At a glance:

The Child and Family Studies program is an excellent choice for students who enjoy working with people!  Students explore human development throughout the lifespan including child, adolescent, and adult development as well as family relationships.

The Child and Family Studies program at The University of Tennessee at Martin provides an undergraduate foundation for careers in child care training, licensing, and technical assistance; child abuse prevention; community education and health programs; the extension service; early intervention for children with disabilities; parent education; as well as other existing and emerging careers.   In addition, this course of study is an excellent undergraduate foundation for graduate programs in community counseling, family studies, human development, and health.

Why should a student choose the program at UT Martin?

The Child and Family Studies program provides students with flexibility in choices of coursework to meet individual career goals.

• Faculty provide individualized academic and professional advisement for each student and supervision of off-campus placement in a career-related setting.

•  Small class sizes at the upper division level allow for individual attention and personalized assignments for students.

• The Department of Family and Consumer Sciences is accredited by the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences, which promotes excellence in program quality.

Are there any special opportunities available such as internships, global travel, etc?

•  Students participate in observation and practice teaching at the UT Martin Margaret N. Perry Children’s Center, allowing hands-on application of knowledge, planning, and teaching.

•  Students have opportunities to participate in individualized field experience placements for class credit at the sophomore and senior levels.

•  Numerous opportunities exist for students to participate in travel study programs in the United States and abroad through the university’s travel study programs.

What can a student do after graduation – graduate school, possible careers?

• Careers in Child and Family Studies are varied and continue to evolve as the needs of children, families, and communities change.  In addition to the careers listed above (at a glance), career opportunities include:

       Head Start and Early Head Start
       Military Child Care
       Child Life Specialist
       Child Care Provider (family- or center-based)
       Elder Care Services

•  The program in Child and Family Studies is a good foundation for specialized graduate programs.  Students obtaining a Master’s degree are eligible to direct programs and teach at the community college level;  those completing a PhD may teach or do research at the four-year college or university level.

What kind of student organizations, clubs, or honor societies can a student join?

•  There are many ways in which students can become involved on and off campus.  In the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences, students may join the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences Student Group.  Phi Upsilon Omicron is an honor society for students achieving a GPA of 3.0 after completing 40 hours of coursework.

•  Professional organizations such as the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences, the National Association for the Education of Young Children, the Association for Childhood Education International, and the National Council on Family Relations offer professional resources for students.

• Other student organizations on campus include service organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, academic organizations such as Collegiate 4-H, and student governance organizations such as the Student Activities Council and the Student Government Association.

What kind of facilities and equipment will be available to the student?

•  Students in the Child and Family Studies Program have access to a computer lab for Family and Consumer Sciences students.  Wireless internet access is available across campus, and classrooms have high-quality computers and multimedia equipment.

•   Students observe and teach at the Margaret N. Perry Children’s Center.  They also may volunteer and participate in programs supporting children and families including the Child Care Resource and Referral, Healthy Start, and Infant Stimulation programs, housed on campus.

What kind of facilities and equipment will be available to the student?

Faculty members in family and consumer sciences have educational credentials and research interests in their particular specialized fields of teaching.