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Learn how to enhance the quality of life. We offer options in consumer affairs, family and consumer sciences education, apparel design and merchandising, and family studies.

Why Study Family and Consumer Sciences?

Family and consumer sciences (FCS) covers everything from what we buy and what we wear to how we help those most in need.

FCS studies relationships among people and their personal environments, focusing on the impact of physical, biological and social environments on human behavior and development.

FCS majors learn to improve the quality of life for individuals, families and communities by providing practical solutions to problems involving apparel, child rearing and family relations, and family and consumer economics.

Majoring in FCS prepares you for a career in teaching, business, industry, community agencies and government.

Why Study Family and Consumer Sciences at CSUN?

Options for Every Interest

As a Family and Consumer Sciences major, you'll choose from five specialization options:

• Consumer affairs
• Family studies
• Family and consumer sciences education
• Apparel design and merchandising

Experiential Learning

The department offers experiential learning opportunities through its lab and studio courses and the Child and Family Studies Center Lab School, the Consumer Resource Center and the Marilyn Magaram Center for Food Science, Nutrition and Dietetics.

Leadership Skills

You'll gain leadership skills through the Student Association of Family and Consumer Sciences and the Kappa Omicron Nu national honor society.

Internships

The department offers on-campus internships at the Klotz Student Health Center and other great university locations. These applied internships allow you to practice in professional settings, alongside those already in the field. They’re also an excellent opportunity to find mentors and form professional connections.

What You'll Learn

All Family and Consumer Sciences majors share a core curriculum that includes common concepts, as well as courses in their options. These include family resource management, creative expression in family and consumer sciences, individual and family development, and family and consumer sciences foundations and research.

Family Studies

The family studies option provides you with an extensive background in family and developmental theory and its practical application to human and family development across the lifespan. You'll apply theory through activities at the Child and Family Studies Laboratory, which provides services to infants, toddlers, preschoolers, kindergarteners, and families. Internship opportunities include participating in parent education and working with children, adolescents, adults, and the elderly.