Child and Family Studies Major

College of Education - Department of Education

Child and Family Studies (U_FC)

The Education Department offers a Bachelor of Science with a major in Child and Family Studies. Students prepare to work as early childhood educators (ages birth - 8) in the mixed delivery system, including in early intervention, private and public pre-school settings, family child care centers, Head Start, and out-of-school child care settings. Within the Child and Family Studies major, a strong focus placed on family involvement, family engagement, and collaboration across families, educational settings, and communities. It is recognized that by working together, families, educators, and communities support the holistic development and education of children and can prepare children from varied socio-economic, cultural, and geographic backgrounds for a promising future. Students who complete this major will be eligible to apply for their infant, toddler, or preschool teaching certification from the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care (EEC). Students also are prepared to assume leadership roles in the field as directors of early childhood centers or as staff with state level agencies. After completing a major in Child and Family Studies, students also may pursue graduate studies in connected fields.

The General Education Requirement
All students must satisfy a general education requirement consisting of ten (10) courses outside of the major department. The General Education Domain III-C (Global Competency, Ethical Reasoning, and/or Human Diversity) requirement is satisfied through the completion of the Child and Family Studies major.

Course Prerequisites
Courses may have specified conditions for enrollment, such as prior completion of less advanced courses, permission of the instructor, or appropriate placement test scores. Students should refer to course descriptions in the department listings for prerequisite requirements.

Requirements for Major (U_FC):

Required Core Courses (8 courses):

• CFST 209 Child, Family, School, and Community: Connections and Collaborations
• CFST 212 Disability in Society
• CFST 390 Special Topics in Child and Family Studies
• CFST 440 Research in Child and Family Studies
• EDUC 205 Race, Class, Culture, and Language in Education
• EDUC 305 Educational Policy
• PSYC 200 Psychology of Development or
  
  • PSYC 201 Child Development
• SOCI 212 Sociology of Families

Concentration in Early Education and Care, Birth – 8 (UFCE) (4 courses):
Courses Focused on Curriculum and Administration of EEC Settings

• CFST 301 Infant and Toddler Curriculum
• CFST 311 Pre-school Curriculum: Language Development and Early Literacy
• CFST 312 Pre-school Curriculum: Integrating Math, Science, Social Studies, and Art
• CFST 405 Administration and Leadership of Early Education and Care Settings

_{Effective as of the 2018-2019 Undergraduate Catalog}