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Would you like to help children, youth, adults, and families learn proactive ways to confront problems in their lives? Are you interested in a career in community service, child development, or juvenile justice? Do you have an interest in advocating for resources and support for individuals and families in culturally diverse communities? Develop the knowledge and ability to become a human services professional in the Family and Human Services (FHS) major.
The Family and Human Services major leads to a bachelor of arts (BA), bachelor of science (BS) or bachelor of education (BEd) degree. FHS students build a foundation through course work and field experiences in learning and development, professional communication and collaboration, social policy for children and families, and creative approaches to solving problems and making effective decisions. As part of this early preparation, the FHS major helps students understand what such common but ambiguous terms as “family” and “social system” actually mean in today’s culture and how they interact with each other. More advanced preparation and skill development focuses in specialized areas important to working with the growing diversity of families, individuals, and human service agencies.
Cohort Model - Students in the FHS program are admitted as a group (a cohort) and proceed through the major in a prescribed sequence. This means that the cohort takes the same coursework together at the same time, in the same sequence in the two years following admission to the major. The cohort is typically diverse on a number of dimensions including race, ethnicity, gender, national origin, age, religion, relationship status, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, and other considerations not directly and substantively related to students’ effective academic performance.
The cohort model was chosen for three reasons. First, individuals in schools and social agencies are increasingly being asked to work as team members, instead of as professionals in isolation from one another. The cohort approach emphasizes this collaborative approach. Second, the cohort model provides a strong social support system for students as they move through the program. Third, the cohort model provides a strong professional network for students as they pursue employment and advanced study following graduation.
Hear from one of our amazing students, Cristina Jaramillo, in this "Student Spotlight"
Watch FHS Professor Daniel Close, talk about his course - FHS 213: Issues and Problems with Children and Families
