Family, Consumer, and Human Development

Department Head: Scot M. Allgood
Location: Family Life 203B
E-mail: scot.allgood@usu.edu
Phone: (435) 797-1551
FAX: (435) 797-3845
E-mail (undergraduate): misty.balls@usu.edu
E-mail (graduate): r.jones@usu.edu
WWW: http://www.usu.edu/fchd/

Associate Department Head and Graduate Coordinator:

Randall M. Jones, Family Life 221, (435) 797-1553, r.jones@usu.edu

Adele and Dale Young Child Development Laboratory Director:

Kaelin Olsen, Family Life 106A, (435) 797-1532, kaelin.olsen@usu.edu

Delores Dore’ Eccles Center for Early Care and Education Executive Director:

Lisa K. Boyce, DDECECE 314, (435) 797-2713, lisa.boyce@usu.edu

Family Financial Counseling Co-Directors:

Alena Johnson, Family Life 308B, (435) 797-1562, alena.johnson@usu.edu

Cindy R. Stokes, Family Life Center 203, (435) 797-5426, cindy.s@aggiemail.usu.edu

Gerontology Certificate Program Coordinator:

Elizabeth B. Fauth, Family Life 222, (435) 797-1989, beth.fauth@usu.edu

Marriage and Family Therapy Program Director:

Dave Robinson, Family Life Center 104, (435) 797-7431, dave.r@usu.edu

Undergraduate Academic Advisors:

Laura Holley, Family Life 205A, (435) 797-1530, laura.holley@usu.edu

Sarah S. Tulane, Family Life 116, (435) 797-7479, sarah.tulane@usu.edu, Family Life Studies (online)

Degrees offered: Bachelor of Science (BS), Bachelor of Arts (BA), and Master of Science (MS) in Family, Consumer, and Human Development; BS and BA in Early Childhood Education; BS  and BA in Family and Consumer Sciences; BS in Family Life Studies (offered online only); Master of Family and Human Development (MFHD); Master of Marriage and Family Therapy (MMFT); Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Family and Human Development

Undergraduate emphases: BS, BA in Family, Consumer, and Human Development—Deaf Education, Family and Community Services, Family Finance, Child Development; BS, BA in Early Childhood Education—licensure, K-3rd grades

Graduate specializations: MS—Adolescence and Youth, Adult Development and Aging, Consumer Sciences, Infancy and Childhood, Marriage and Family Relationships, Marriage and Family Therapy

Gerontology Certificate Program: The Gerontology Certificate Program at Utah State University is administered through the Department of Family, Consumer, and Human Development, and is open to all majors. Students preparing for careers in the field of aging complete selected aging-related coursework, including a supervised field practicum in a gerontological setting. A minimum GPA of 3.0 is required for the Gerontology Certificate.

Undergraduate Programs

Objectives

The Family, Consumer, and Human Development Department offers undergraduate programs in Family, Consumer, and Human Development; Family and Consumer Sciences; Early Childhood Education; and Family Life Studies (online only). All programs are designed to prepare students for successful careers serving individuals and families across the lifespan. Through coursework and applied experiences, majors study how human development, family relationships, family economics, and consumer issues affect the individual and family.

Faculty members provide instruction and practicum supervision to prepare students to meet the needs of the people they will serve in their future careers. Students are then qualified to work in agencies and organizations serving individuals from infancy through later life, as well as families and consumers in many settings.

Student majors in Family, Consumer, and Human Development and in Family and Consumer Sciences are required to complete a practicum experience, which is arranged with the  department practicum coordinator. Types of practicum sites include state agencies, hospitals, preschools and child care centers, nursing homes, senior citizen centers, parenting programs, detention centers, crisis intervention programs, public schools, Head Start programs, and after-school programs, as well as financial institutions, credit counseling services, and housing services. Practicum experience in the Deaf Education and Child Development emphases includes the Adele and Dale Young Child Development Laboratory setting. Students majoring in Early Childhood Education complete a formal internship in the Adele and Dale Young Child Development Laboratory and in primary school grades.

Majors in Family, Consumer, and Human Development (FCHD), Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS), Early Childhood Education (ECE), and Family Life Studies (FLS) receive the  necessary preparation for graduate study in a family, consumer, and human development related field or employment. Early Childhood Education majors acquire a teaching license so they can teach in grades K-3 in the Utah public schools.

In addition to preparation for advanced study or job opportunities, FCHD majors receive increased knowledge and skills in topics which will enhance their personal and family lives.

Certified Family Life Educator (CFLE)

The Family and Community Services emphasis fulfills the academic requirements for the Certified Family Life Educator (CFLE) credential offered through the National Council on Family Relations. Information about how to become a CFLE may be accessed at: http://www.ncfr.org/

Suggested Four-year Plans

Suggested semester-by-semester four-year plans for students working toward a bachelor’s degree are available in the Family, Consumer, and Human Development Department.

These plans are intended to guide students in the selection of their courses. However, students should meet with their advisor to plan an individualized schedule tailored to their specific interests and needs.

Departmental Honors

Students who would like to experience greater academic depth within their major are encouraged to enroll in departmental honors. Through original, independent work, Honors students  enjoy the benefits of close supervision and mentoring, as they work one-on-one with faculty in selected upper-division departmental courses. Honors students also complete a senior thesis, which provides another opportunity to collaborate with faculty on a problem that is significant, both personally and in the student’s discipline. Participating in departmental honors enhances students’ chances for obtaining fellowships and admission to graduate school. The minimum GPA for participation in departmental honors in FCHD is 3.30, with 3.5 in the FCHD major. Students may enter the Honors Program at almost any stage in their academic career, until they are junior level. The campus-wide Honors Program offers a rich array of cultural and social activities, special classes, and the benefit of Honors early registration. Interested students should contact the Honors Program, Main 15, (435) 797-2715. Additional information can be found online at: http://www.usu.edu/honors/, or by contacting Kaelin Olsen (FCHD honors advisor) at kaelin.olsen@usu.edu or at (435) 797-1532.

Additional Information

For more detailed information about the Family, Consumer, and Human Development; Early Childhood Education; Family and Consumer Sciences; and Family Life Studies majors, see the current major requirement sheets or an advisor in the FCHD Advising Center (Family Life 205). 

Financial Support

In addition to the scholarships, assistantships, grants-in-aid, and work study programs available through the University, the Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services and the Department of Family, Consumer, and Human Development also give scholarships and other types of support each year. Students should inquire at the Dean’s Office in Education 109, the departmental advising office in Family Life 205, or the Financial Aid Office in Student Center 106.

Graduate Programs

Admission Requirements

See general admission requirements in the Graduate Admission  section. Students may use either the GRE or MAT for application for all specializations in the MS degree, but the GRE is required for the PhD program. Additional assessment is required for admission to the MS marriage and family therapy specialization. An applicant’s MAT score, or the GRE verbal and quantitative scores, must be at or above the 40th percentile. Applications are expected to be completed by January 15, but may be considered throughout the year, with the exception of applications for the Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) Specialization. MFT applications must be received by January 2.

Degree Programs

Graduate students receive a strong research and theoretical base in family relationships, consumer sciences, and human development. In addition to the core courses required for each of the specializations, students have the opportunity to achieve their program goals with a wide range of other graduate courses in the department, as well as designated courses in related programs at USU. Graduate students also engage in independent study, practica, and other specialized professional experiences that help them to acquire specific skills.

The department provides advanced graduate education and training for students to (1) establish the professional competency necessary for employment in research, teaching, marriage and family therapy, extension, and administration; (2) develop skills necessary for agency administration in the field of family and child care services; (3) receive clinical training in marriage and family therapy; (4) develop skills for supervisory responsibilities in child development laboratories, childcare childcare facilities, and adolescent programs; or (5) develop skills and expertise to work in financial and consumer services agencies and organizations.

Background Check

Students are required to pass a background check prior to participation in a practicum experience (FCHD 6980  or FCHD 7980 ).

Specializations

The MS degree has specializations in Adolescence and Youth, Adult Development and Aging, Consumer Sciences, Infancy and Childhood, Marriage and Family Relationships, and Marriage  and Family Therapy. Further information may be obtained from the department and by accessing the department’s home page at: http://www.usu.edu/fchd/

Research

The department has three major child development laboratories, other research labs, marriage and family therapy facilities, and housing and financial counseling facilities that are available for research and training in the graduate program. The department enjoys a long history of research activities with preschools, public schools, extension programs, financial institutions, and other agencies throughout the state, and has a program of gerontology research.

Recent faculty and graduate student research projects have been funded by the state Office of Child Care and the Office of Juvenile Justice, and by the national Office of Head Start, the Office of Adolescent Pregnancy Programs, Child Trends Inc., the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, the National Institute of Health, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Department of Justice, the National Institutes on Aging, and the Kellogg Foundation, among others.

Financial Assistance

Extensive teaching, research, and extension graduate assistantships are available for applicants for both the MS and PhD degrees. Attractive fellowships are available for strong PhD students with high GPA and high GRE scores. When an applicant’s folder is complete, it is reviewed by the Graduate Admissions and Finance Committee, which makes specific recommendations regarding admission and financial support. Assistantships and fellowships include waivers for out-of-state tuition. Doctoral students can also receive waivers for in-state tuition with a half-time teaching or research assistantship.

Career Opportunities

Recent recipients of advanced degrees have found employment in public schools, academic departments at colleges and universities, research centers, hospitals, Head Start, child care  programs, social services agencies, mental health agencies, private and clinical practice settings, extension services, financial institutions and agencies, and related agencies that teach about, study, or serve individuals, families, and consumers.

Additional Information and Updates

The department publishes a Graduate Student Handbook providing more details about graduate program admission and requirements. This handbook is available online at:www.usu.edu/fchd/docs/graduatehandbook.pdf

Family, Consumer, and Human Development Faculty

Professors
Ann M. Berghout Austin, alternative child care and family life, development from birth to 12 years of age, Director, Center for Women and Gender Studies
Raymond T. Coward, aging, elder care, rural health care, USU Provost
Randall M. Jones, adolescent development, identity, problem behavior, prevention, research methods
Thomas R. Lee, parenting, family life education, family resiliency, at-risk youth, marriage education, Dean and Executive Director, Brigham City Regional Campus
Shelley L. Knudsen Lindauer, alternative child care, early childhood education and curriculum, child care administration, socialization, development in infancy and early childhood, Associate Vice President and Associate Dean, Office of Research and Graduate Studies
Jean M. Lown, consumer and family economics, bankruptcy
Brent C. Miller, marriage and family relationships, adolescent pregnancy, adoption, research methods
Kathleen W. Piercy, midlife, older adults and family caregiving, family policy, qualitative research methodology
Lori A. Roggman, infant social development, attachment, parenting stress, play across the life span, physical attractiveness, early intervention

Professor Emeriti
Thorana S. Nelson, marriage and family therapy, gender, family therapy training and supervision
Jay D. Schvaneveldt, marriage and family studies, family life education, international families, theory and methods

Associate Professors
Scot M. Allgood, family therapy process, assessment, and marital studies
Troy E. Beckert, lifespan human development, adolescence, research methods, parenting
Kay P. Bradford, interparental conflict, couple dynamics, parenting, adolescent well-being
Lucy Delgadillo, family and consumer sciences, housing
Brian J. Higginbotham, remarriage and step families, marriage education, program evaluation
David D. Law, parent education, marriage and family therapy, health care utilization
Yoon G. Lee, family and consumer sciences, family finance
Maria C. Norton, gerontology, psychosocial and biological factors in geriatric mental health, research methodology and epidemiology
D. Kim Openshaw, marriage and family therapy, research and application, typological and intervention strategy advancement of youthful sexual offending, theoretical conceptualization of self-esteem, martial arts and mental health related syndromes
Dave Robinson, rural mental Health, medical family therapy, distance mental health delivery
Linda M. Skogrand, families from diverse populations, transcending traumatic childhoods, marriage and family education
Susan D. Talley, prosocial behavior, attachment, early adolescence, school-age children, self efficacy, cross-cultural research

Assistant Professor
Lisa K. Boyce, infancy and early childhood, language development, parent-child interaction
Jeffrey Dew, financial issues in marriage and family relationships, family time use, parenting, union formation and dissolution
Elizabeth B. Fauth, gerontology, ability and disability in the oldest-old, factors affecting caregiver burden
Ryan B. Seedall, marriage and family therapy, couple therapy process, change process, couple interaction, couple support processes, assessment, addictive behaviors, infidelity

Adjunct Research Assistant Professor
Gina Cook, early intervention, early language and literacy development, school readiness, parent-child interactions (father-child), and early childhood professional developement

Senior Lecturer
Alena Johnson, family financial management, financial counseling, students and debt Lecturers

Lecturer
Kelly J. Esparza, early childhood education, human development, infancy and early childhood
Shirlene C. Law, early childhood education
Kaelin Olsen, infant and toddler development, developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood education, preschool curriculum, child guidance
Sarah S.Tulane, human development, adolescent media use, improving practices in education

Adjunct Lecturer
Kevin Barlow, marriage and family therapy supervision

Principal Lecturer Emeritus
Deborah B. Ascione, marriage, human development, child abuse and neglect