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Alumni Interviews-FCS Education
The Bachelor of Science Degree program in Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) Education is a broad-based major that prepares individuals to teach middle and high school students. The subject matter focuses on strengthening all areas of home and family life, and on preventing many of the complex problems that affect today's families. A few examples of these problems include eating disorders, child abuse, debt, inadequate housing, consumer fraud, and obesity. FCS draws knowledge from many disciplines, and uses the experiences and needs of students to make learning meaningful in both personal and family contexts.

Graduates in FCS Education also possess excellent qualifications for working with 4-H Youth or FCS educator positions with the USDA Cooperative Extension Service, as well as diverse careers in business, industry and government. The demand for Family and Consumer Sciences teachers and extension agents is high due to current and projected shortages in Kentucky and the nation. FCS teachers have traditionally been female, but no more. School districts increasingly seek both males and females to fill available teaching positions in Family and Consumer Sciences.

Students take courses in Family and Consumer Sciences, general education and teacher education. Family and Consumer Sciences courses come from five subject areas including Nutrition and Foods, Housing and Interior Design, Child and Family Studies, Apparel Design and Textiles, and Family Finance.

Program experiences include classroom instruction, laboratory and field experiences, and supervised student teaching at the middle and high school levels. Student teaching allows majors to perfect teaching skills and bolsters self-confidence in the classroom. Majors also attend state and national meetings to learn to advise Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA), the youth organization for FCS middle and high school students.

The curriculum includes the requirements for teacher certification as established by the Kentucky Department of Education. All students seeking initial teacher certification in Family and Consumer Sciences (grades 5-12) must meet the requirements for admission to teacher education. Three of the requirements include completion of 60 credit hours, a minimum overall 2.75 GPA on college work at EKU and an ACT score of 21 Composite (or 20 Composite with an overall GPA of 3.0, or 19 Composite with an overall GPA of 3.25).