Major in Family Science
Majors in Family Science complete 12 units of prerequisite courses, 27 units of required course work and 21 units of electives for a total of 60 units. Students must maintain a 2.00 GPA or better in all courses required for the major and must meet Towson University requirements for the completion of a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree. Students are not permitted to declare both the Family Science major and the Family and Human Services major.
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Prerequisites for Courses in the Major | ||
| ENGL 102 | WRITING FOR A LIBERAL EDUCATION | 3 |
| or ENGL 190 | HONORS WRITING SEMINAR | |
| PSYC 101 | INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY | 3 |
| SOCI 101 | INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY | 3 |
| Select one of the following basic statistics courses (must be taken prior to FMST 485): | 3 | |
| BASIC STATISTICS | ||
| ELEMENTARY BIOSTATISTICS | ||
| STATISTICS FOR BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS I | ||
| BEHAVIORAL STATISTICS | ||
| STATISTICS FOR FAMILY SCIENCE AND HUMAN SERVICE | ||
| Required Courses | ||
| FMST 101 | INTRODUCTION TO FAMILY STUDIES | 3 |
| or FMST 102 | HONORS INTRODUCTION TO FAMILY STUDIES | |
| FMST 301 | FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS | 3 |
| FMST 302 | FAMILY THEORIES | 3 |
| FMST 303 | CONTEMPORARY TRENDS IN FAMILY POLICY | 3 |
| FMST 305 | PARENT-CHILD RELATIONSHIPS ACROSS THE LIFESPAN | 3 |
| FMST 325 | ETHICS IN HUMAN SERVICES | 3 |
| FMST 380 | FAMILY LAW | 3 |
| FMST 485 | RESEARCH METHODS IN FAMILY STUDIES | 3 |
| FMST 495 | ADVANCED RESEARCH METHODS IN FAMILY SCIENCE | 3 |
| Electives | ||
| Elective Area 1: Life Span Development | 6 | |
Select two of the following: | ||
| EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT AND INTERVENTION | ||
| INFANCY AND TODDLERHOOD DEVELOPMENT AND INTERVENTION | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO GERONTOLOGY | ||
| DEATH, DYING AND BEREAVEMENT | ||
| LIFE SPAN ADAPTATION AND OCCUPATIONS | ||
| HUMAN DEVELOPMENT | ||
| INFANT AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT | ||
| ADOLESCENT PSYCHOLOGY | ||
| PSYCHOLOGY OF AGING | ||
| MIDLIFE DEVELOPMENT | ||
| SOCIAL GERONTOLOGY | ||
| Elective Area II: Interdisciplinary Electives | 6 | |
Select two upper-level courses from the following disciplines: | ||
Anthropology | ||
Communication Studies | ||
Cultural Studies | ||
Criminal Justice | ||
Deaf Studies | ||
Foreign Languages | ||
Gerontology | ||
Health Science | ||
Philosophy | ||
Psychology | ||
Religious Studies | ||
Sociology | ||
Special Education | ||
Women's Studies | ||
| Elective Area III: Written Communication | 3 | |
Select an additional Advanced Writing Seminar course (FMST 485 currently required for major) certified as a University Core Course | ||
| Elective Area IV: FMST Elective | 6 | |
Select any two FMST courses that are not requirements for the major. | ||
| Total Units | 60 | |
Suggested Four-Year Plan
Based on course availability and student needs and preferences, the selected sequences will probably vary from those presented below. Students should consult with their adviser to make the most appropriate elective choices.
| Freshman | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Term 1 | Units | Term 2 | Units |
| FMST 101 or 102 | 3 | SOCI 101 | 3 |
| PSYC 101 (Core 6) | 3 | FMST 325 (Core 14) | 3 |
| Core 1 (or Core 2) | 3 | Core 2 (or Core 1) | 3 |
| Core 3 | 3 | Core 5 | 3 |
| Core 4 | 3 | Core 10 | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Sophomore | |||
| Term 1 | Units | Term 2 | Units |
| Basic Statistics Course - Select one of the following:1 | 3-4 | Major Elective: Area I Life Span Development | 3 |
| Major Elective: Area I Life Span Development | 3 | ||
| Major Elective: Area II Interdisciplinary | 3 | ||
MATH 231 (Core 3) | Core 8 | 3-4 | |
MATH 237 (Core 3) | Core 12 | 3 | |
ECON 205 (Core 3) | |||
| FMST 303 | 3 | ||
| FMST 380 | 3 | ||
| Core 7 | 4 | ||
| Core 11 | 3 | ||
| 16-17 | 15-16 | ||
| Junior | |||
| Term 1 | Units | Term 2 | Units |
| FMST 301 | 3 | FMST 305 | 3 |
| FMST 302 | 3 | Major Elective: Area III Written Communication | 3 |
| Major Elective: Area II Interdisciplinary | 3 | Elective | 3 |
| Core 13 | 3 | Elective | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | Elective | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Senior | |||
| Term 1 | Units | Term 2 | Units |
| FMST 485 (Core 9) | 3 | FMST 495 | 3 |
| Major Elective: Area IV FMST | 3 | Elective | 3 |
| Major Elective: Area IV FMST | 3 | Elective | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | Elective | 3 |
| Elective | 3 | Elective | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Total Units 121-123 | |||
| 1 | Must be taken prior to FMST 485. |
- Students will demonstrate knowledge and understanding of families, relationships, life span development and family policy.
- Students will demonstrate competency in critically analyzing research and applying theoretical, factual and conceptual knowledge about issues relevant to families and developmental processes based on fundamental principles underlying the family science and human development discipline.
- Students will demonstrate competency in written communication skills and the presentation of research.
- Students will demonstrate comprehensive research skills related to the discipline and utilize informational literacy and technological competency in the process.