Bachelor of Arts in Family and Community Sciences
This program is currently suspended.
The Bachelor of Arts in Family & Community Sciences enables a student to specialize in the areas of Child & Family Studies. The common core of the program is devoted to students acquiring an understanding of family transitions, diversity, and resource management; sensitivities to the needs and value systems of individuals, families, and groups which vary by age, socioeconomic status, and ethnic identity; and the role expectations of professional family life and community educators.
Mandatory Advising
FCS majors must see an advisor to prepare a Graduation Plan which outlines their individual course sequence. Students who wish to substitute credits earned at another institution for courses offered for the major at SF State must obtain acceptance from the major advisor and the Department Chair.
Degree Requirements
A prescribed sequence of courses must be adhered to as some classes are offered only in the fall or spring semesters. All major courses must be passed with a letter grade of C- or better. CR/NC is not allowed.
Program Learning Outcomes
- Family and Community Sciences majors will explain and relate the synergistic and integrative nature of Family and Community Sciences (FCS) to the three critical components of its body of knowledge: core concepts, integrative elements, and cross-cutting themes.
- Students will understand life course development for diverse individuals and families through the use of the human ecosystems theory.
- Based on life course development, within the context of relevant human ecosystems, students will apply sustainable management of resources, problem-solving, decision making, and technical strategies for the capacity building of individuals, children, families, and community vitality.
- Students will research, evaluate, synthesize, and apply their findings to issues and problems that affect the quality of life for individuals, children, families, and communities.
- Students will analyze and evaluate how individual, family, and national decisions may impact other countries of the world.
- Students will apply an integrative, synergistic focus to address critical societal issues.
- Students will Identify and evaluate issues of social responsibility, professional behavior, and ethics.
Assistance to Enhance Writing Competence
Writing skills are necessary for success in the major. GE Area A2 is required in order to take FCS 312GW, the beginning of the sequence of upper-division FCS courses, which fulfills the GWAR requirement.
Family & Community Sciences (B.A.) — 45 Units
Core Courses (39 units)
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| FCS 220 | Young Children and Families 1 | 3 |
| FCS 223 | 1 | |
| FCS 312GW | Gender, Race, Class, and Family Diversity - GWAR | 3 |
| FCS 321 | Adolescents and Families | 3 |
| FCS 325 | Transitions in the Family Life Cycle | 3 |
| FCS 420 | 1 | |
| FCS 422 | Early Childhood Education Curriculum: Birth to Five 1 | 3 |
| FCS 423 | 1 | |
| FCS 426 | Family Stress, Coping, and Resilience | 3 |
| FCS 428 | Children and Families with Violence, Abuse, and Neglect | 3 |
| FCS 430 | Management Dynamics: Life Goals and Decisions | 3 |
| FCS 524 | Supervised Experiences with Children, Family, and Community 1 | 3 |
| FCS 600 | Professional Development | 3 |
Electives (6 units)
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| AA S 320 | Chinese in the United States | 3 |
| AA S 323 | Chinese American Identities | 3 |
| AA S 330 | Nikkei in the United States | 3 |
| AA S 333 | Japanese American Identities | 3 |
| AA S 338 | Okinawan American Heritage and Culture | 3 |
| AA S 350 | Filipina/os in the United States | 3 |
| AA S 353 | Filipina/o American Identities | 3 |
| AIS/AFRS 350/LTNS 355 | Black Indians in the Americas | 3 |
| AFRS 303 | African American History | 3 |
| AFRS 304 | ||
| AFRS 345 | Blacks in Urban America | 3 |
| AFRS 370 | Health, Medicine, and Nutrition in the Black Community | 3 |
| COUN 325 | Selected Problems In Counseling | 3 |
| E ED 306 | Understanding and Supporting Families in ECE | 3 |
| FCS 543 | Sustainability in the Textile, Housing, and Food Industries | 3 |
| LTNS 315 | Latina/os in California | 3 |
| LTNS 415 | Latina/o Economic Empowerment | 3 |
| LTNS 430/C J 435 | Race, Crime, and Justice | 3 |
| LTNS 450 | Critical Latinx Indigeneities | 3 |
| LTNS/WGS 505 | Gender, Sexuality, and Latino Communities | 3 |
| NUTR 356 | Foods and World Culture | 3 |
| NUTR 357 | Principles of Food Preparation | 3 |
| PH 305 | Critical History of Public Health in the United States | 3 |
| PH 315 | Drugs and Society | 3 |
| PH 320 | Contemporary Sexuality | 3 |
| PHIL/SXS 369 | 3 | |
| PSY/SXS 320 | Sex and Relationships | 3 |
| PSY 330 | Child Development | 3 |
| PSY 435 | Developmental Psychopathology | 3 |
| SPED 330 | Introduction to Disability | 3 |
| SPED 370 | Early Development and Neurodiversity | 3 |
| SXS 300 | Introduction to Human Sexuality | 3 |
| SXS 301 | ||
| SXS 350 | Selected Issues in Human Sexuality | 3 |
| WGS 301 | ||
| WGS 304 | Gender and Popular Culture | 3 |
| WGS 511 | Women and Violence | 3 |
| WGS 515 | Gender, Race, and Reproductive Justice | 3 |
| WGS 530 |
- 1
Courses needed for the California Child Development Master Teacher & Site Supervisor Permits.
Complementary Studies
Bachelor of Arts students must complete at least 12 units of Complementary Studies outside of the primary prefix for the major. (Note: Students may not use an alternate prefix that is cross-listed with the primary prefix for the major.)
Students who complete two majors or a major and a minor automatically complete the Complementary Studies requirement. Students in the Bachelor of Arts in Family & Community Sciences major who wish to satisfy the Complementary Studies requirement with a coherent group of courses complementary to the major must have the courses approved by an advisor in the major. Consult with a major advisor for assistance.
First-Time Student Roadmap (4 Year)
The roadmaps presented in this Bulletin are intended as suggested plans of study and do not replace meeting with an advisor. For a more personalized roadmap, please use the Degree Planner tool found in your Student Center.
General Advising Information for Transfer Students
- Before transfer, complete as many lower-division requirements or electives for this major as possible.
- The following courses are not required for admission but are required for graduation. Students are strongly encouraged to complete these units before transfer; doing so will provide more flexibility in course selection after transfer.
- a course in U.S. History
- a course in U.S. & California Government
For information about satisfying the requirements described in (1) and (2) above at a California Community College (CCC), please visit http://www.assist.org. Check any geographically accessible CCCs; sometimes options include more than one college. Use ASSIST to determine:
- Which courses at a CCC satisfy any lower-division major requirements for this major;
- Which courses at a CCC satisfy CSU GE, US History, and US & CA Government requirements.
Remedial courses are not transferable and do not apply to the minimum 60 semester units/90 quarter units required for admission.
Additional units for courses that are repeated do not apply to the minimum 60 units required for upper-division transfer (for example, if a course was not passed on the first attempt or was taken to earn a better grade).
Before leaving the last California Community College of attendance, obtain a summary of completion of lower-division General Education units (IGETC or CSU GE Breadth). This is often referred to as a GE certification worksheet. SF State does not require delivery of this certification to Admissions, but students should retain this document for verifying degree progress after transfer.
Credit for Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, or College-Level Examination Program courses: AP/IB/CLEP credit is not automatically transferred from the previous institution. Units are transferred only when an official score report is delivered to SF State. Credit is based on the academic year during which exams were taken. Refer to the University Bulletin in effect during the year of AP/IB/CLEP examination(s) for details regarding the award of credit for AP/IB/CLEP.
Students pursuing majors in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines often defer 6-9 units of lower-division General Education in Areas C and D until after transfer to focus on preparation courses for the major. This advice does not apply to students pursuing associate degree completion before transfer.
Transferring From Institutions Other Than CCCs or CSUs
Review SF State's lower-division General Education requirements. Note that, as described below, the four basic skills courses required for admission meet A1, A2, A3, and B4 in the SF State GE pattern. Courses that fulfill the remaining areas of SF State’s lower-division GE pattern are available at most two-year and four-year colleges and universities.
Of the four required basic skills courses, a course in critical thinking (A3) may not be widely offered outside the CCC and CSU systems. Students should attempt to identify and take an appropriate course no later than the term of application to the CSU. To review more information about the A3 requirement, please visit bulletin.sfsu.edu/undergraduate-education/general-education/lower-division/#AAEL.
Waiting until after transfer to take a single course at SF State that meets both US and CA/local government requirements may be an appropriate option, particularly if transferring from outside of California.