The Child and Family Studies Department at Berea College promotes education to enrich individual and family life. Within an applied context of learning, broad explorations are made regarding the needs of the family as a system, emphasizing:
- inter-and intra-communication of individuals and families
- interaction with their near environment and
- interrelatedness of the family with other societal systems.
The Child and Family Studies program requires a core curriculum of six courses. This ensures CFS majors gain an insightful, holistic perspective of family as a societal unit. The core curriculum provides a common body of knowledge central to understanding family needs. It also acknowledges potential strengths and contributions provided by the family. These core courses include:
- Lifespan Human Development
- Consumer Decision Making
- Fundamentals of Nutrition
- Family Relations
- Family Resource Management (includes the Home Management House as a laboratory component)
- Senior Seminar (Includes an overview of the history and philosophy of the profession areas. Each student conducts and reports on an individual research project).