join a family and consumer sciences honorary society like Kappa Omicron Nu or Phi Upsilon Omicron
- Become a student member of a professional association such as the American Association of Family & Consumer Sciences
It Helps to Be...
Someone who appreciates the challenges of everyday living and an adaptable learner who can get the most out of course work as different as nutrition and fashion.
College Checklist
- Is the program accredited by the American Association of Family & Consumer Sciences and the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education?
- What research projects are professors involved in?
- What requirements must you meet (such as passing Praxis exams) to be certified?
- What grade levels and subjects will you be certified to teach?
- Does the program offer part-time study options for working students?
Did You Know?
- Even this major has had a makeover to keep up with changing times -- it used to be called "home economics education." That's still what it's called in most high schools.
Course Spotlight
Before you graduate, you'll spend a semester student teaching. You'll prepare by observing experienced teachers, storing away ideas for how you'll conduct your own classroom. Will you take your students to the supermarket to practice smart shopping? Teach them how to use the computer to manage a budget? Play in-class games that teach communication skills?
Whatever the activities, you'll get plenty of practice planning lessons, leading discussions, and monitoring student progress. When you land your first job, you'll be ready to roll.
