2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog Family and Consumer Sciences

The Department offers honors work in each Family and Consumer Sciences program to highly qualified students. Candidates must be full-time students, declared Family and Consumer Sciences majors, and have an overall 3.30 GPA. Honors requirements include completion of at least 3 in-course honors at the 200-level or above. Honors students may also pursue Honors in the Major. This would involve at least 2 Honors projects taken in the Department and the completion of FCS 299, culminating in a substantial research project. The Department also offers in-course honors work in all courses for students enrolled in the University Honors Program or in any departmental honors program. In-course honors work is offered at the discretion of the instructor. For further information, contact the departmental advisor. All Family and Consumer Sciences honors students must fulfill the general requirements for participation in the University Honors Program. Further details about the University Honors program. 

Major in Family and Consumer Sciences

Family and Consumer Sciences is a profession committed to improving the quality of life for individuals and families. The mission of the department is educating tomorrow’s professionals through excellent teaching, innovative research, and meaningful service to enrich lives, strengthen families, and build resilient communities.  

The Department serves undergraduate and graduate majors specializing in fields such as interior design, human development, family life education, nutrition and dietetics, fashion design and merchandising, and family and consumer sciences teacher education. The undergraduate programs of the department are accredited by the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences.

Students in the Family and Consumer Sciences major must complete one of the following sequences.

General Sequence

The General Sequence is not available for direct admission. Students in the General Sequence in the Family and Consumer Sciences major receive a broad education which prepares them for general careers in a variety of settings that enhance the lives of individuals, their families, communities and organizations. Those who study family and consumer sciences at a professional level acquire the knowledge and skills to help people make informed decisions to safeguard their health and optimize their quality of life. Students are provided opportunities to develop the knowledge, skills, attributes, and behaviors needed in a diverse and global society. Students will find this degree beneficial to developing their own unique professional career path. Students are encouraged to consider completing a minor.

View General Sequence Course Requirements

Family and Consumer Sciences Teacher Education Sequence

Selective Retention: In order to receive departmental approval for a student teaching assignment the student must verify the following:

• Maintain a minimum GPA of 2.50 in all courses and in all Family and Consumer Sciences courses including Professional Education courses.
• Completion of FCS 200, or the equivalent for transfer students.
• Part of the endorsement program leading to licensure by the State of Illinois for teaching Family and Consumer Sciences courses grades 6-12. “Nutrition, Wellness, and Hospitality” designation.

Clinical Experiences in Teacher Education

University-Wide Teacher Education Requirements

See the Family and Consumer Sciences advisor for information about courses that count towards additional Family and Consumer Sciences designations. 

View Family and Consumer Sciences Teacher Education Sequence Course Requirements

Minor in Family and Consumer Sciences

A minor in Family and Consumer Sciences complements many majors from business to humanities by providing a holistic perspective to community issues to support students' major of academic and career goals. Students may take courses from a number of different Family and Consumer Sciences disciplines or focus on one particular area of interest.
18 hours required in Family and Consumer Sciences

• FCS 100
• 15 additional hours in Family and Consumer Sciences

Major in Fashion Design and Merchandising

The Fashion Design and Merchandising program at Illinois State University offers two sequences: Fashion Design and Merchandising Sequence, and Fashion Design and Merchandising Accelerated Sequence. 

The Fashion Design and Merchandising (FDM) program prepares students for careers in the global apparel and textile industry including apparel design and production, merchandising, textile product quality control, and historic costume and textile preservation. Computer-aided design (CAD) programs, pattern making and design, visual retailing software, merchandising process simulation, textile quality testing, and sustainability are incorporated into classes.

The FDM program offers courses in textiles, fashion trend and industry analysis, social and psychological aspects of clothing and behavior, fashion history, economics of fashion, fashion merchandising, fashion design, apparel production, fashion-related marketing and management and sustainability.

Within the FDM program, students can select either the Fashion Merchandising option or the Fashion Design and Product Development option. FDM students have the opportunity to participate in study tours inside and outside of the United States to locations such as New York and California, as well as various locations internationally. The tours provide students the opportunity to learn about various firms within the textiles and apparel industry.

For students interested in Fashion Merchandising, a Business Administration or Communication minor is recommended; for students interested in Fashion Design/Product Development, an Art History, Theatre, or Business Administration minor is recommended; for students interested in Fashion Journalism, a Communication minor is recommended; for students interested in Museum Curator/Conservator, a minor in History or Art History is recommended.

Students in the Fashion Design and Merchandising major must complete one of the following sequences.

Fashion Design and Merchandising Sequence

View Fashion Design and Merchandising Sequence Course Requirements

Fashion Design and Merchandising Accelerated Sequence 

This sequence allows students to take up to 12 hours of approved graduate courses that will count for both the undergraduate and graduate program in Fashion Design and Merchandising/Family and Consumer Sciences. Students can then apply to the Family and Consumer Sciences graduate program in the spring of their senior year. Enrollment in the Accelerated Sequence does not guarantee final admission into the Family and Consumer Sciences graduate program. View additional information on minimum requirements for admission and the application and selection process.

View Fashion Design and Merchandising Accelerated Sequence Course Requirements

Major in Food, Nutrition and Dietetics

The Food, Nutrition and Dietetics (FND) program at Illinois State University offers four sequences: Dietetics Sequence, Dietetics Accelerated Sequence, Food and Beverage Management Sequence, and Food and Beverage Management Accelerated Sequence.

Students in the Food, Nutrition and Dietetics major must complete one of the following sequences.

Dietetics Sequence

The Dietetics sequence is a Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD) which is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. The DPD program is an integrative program that prepares graduates for careers that influence the overall health and well-being of individuals and communities through the knowledge of food and nutrition. The program prepares students for supervised practice leading to the eligibility for the CDR credentialing exam to become a registered dietitian nutritionist. This sequence provides the first step for students wanting to become a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN). To become an RDN, students must apply for an ACEND-accredited dietetic internship after graduation, and, upon completion, are eligible to take the registration examination. Beginning January 1, 2024, a minimum of a master’s degree will be required for eligibility to take the registration examination for dietitians. An ACEND Verification Statement of DPD Completion will be given to students completing this sequence meeting program requirements. This official statement is required for graduates to begin an ACEND-accredited dietetic internship after acceptance, and for other professional applications requiring verification of DPD completion. The DPD program at Illinois State University is currently accredited by the ACEND of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. ACEND is recognized by the United States Department of Education and can be contacted at 120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 2190, Chicago, IL 60606-6995, 800-877-1600, Ext 5400.

View Dietetics Sequence Course Requirements

Dietetics Accelerated Sequence

This sequence allows students to take up to 12 hours of approved graduate courses that will count for both the undergraduate and graduate program in Dietetics/Family and Consumer Sciences. Students can then apply to the Family and Consumer Sciences graduate program in the spring of their senior year. Enrollment in the Accelerated Sequence does not guarantee final admission into the Family and Consumer Sciences graduate program. For additional information on minimum requirements for admission and the application and selection process, visit IllinoisState.edu/Majors. All accreditation information for the Dietetics Sequence applies to the Dietetics Accelerated Sequence. Students in the Dietetic Accelerated Sequence are encouraged to apply to ISU’s Track Two Dietetic Internship during the Spring Match in their senior year. The Dietetic Internship would take place following the senior year and be incorporated into the master’s degree.

Program Admission Requirements for New and Continuing Students: High achieving students with a cumulative GPA of 3.20 or higher may apply to the accelerated sequence one year before completion of their undergraduate degree.

View Dietetics Accelerated Sequence Course Requirements

Food and Beverage Management Sequence

The Food and Beverage Management sequence prepares graduates for careers in the growing food industry by combining business and management principles with food service and hospitality skills. This sequence requires fewer science courses (no organic and biochemistry) and more business and food-related courses than the dietetics sequence. Consumers spend about 50 percent of their food dollars in restaurants, cafeterias, fast-food franchises, at work, or at school. Food systems managers organize these operations and make sure the foods are attractive, nutritious, and safely prepared. This sequence meets the requirements to become eligible to take the Certified Dietary Manager Credentialing Exam. Popular career options include restaurant manager, cafeteria manager, caterer, and corporate, hospital, long-term care, or school food service manager. Employment opportunities also exist with companies that produce food, food ingredients, or processing equipment, and food safety inspection, food sales, marketing, and business management.

View Food and Beverage Management Sequence Course Requirements

Food and Beverage Management Accelerated Sequence

This sequence allows students to take up to 12 hours of approved graduate courses that will count for both the undergraduate and graduate program in Food and Nutrition/Family and Consumer Sciences. Students can then apply to the Family and Consumer Sciences graduate program in the spring of their senior year. Enrollment in the Accelerated Sequence does not guarantee final admission into the Family and Consumer Sciences graduate program. For additional information on minimum requirements for admission and the application and selection process, visit IllinoisState.edu/majors.

Program Admission Requirements for New and Continuing Students:  High achieving students with a cumulative GPA of 3.20 or higher may apply to the accelerated sequence one year before completion of their undergraduate degree. 

View Food and Beverage Management Accelerated Sequence Course Requirements

Major in Human Development and Family Science

The Human Development and Family Science major offers the following two sequences: (1) Human Development and Family Science Sequence and (2) Human Development and Family Science Accelerated Sequence. Students majoring in Human Development and Family Science will find rewarding careers working to improve the lives of individuals, families and communities. Human Development and Family Science graduates are prepared to enter a variety of service-oriented fields. Graduates may work in a variety of settings including non-profit organizations, child care centers, preschools, private educational settings, parent/family life education, residential facilities, camp settings, colleges and universities (non-teaching positions), state, local, and federal government agencies, and hospitals and other organizations/businesses serving the needs of children and families.

The Human Development and Family Science undergraduate sequence provides a foundation for advanced graduate study in child life, family science, child/human development, social work, marriage and family therapy, psychology, counseling, gerontology, early intervention, occupational therapy and religious studies.

Human Development and Family Science Sequence

View Human Development and Family Science Sequence Course Requirements

Human Development and Family Science/Child Life Accelerated Sequence

High achieving students with a cumulative GPA of 3.20 or higher may request the accelerated sequence in the spring semester of their junior year. This sequence allows students to take up to 12 hours of approved graduate courses that will count for both the undergraduate and graduate program in Human Development and Family Science or Child Life/Family and Consumer Sciences. Students can then apply to the Human Development and Family Science Sequence or Child Life Sequence/Family and Consumer Sciences graduate program in the spring of their senior year. Enrollment in the Accelerated Sequence does not guarantee final admission into the Human Development and Family Science sequence or Child Life sequence/Family and Consumer Sciences graduate program. For additional information on minimum requirements for admission and the application and selection process, visit IllinoisState.edu/Majors.

View Human Development and Family Science/Child Life Accelerated Sequence Course Requirements

Major in Interior Design

The Interior Design (ID) program at Illinois State University offers two sequences: Interior Design Sequence, and Interior Design Accelerated Sequence, which is a pathway to the Family and Consumer Sciences graduate program.

Interior Design Sequence

The Interior Design program prepares students to design innovative, functional, supportive, and responsible interior environments that positively impact the quality of life within a global market. The curriculum develops students’ skills and knowledge in design, sketching and technical drawing, space planning, interior construction and building systems, materials specifications, historical interiors, building codes and accessibility guidelines. Sustainability issues and universal design are emphasized. The program is accredited by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA) and focuses on the broad range of specialties within commercial interior design. Course content is based on the knowledge and skills needed to pass the National Council for Interior Design Qualification certification exam. To be licensed in the State of Illinois, graduates of a 4-year CIDA-accredited program must have a minimum of two years professional work experience and pass the National Council for Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ) Examination. Passage of this exam also qualifies the individual for professional membership in interior design organizations such as International Interior Design Association (IIDA) and American Society of Interior Designers (ASID).

View Interior Design Sequence Course Requirements

Interior Design Accelerated Sequence

This sequence allows students to take up to 12 hours of approved graduate courses that will count for both the undergraduate and graduate program in Interior Design/Family and Consumer Sciences. Students can then apply to the Family and Consumer Sciences graduate program in the spring of their senior year. Enrollment in the Accelerated Sequence does not guarantee final admission into the Family and Consumer Sciences graduate program. For additional information on minimum requirements for admission and the application and selection process, visit IllinoisState.edu/academic/majors.

Program Admission Requirements for New and Continuing Students:  High achieving students with a cumulative GPA of 3.20 or higher may apply to the accelerated sequence one year before completion of their undergraduate degree. 

View Interior Design Accelerated Sequence Course Requirements