Family and Consumer Sciences

Program Contact

Nina Roofe, PhD, RDN, LD, FAND: Chair, Department of Nutrition and Family Sciences, and Graduate Program Coordinator
Telephone: (501) 450-5950 | Email: nroofe@uca.edu

[1] Objectives

The primary purpose of the Master of Sciences in Family and Consumer Sciences is to prepare graduates with the knowledge and skills for advanced careers in business, education, hospitals, industry, government, community agencies, or for entering a doctoral program in Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) or in a related discipline. Graduates of the program will be able to synthesize and evaluate research and disseminate findings, demonstrate professional communication skills, and demonstrate advanced practice skills required of FCS professionals.

[2] Program Admission Requirements

To be granted regular admission to the graduate school & the MS in FCS, students must have accomplished the following:

Obtained a baccalaureate degree in Family & Consumer Sciences or an allied area from an accredited institution.
Achieved a minimum cumulative undergraduate GPA of 2.70 on a scale of 4.00 or at least a 3.00 in the last 60 hours of undergraduate study.
One of the following:
- Satisfactory scores on the General Test of the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) OR
- Valid standard educator license OR
- Proof of Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) certification

[3] Degree Requirements

The degree plan offers thesis and non-thesis options; the requirements for these options differ. All students will take comprehensive examinations and complete a graduate portfolio as described in the departmental manual for graduate students.

[3.1] Thesis Option (30 hours)

Core Requirements (9 hours)

FACS 6300 Current Issues in Family and Consumer Sciences

FACS 6335 Evidence-Based Research in Nutrition or ASTL 6380 Research Methods or HLTH 6379 Research in Health Sciences

FACS 6350 Statistical Methods in Family and Consumer Sciences or ASTL 6382 Educational Statistics or EXSS 6316 Data Analysis

Family and Consumer Sciences Courses (15 hours)

The student selects courses from the list below. Up to three hours may be taken from another department if approved by the major advisor.

FACS 5V30 Special Topics (variable credit, 1-3 credit hours)
FACS 5310 Program Development
FACS 5355 Methods and Materials in Teaching Family and Consumer Sciences
FACS 6301 History and Philosophy of the FACS Profession
FACS 6303 History of Fashion
FACS 6305 Problems in Consumer Textiles
FACS 6306 Clothing Trends
FACS 6309 Consumer Economics
FACS 6310 Advanced Resource Management
FACS 6311 Readings in Family Relations
FACS 6312 Readings in Child Development
FACS 6315 Readings in Adolescent Development
FACS 6320 Directed Study
FACS 6331 Readings in Parent Child Relations
FACS 6332 Readings in Adult Development and Aging
FACS 6341 Urban Development
FACS 6342 Design Methods
FACS 6355 Consumer Affairs

Thesis Research (6 hours)

FACS 6V44 Thesis Research

The procedures for selecting and writing a thesis will be those prescribed in the current UCA Thesis and Dissertation Preparation Guide, available online at https://uca.edu/graduateschool/thesisdissertation/.

[3.2] Non-Thesis Option (36 hours)

Core Requirements (9 hours)

These are the same as for thesis option.

Family and Consumer Sciences Courses (27 hours)

The student selects courses from the list in §3.1.

[4] Graduate Course Links

Follow this link to FACS course descriptions: course link.
Follow this link to EXSS course descriptions: course link.
Follow this link to ASTL course descriptions: course link.
Follow this link to HLTH course descriptions: course link.