The Department of Family Studies and Community Development was founded on the belief that the family is the fundamental unit in contemporary society. Support of healthy family functioning strengthens individual, group, and societal functioning. The department offers the opportunity to study individual and family development, dynamics within families, and the interactions between the family and the larger social context. Undergraduate students have the choice of majoring in either Family and Human Services or Family Science. These multi-disciplinary majors draw upon expertise of faculty members across colleges within the university. A minor in Family Studies is also offered.

The Family and Human Services major has an applied focus and offers students a choice of four tracks: Human Services, Services to Children and Youth, Introduction to Child Life, and Leadership in the Nonprofit Sector. Academic preparation includes family life methodology, theories of family functioning, dynamics within families and interaction between families and the larger social context. The curriculum emphasizes civic engagement through service learning. Service learning involves a process of preparation for community experiences, participation in the community and integration of the academic preparation and community participation. The integration process involves self-reflection as well as self-discovery, including understanding of values, skills and content. Community participation is required in several core courses throughout the curriculum.

The Family Science major provides students with academic experiences focusing on the study of families and relationships in the context of contemporary society. The major offers training in the scientific methods used to understand family behavior and development across the lifespan. Students learn to analyze the quality of family life through applied research and acquire both written and oral skills across the Family Science curriculum. A major in Family Science provides a concentration on the social/behavioral science foundation necessary for those working in education and human services as well as those seeking graduate education in social sciences, health professions, education and law.