Department of Family and Consumer Sciences

[1] Purposes

The family and consumer sciences programs at the baccalaureate and master’s levels are designed to prepare professionals for employment in broad career options. Graduates are employed in business, education, healthcare facilities, industry, government, community agencies, and other organizations.

The focus of family and consumer sciences is on the individual, the family, and the interaction between families and their changing social and physical environments. The curriculum provides professional preparation built upon an interdisciplinary knowledge base drawn from research in family and consumer sciences; the arts; and the biological, physical, and social sciences.

The Bachelor of Science degree in family and consumer sciences has three options. The student may select a specialization in interior design, dietetics, or general family and consumer sciences. Licensure for teaching family and consumer sciences in secondary schools is earned with the BSE degree.

The Master of Science degree in family and consumer sciences has three specialization tracks including nutrition and foods; clothing, textiles, and fashion; and family and consumer sciences. The graduate student may select the thesis or non-thesis option. The undergraduate dietetic program and the graduate dietetic internship program are accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND).

[2] Honors in Family and Consumer Sciences

[Jump to Recognition of Academic Achievement for general information about Honors in the Majors.]

Junior and senior students majoring in Family and Consumer Sciences who demonstrate exceptional interest and ability and have a cumulative grade point average of 3.70 may be invited to enter the Honors in Family and Consumer Sciences program, designed to introduce research methods in an area of specialization in family and consumer sciences. In addition to the planned curriculum, the student will enroll in FACS 4301 and conduct an investigation of a topic approved by the instructor. The resulting research paper will be evaluated by at least three members of the FACS faculty.

[3] Baccalaureate Degree Programs

[3.1] Bachelor of Science

The degree of Bachelor of Science, with a major in family and consumer sciences, nutrition or interior design, requires successful completion of a minimum of 120 hours, including (1) the UCA Core: complete 38 hours to meet lower-division UCA Core requirements and complete upper-division UCA Core requirements using major, minor, or elective courses (see the UCA Core requirements); (2) degree requirements; (3) family and consumer sciences requirements; and (4) supporting requirements. No minor is required.

Family and Consumer Sciences or Nutrition Core courses are used to satisfy the lower- division UCA Core requirements in Responsible Living. Family and Consumer Sciences, Nutrition, and Interior Design courses are used to satisfy the upper-division UCA Core requirements in Critical Inquiry, Communication, Diversity, and Responsible Living. Students with a degree in Nutrition will take NUTR 4335, Nutrition Senior Seminar, as the required UCA Core Capstone. Students with a General Family and Consumer Sciences degree will take FACS 3456, Methods in Family and Consumer Sciences Education as the required UCA Core Capstone. Students with a degree in Interior Design will take IDSN 4305 Professional Practice for Interior Design as the required Core Capstone.

[3.1.1] Nutrition (54 hours)

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The Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) at the University of Central Arkansas is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics.

Major requirements:

Supporting requirements to meet the academic requirements of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics:

This program does not require a minor.

Eligibility to take the registration examination administered by the Commission on Dietetic Registration requires the BS degree plus completion of an approved internship (see § 4, below). Contact the department chair for further information.

[3.1.2] Interior Design (60 hours)

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The Interior Design program is accredited by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA) and the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD).

Major requirements (60 hours):

Supporting requirements (6 hours):

[3.1.3] General Family and Consumer Sciences (43 hours)

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Select 43 credit hours from the following:

[3.2] Bachelor of Science in Education

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The degree of Bachelor of Science in Education, with a major in family and consumer sciences, requires successful completion of (1) the UCA Core: complete 38 hours to meet lower-division UCA Core requirements and complete upper-division UCA Core requirements using major, minor, or elective courses (see the UCA Core requirements); (2) degree requirements; (3) family and consumer sciences requirements; and (4) supporting professional education requirements, including the minor in Teaching and Learning.

Nutrition or Family and Consumer Sciences Core courses are used to satisfy the lower-division UCA Core requirement in Responsible Living and the upper-division UCA Core requirements in Critical Inquiry, Communication, Diversity and Responsible Living. Students with a Family and Consumer Sciences Education degree will take FACS 4350, Internship I, as the required UCA Core Capstone.

[3.2.1] Family and Consumer Sciences

Major requirements (43 hours):

Professional Education course work (38 hours):

Professional Education course work includes the minor in Teaching and Learning, the content methods course, and the intense internship experience. For information about teacher education Admission, Exit, and Retention Requirements, see the College of Education page in this bulletin.

Minor in Teaching and Learning

[3.3] Bachelor of Arts

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The degree of Bachelor of Arts, requires successful completion of a minimum of 120 hours, including (1) the UCA Core: complete 38 hours to meet lower-division UCA Core requirements and complete upper-division UCA Core requirements using major, minor, or elective courses (see the UCA Core requirements); (2) degree requirements (foreign language); (3) family and consumer sciences requirements; (4) interior design requirements; and (5) supporting requirements. No minor is required.

Family and Consumer Sciences or Nutrition Core courses are used to satisfy the lower-division UCA Core requirement in Responsible Living. Family and Consumer Sciences and Interior Design courses are used to satisfy the upper-division UCA Core requirements in Critical Inquiry, Communication, Diversity and Responsible Living. Students with a degree in Interior Design will take IDSN 4305 Professional practice for Interior Design as the required UCA Core Capstone.

[3.3.1] Interior Design (60 hours)

The Interior Design program is accredited by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA) and the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD).

Major requirements (60 hours):

Supporting requirements (6 hours):

[3.4] Minor in Family and Consumer Sciences (18 hours)

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Eighteen hours of family and consumer sciences, nutrition or interior design courses, 3 hours of which must be upper-division, may be selected from various areas of family and consumer sciences and approved by the department chair. The minor is offered for students who desire family and consumer sciences for cultural and personal value or for supporting work for a related major.

[4] Dietetic Internship

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The dietetic internship is a supervised dietetic practice and study program accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND). The dietetic internship meets performance requirements for eligibility to write the national registration exam, administered by the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR), to become a registered dietitian.  The dietetic internship is to be completed in 15 months. The first year includes instruction and practicum experiences in community nutrition and research food-service management. Instruction and practicum experiences during the second year includes clinical nutrition and clinical management. Practice sites include various community, wellness, and health care facilities in Arkansas.

Dietetic Internship Entrance Requirements:

• Baccalaureate degree.
• Verification statement of completion of Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics accredited Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD)
• Official transcript(s) of course work from all colleges and universities attended.
• Minimum of 3.0 GPA (on a 4.0 scale).
• Recommended GRE score of 300 (150 verbal, 150 quantitative) with 3.0 on writing.
• Work experience in nutrition-related area.
• Completed dietetic internship application. (See https://uca.edu/facs/programs/dietetic-internship/)

[5] Master’s Degree

See Graduate Bulletin.

Course Links

Follow this link for NUTR – Nutrition and Food Sciences course descriptions: course link.

Follow this link for FACS – Family and Consumer Sciences course descriptions: course link.

Follow this link for IDSN – Interior Design course descriptions: course link.