UNIVERSITY CATALOG: 2024-2025

Program: Consumer Sciences, B.S.

Consumer Affairs Option

Program Description

The Consumer Sciences program focuses on theories and principles from consumer behavior and education, government and public policy, management, finance, law and communication as they apply to consumers. Students benefit from a holistic and integrative approach that involves multiple disciplines in Family and Consumer Sciences. The program prepares students to become positive, productive members of the workforce, families and the community.

Program Requirements

1. Lower Division Required Course (3 units)

FCS 120 Adulting: Managing Your Resources (3)

2. Upper Division Required Courses (21 units)

FCS 315 Housing: Is Owning a Home Still the American Dream? (3)
FCS 320 Family Resource Management (3)
FCS 323 Family and Individual Money Management (3)
FCS 324 Consumer Rights, Issues, and Problems (3)
FCS 380 Family and Consumer Sciences Foundations and Research (3)
FCS 429 Family and Consumer Public Policy (3)
FCS 494 Academic Internship (2)
FCS 494I Academic Internship Evaluation (1)

3. Consumer Affairs Option (21 units)

Option Required Courses (12 units)

Option Electives (9 units)

Choose any 9 units of coursework from the list below.

BLAW 280 Business Law I (3)
MKT 304 Principles of Marketing (3)
MKT 348 Consumer Behavior (3)
FCS 340 Marriage and Family Relations (3)
FCS 357 Apparel and Human Behavior (3)
FCS 424 Aging and Resource Management (3)
FCS 426 Issues of Contemporary and Future Families (3)
FCS 428 Corporate Consumer Affairs (3)
FCS 480 The Helping Professional (3)

4. General Education (48 units)

Undergraduate students must complete 48 units of General Education as described in this Catalog, including 3 units of coursework meeting the Ethnic Studies (ES) graduation requirement.

9 units are satisfied by the following courses in the major: FCS 323 satisfies B5 Scientific Inquiry and Quantitative Reasoning; ECON 101 or ECON 160 satisfies 3 units of D1 Social Sciences; and FCS 120 satisfies E Lifelong Learning and fulfills the Information Competence requirement.

If taken, FCS 340 or FCS 357 satisfies 3 units of upper division D1 Social Sciences.

Total Units in the Major/Option: 45

General Education Units: 39

Additional Units: 36

Total Units Required for the B.S. Degree: 120

Contact

Department of Family and Consumer Sciences
Chair: Yi Cai
Sequoia Hall (SQ) 141
(818) 677-3051

Program Learning Outcomes

Students receiving a Bachelor of Science in Consumer Sciences will be able to:

  1. Understand the body of knowledge and professional practices for family and consumer sciences.
  2. Develop competencies in the body of knowledge for consumer science to address consumer issues in a dynamic and diverse context.
  3. Analyze consumer issues and specify the appropriate measures to meet an individual or family’s goals.
  4. Evaluate evidence-based family and consumer research and apply scientific reasoning for family and consumer interests.