The family is the area that deals with the management of homes, families and communities. The discipline originated in the 19th century and was originally intended to teach women how to farm and take care of the home. Over time, this field has been increasingly replenished with new goals, objectives and methods, and now covers economics and community management.

Other terms

Being part of a family doesn't necessarily mean that someone knows everything about being in a healthy, well-functioning family. The term formerly called "Home Economics" (HE) is used to refer to the Family and Consumer Science the regulated in this area is not limited to household items, but includes all material goods and culture.

Consequently, the central concern of the field is the physical, economic, and sociopsychological well-being of individuals and families within that diverse society. From its inception the field has used knowledge to improve people's quality of life. The Family and Consumer sciences sometimes referred to as the humanities, emphasize that one of the goals of this discipline is to develop skills and methods related to daily work.

Why study Family and Consumer Science?

Personal goals. In the early days of the science of family and consumption, the main goal was to teach people how to manage their finances and other worldly affairs. These skills are still an important part of the curriculum today. This means that graduates should receive a creating-family and household skills.

Social goals. Graduates can help not only their families, but also other families in difficult life situations. Family Science focuses on the health and well-being of individuals and families by promoting the social and physical environments that support the home and community, appropriate access to resources, and healthy family relationships.

Program structure

Some Family and Consumer study curriculum also include a teaching license, allowing graduates to begin their teaching career without additional courses. All students in family and consumer programs complete an internship or one year abroad. In the final year, students may also be required to work on an original project in order to submit it as a final thesis and pass a final exam.

Students who have completed an undergraduate study program in Family and Consumer Science receive a Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts degree. Associate degree in Family and Consumer Science are also often available, they consist of two first years of Bachelor study program.

Entry requirements for Family and Consumer Science applicants

Universities do not usually require any specific knowledge background for Family and Consumer Science. Of course, those who wish to apply for world’s leading universities for this discipline (or any other) need to have excellent grades (or GPA score). Applicants need to demonstrate their interest in topics of Family and Consumer Science with a motivation letter.

Since all study programs in Family and Consumer Science which can be found on our website are taught in English, language proficiency is mandatory for all applicants. Those whose native language is others from English need to pass language tests such as TOEFL or IELTS — see details in the chosen university’s requirements.