Program Overview

The School of Family and Consumer Sciences (FACS) prepares professionals who support families and individuals in meeting their human needs in the context of lifespan development. Approximately 600 undergraduate and 60 graduate students are enrolled in FACS degree programs in the areas of Human Development and Family Sciences, Hospitality and Tourism Management, and Fashion Merchandising. The programs are based on an interdisciplinary approach, drawing upon the behavioral sciences, natura sciences, and the humanities. Students learn theories and their application to professions in nonprofit organizations, private practice, government, education, and business. All out-of-state students attending Northern Illinois University are able to enroll in all courses at in-state tuition rates.

Undergraduate Program in Human Development and Family Sciences (B.S.)

Students in the Human Development and Family Sciences (B.S.) program are prepared for a variety of family and child serving careers and/or future graduate study. Students may choose from three emphases including Family and Individual Development, Family Social Services or Child Development and may complete NCFR approved coursework needed for becoming a Certified Family Life Educator (CFLE). Students in the Family Social Services emphasis may pursue coursework in preparation for taking the Illinois Child Welfare Licensing (CWEL) exam through a partnership with the Illinois Department of Child and Family Services. Each emphasis provides students with real world experience through both practicums, internships and undergraduate research activities. Students enrolled in the Human Development and Family Sciences program may participate in both the local student NCFR and NAEYC affiliates.

Graduate Program in Human Development and Family Sciences (M.S.)

Master's graduates are prepared for advanced practice and professional leadership as well as pursuit of doctoral work. The M.S. in Applied Human Development and Family Sciences (AHDFS) provides professional career enhancement for programming and administration in family social services and child development settings in for-profit, community and governmental agencies as well as the foundation needed for graduate work at the doctoral level. Career settings include youth work, gerontology, child life programs in hospitals, infant and child care programs, family support services, family life, and parenting education programs. Students that enroll in AHDFS's COAMFTE accredited Specialization in Marriage and Family Therapy are trained to become professional marriage and family therapists. Students that enroll in AHDFS's Specialization in Leadership in Aging Studies are trained for employment in applied settings including becoming licensed nursing home administrators. Many students in the AHDFS program receive financial support in the form of Graduate Assistantships.

The Couple and Family Counseling/therapy Program program trains students for the degree of Masters in Couple and Family Counseling. The mission of the Department of Counselor Education (of which the Couple and Family Counseling is a part) is to select the most motivated applicants for its program and prepare them to become effective professionals in the field of counseling and human development. Counselor preparation combines three areas: 1) the knowledge base necessary to work in the field; 2) a variety of counseling skills; and 3) personal attributes. The successful student will learn how to use apply theory in practice with couples and families and prepares to work in a variety of settings. The Department of Counselor Education offers a 60 credit hour program (20 courses) leading to the Master of Arts in Family Counseling. The M.A. in Family Counseling program fulfills the educational requirements for the two levels of licensure as professional counselors in the State of Illinois: Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC). Graduates of this program also meet the educational requirements of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy Clinical Membership and the Marriage and Family Therapy license (LMFT) in the State of Illinois. The Family Counseling program is nationally accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Education Programs (CACREP).

The Master's in Family and Consumer Sciences graduate program at Eastern Illinois University requires 32 hours (without a thesis) or 30 hours (with a thesis). There are four core courses that all students must complete: FCS 5450 (Supervision and Administration in FCS), FCS 5460 (Current Issues and Trends in FCS), FCS 5900 (Research Methods in FCS), and FCS 5901 (Statistics in FCS). In addition, each student chooses one of the following options to include in the program for a minimum of three and a maximum of six semester hours: Internship (FCS 5980), Independent Study (FCS 5990), or Thesis (FCS 5950). Either the comprehensive exam or thesis is required as the Certificate of Comprehensive Knowledge.

Students may develop an individualized graduate program with approved selection of courses in family services, consumer studies, textiles and nutrition. Applicants who have not completed a baccalaureate family and consumer sciences program will be expected to satisfy undergraduate deficiency course requirements in addition to their graduate course requirements. Potential undergraduate deficiency courses include FCS 1800 (Life Span Human Development), FCS 2100 (Personal Nutrition) and FCS 3300 (Consumer Education) or their approved equivalencies. The graduate coordinator and graduate admissions committee will identify any undergraduate deficits at the time the admission decision is made.

Master of Science in FCS hybrid-online program:

We are now offering a hybrid cohort Master's in FCS program that is primarily delivered in an online format. Each summer, 15 students will be accepted to begin a new cohort that runs for seven consecutive semesters. During the first summer, there is a two-week residency required and students will earn four credits. Students will be enrolled in six credit hours each semester and will take their comprehensive exams during the last semester. To be eligible for the program, students must be currently employed as an FCS teacher.

Mission statement:

The Master's in Family and Consumer Sciences is an applied graduate program that focuses on teaching, experiential learning, research, and theoretical application to improve our diverse, global society. Through an integrative approach, the Master's in FCS program advances critical thinking, reflective practice, knowledge, and communication skills. Graduates work in non-profit organizations, social service agencies, court advocacy, outreach programs, teaching, or go on to doctoral programs at other institutions.

The Department of Education Psychology and Special Education offers graduate studies leading to the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in educational psychology. The mission of the Counselor Education Program is to prepare professionals in community/agency, school, and marriage, couples and family counseling and to provide opportunities for on-going learning and development. The program serves a diverse student body from the quad-state area of southern Illinois, southeast Missouri, southern Indiana, and northern Kentucky; regional and national urban centers; and the international arena. Faculty expect graduates to be knowledgeable and skilled in their cognitive area of expertise, to be understanding and sensitive to the needs of the diverse populations they serve, and to be skilled in the creative application of current technologies. Faculty are committed to preparing ethically responsible counselors who are critically reflective about their profession and who recognize they must continue to learn and refine their knowledge, values, and skills throughout their professional lives.

The mission of the Department of Human Development and Family Studies is to address contemporary social issues that affect children, youth, adults, and families through high quality research, teaching, and outreach programs

Our program is characterized by:

A Focus on Significant Societal Issues. Our work could be described as "science with a social conscience." Faculty are interested in the most challenging basic scientific issues, but they are always asking how this information can be applied or how they can make a difference through prevention efforts, policy briefs, and/or community action. Illustrative topics include childhood obesity, intimate partner violence, emotional/behavioral regulation in young children, LGBT couples facing stressors/support in non-urban communities, among many others.

The Use of Advanced Methods in Unique Laboratory Facilities. Faculty and graduate students are engaged in developing and mastering the most sophisticated quantitative and qualitative methods available to social and behavioral scientists and to practicing these skills in state-of-the-art laboratories and our Family Resiliency Center.

Collaborative and Collegial Interactions. Our faculty work across disciplines, programs, methodologies and they work with colleagues across settings, departments and institutions. A transdisciplinary approach is being applied to address complex issues ranging from the physiological basis of language and emotion, the parenting experiences of fathers with children with developmental disabilities, cell-to-society approach to children's health, social mobility of low income households, and the internationalization of American universities.

Faculty with Major Scientific Leadership Roles. Our faculty are not only excellent research scholars and mentors, they are also leaders in the scientific community. They are recognized by their peers for awards and hold elective office. They regularly give invited lectures at major national meetings and universities across the world. They serve as editors of influential journals in the field.

MSMFT Program Mission Statement: The mission of the MSMFT Program at Northwestern University is to educate students to become knowledgeable, competent, systemic, culturally sensitive, ethical, and empirically-informed Marriage and Family Therapists. Graduates of the program are expected to exhibit a beginning level of competence with a variety of presenting problems, utilize the IPCM framework to integrate knowledge from the field into practice, demonstrate cultural sensitivity in their work, and have an appreciation for research, particularly research on family relationships and the process and outcome of therapy. With further education and experience, graduates of the program will go on to become outstanding practitioners and future leaders in the field of Marriage and Family Therapy. The Programs mission is embedded in that of TFI (strengthen and heal families from all walks of life) and NU (excellent teaching, innovative research, and the personal and intellectual growth of its students). The following program goals and associated outcomes for the students, Teaching Faculty, Clinical Supervising Faculty and graduates operationalize the mission of the program.

Overall Program Goals:

1. Train entry level Marriage and Family Therapists who are knowledgeable, competent, systemic, culturally sensitive, ethical, integrative and empirically-informed.

2. Advance Integrative Problem Centered Metaframeworks (IPCM), an integrative and empirically-informed approach, as a basis for practicing and teaching marriage and family therapy.

3. Encourage leadership and scholarly activity in the field of Marriage and Family Therapy.

Student Learning Outcomes:

1. Foundational knowledge base.
Outcome: Students will become knowledgeable of the core concepts, common factors and major schools of marriage and family therapy.

2. Integration of concepts, models and techniques.
Outcome: Students will learn to utilize a systemic, integrative and empirically informed approach to planning and staging therapy.

3. Clinical competence.
Outcome: Students will develop a strong beginning level professional competence in the conduct of systemically-oriented family, couple and individual therapy.

4. Integration of research.
Outcome: Students will learn to be critical consumers of research, incorporate research findings into their clinical practice, and utilize progress research data to make informed clinical decisions.

5. Diversity and cultural sensitivity.
Outcome: Students' clinical work will incorporate cultural sensitivity and respect for diversity across a range of cultural contexts including race, ethnicity, class, religion, gender, and sexual orientation (Breunlin et. al, 1992).

6. Professional and ethical conduct.
Outcome: Students will develop an understanding of legal and ethical standards and demonstrate the ability and commitment to apply them in the professional practice of Marriage and Family Therapy.

7. Professional identity as marriage and family therapist.
Outcome: Students will clearly identify themselves with the profession of Marriage and Family Therapy.

The master's degree program in human services (HMS) is designed to provide advanced professional education for students who have an undergraduate education in human services or who have completed specific prerequisite courses to prepare them for study in the field.

It is a multidisciplinary degree that prepares students to become competent as human services professionals for multiple roles and settings. The degree contains a core curriculum that teaches skills and concepts needed by all human services professionals and integrates content from several academic concentrations to allow students to develop specific expertise.

Available concentrations:

• Alcoholism and Substance Abuse
• Child and Family Studies
• Gerontology
• Social Services Administration

Within some concentrations, students are able to obtain certification. Students are prepared to practice with competency and confidence within all concentrations.

Study in this degree program requires that students examine aspects of their past lives and family experiences in an effort to understand their beliefs, values and biases. This self-awareness is necessary when working with vulnerable populations.

The degree program teaches students to appreciate contemporary and historic human characteristics, issues, and problems and to plan for the delivery of human services in the future. Courses teach students to design, assess, treat, plan for, advocate for, counsel with, manage, and collaborate with individuals, groups, or agencies needing and using human services.

Full time students complete most requirements within two years. Part time students can usually complete the program between 3 and 4 years. All students are required to complete the requirements within 6 years following acceptance into the program.

The mission of the department is to provide integrative study of the human environment and systems that impact and strengthen individuals, family units, agencies, businesses, and the community at large. The faculty seek to prepare men and women to enter professions concerned with enhancing the quality of life for individuals, families, communities, and the environment in which they function. Academic preparation involves the integration and application of knowledge and skills gained from family and consumer science courses as well as courses in a variety of other disciplines.

The Division of Psychology and Counseling at Governors State University offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in psychology and a CACREP-accredited graduate degree in Counselor Education. Psychology includes a graduate degree with a theoretical or clinical track. The Counseling Program includes tracks in Community Counseling, Marriage and Family Counseling, and School Counseling. The Division of Psychology and Counseling has world-renowned faculty and strives to meet the University mission of offering creative, innovative, challenging, and financially accessible programs. Governors State University is located south of Chicago.

In 2010, US News and World Report ranked marriage and family therapy as one of the best 50 careers. According to the report, an increased acceptance of marriage and family therapy will result in a projected industry growth of 14% between 2008 and 2018. The Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Counseling (MAF) program will prepare you to join this relevant field.

In the program, you'll complete coursework and practicums focused on understanding and integrating individual lifestyle dynamics within marital and family systems. You'll also obtain assessment skills in major models of marital and family therapy. All experiences will emphasize the application of skills in advocacy, consultation, systems change, and leadership.