2019-2020 Undergraduate and Graduate Catalog 
    
    Mar 28, 2024  
2019-2020 Undergraduate and Graduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Department of Family & Consumer Sciences


Return to {$returnto_text} Return to: College of Education and Allied Health Professions

The department of family & consumer sciences offers a bachelor of science degree with majors in dietetics, health education & promotion and a bachelor of arts in general studies: food management. The department also offers minors in food management, health & wellness, and nutrition.

The mission of the department is to prepare graduates to become leaders and advocates who enhance the quality of life of individuals, families, and communities. Graduates accomplish this through careers in education, health care, business and industry, and social/human service.

Graduates from the programs in the department of family & consumer sciences (FCS) are in great demand in many career sectors dedicated to educating people to improve the status of their health, resources, relationships, family and community. (Graduates of our dietetics program pass the national registration exam for dietitians at a rate above the standards required by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics [ACEND]).

Undergraduates who complete their degrees are encouraged to pursue an advanced degree. The department offers master of arts (MA) degree in FCS with a concentration in multidisciplinary health communication studies. See the family & consumer sciences program in the graduate section in this catalog for more information.

Common Strengths of Programs

The educational experiences of all programs focus on values, interrelationships of people with their environment, cultural diversity, and the management of resources in preparing students to assist others in meeting the challenges of their physical, social, educational, economic, and community environments.

All students completing a major in the department participate in the following synthesizing courses and experiences:

  • Career seminars that allow students to survey professional development practices in their respective field, including learning strategies for developing one’s career path.
  • A service learning course focusing on family dynamics and the interaction between families and their environment as it relates to the resources available to meet needs and achieve goals.
  • A capstone course that examines the historical and philosophical foundations of family and consumer sciences public policy initiatives, and the role of professional advocacy in promoting the common good.
  • Field-based experiences (practicum, internship, and service-learning) to provide students with the opportunity to integrate theory with practice and explore a range of possibilities for professional practice. The metropolitan St. Louis area provides a wealth of opportunities for such field-based experiences.

Students are encouraged to become members of the Student Association of Family & Consumer Sciences. They may also become members of associations related to their area of specialization such as the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and Society for Public Health Education. These experiences provide students with leadership development and professional networking opportunities at the local, state, and national levels.

Faculty

Mary Beth Ohlms, assistant professor of dietetics;
Jamie Daugherty, assistant professor of dietetics; chairperson of the department of family & consumer sciences
Dena French, assistant professor of dietetics; director of the dietetics program; ISPP experiential coordinator
Jaimette McCulley, assistant professor of dietetics, 

Dual Undergraduate/Graduate Enrollment

See dual enrollment in both the undergraduate and graduate program information sections in this catalog.


The department of family & consumer sciences at Fontbonne University offers the master of arts degree in family & consumer sciences to meet the needs of professionals and institutions responding to the needs of individuals, families, and communities throughout the St. Louis metropolitan region, the state of Missouri, and beyond.

Admission

The minimum requirements for admission are:

  • A bachelor’s degree from an accredited, degree-granting institution of higher education;
  • A minimum undergraduate cumulative grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale; and
  • Demonstrated effective written communication skills.

Academic Policies and Regulations

For detailed information on academic policies and regulations, please refer to the graduate program information section in this catalog.

Dual Undergraduate/Graduate Enrollment

For detailed information on dual enrollment, please refer to the graduate program information section in this catalog.

Programs

    Undergraduate MajorUndergraduate MinorGraduate Major

    Return to {$returnto_text} Return to: College of Education and Allied Health Professions