The University of Tennessee - Martin

Welcome to the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences. Located in Gooch Hall, the department has 6 full-time professors and serves 135 undergraduate and 25 graduate majors.

The Department of Family and Consumer Sciences is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences. The didactic program in dietetics is approved by the American Dietetics Association. The undergraduate curriculum prepares students for the bachelor of science in family and consumer sciences sciences. The major is called family and consumer sciences and offers three concentrations. The student will select one of the following concentrations:

• Child, Family, and Consumer Sciences and Education
• Interior Design/Fashion Merchandising
• Food and Nutrition/Dietetics

UT Martin family and consumer sciences students are active in the Professional and Graduate Student Section of the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences, the Fashion Merchandising Association, Interior Design Group and the Student Dietetic Association. These organizations provide opportunities for students to interact socially and professionally.

Mission:
The mission of the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences is twofold. The primary mission is to prepare professionals who help promote a better quality of life for individuals and families, enhancing the interrelationships of people and communities in diverse social, economic and physical environments. For graduates who wish further specialization, the curriculum prepares them for advanced training or degrees such as UT Martin's Master of Science degree in Family and Consumer Sciences.

A complimentary mission of the department is to provide service courses for individual and curricular needs of students outside the major, as well as professional and non-professional persons in the region. Dietetics and Child and Family Programs improve the quality of life for the individuals and families in the region through public service and research.

Facilities:
Facilities for teaching and other activities of the academic program include modern classrooms, laboratories and demonstration areas, most located in Gooch Hall.

• Laboratories are equipped with modern equipment, large work centers, and portable demonstration units to facilitate effective learning.
  
• The UT Martin Children's Center provides services for the enrichment of children, allows for the observation of young children and provides practical experience for students working with children.
  
• The Child and Family Resource Center provides services to developmentally delayed preschool children and their families, providing unique opportunities for observation by students.
  
• Child & Family Grant Programs provide general disability information to the general public through awareness activities & media press releases.
  

The Department of Family and Consumer Sciences offers a master of science degree in Family and Consumer Sciences with two options: general family and consumer sciences and dietetics. The first option is generalist in nature based on a selected range of comprehensive courses. Students under this option may choose an emphasis in child and family studies or remain generalist. Graduate assistantships are available.

The dietetics option incorporates a Dietetic Internship Program in Dietetics (DI) approved by the American Dietetic Association. The DI offers graduates of didactic programs in dietetics a post-baccalaureate, clinically based practicum. Students completing the DI portion of option two are eligible to take the examination that leads to becoming a registered dietitian (R.D). This option incorporates the DI practicum into an advanced degree program which will lead to a M.S. degree.