Child Development and Family Studies (CDFS)
Chair/Director: Sherry D. Bachus, Ph.D., Associate Professor
Office: Lake Campus Multipurpose Complex (LCMC), Building B Room 318
Phone: 504.286.5351/5334
Fax: 504.284.5546
Email: sbachus@suno.edu
Associate Professors: Sherry D. Bachus, Ph.D., Diane Bordenave, Ed.D.
Assistant Professor: Celina P. Carson, Ph.D.
Mission Statement: The Child Development and Family Studies Program (CDFS) is Committed to Developing Families to Sustain communities. This mission is derived from the Louisiana Board of Regents’ CIP Code 190707, which describes CDFS as a “program that focuses on the development and implementation of public, private, and voluntary support services for individuals, families, and localities and that prepares individuals to function in a variety of occupations promoting family life, and family/community development. [The program] includes instruction in family systems, human development, social services, community social and economic development, social policy, voluntary sector activities, and outreach and community education.”
CDFS Program majors graduate with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Child Development and Family Studies. U.S. Department of Labor foresees an increase in employment opportunities for human service workers.
A wide range of topics and issues are addressed in child development and family studies as specified in the CDFS Program of Study. CDFS candidates select electives that may include courses in social work, criminal justice, psychology, substance abuse, sociology, and education, with the goal of pursuing a multi-disciplinary career path that prepares them for entry level professional positions in a variety of settings, including, but not limited to, administration of programs for children, services for youth and the elderly, social and public policy advocacy for children, and family and community service liaisons.
The students pursuing this major are also prepared to assume leadership roles in the areas related to human development and family studies. Graduates of the program may be found in public and private schools; in non-profit and for profit community agencies; in media such as newspapers and broadcasting companies; and in research institutions. Some graduates of the program have opened their own day care centers within the first two years after graduation. The Child Development and Family Studies major provides an excellent basis for future careers in law, business, child and family advocacy, social work and education. It also provides a strong foundation for those candidates who wish to pursue research or graduate level study in these fields.
Candidates completing the CDFS program are expected to demonstrate attributes characteristic of the College of Education and Human Development’s Conceptual Framework theme, “Reflective Practitioners for Global Environments”. The College of Education and Human Development prepares practitioners who are: I) Instructional Leaders, II) Continuous Assessors, III) Advocates for Diversity and Collaboration, IV) Reflective Professionals, and V) Astute Technologists. Four principles support this framework: 1) A focus on people’s strength; 2) A celebration of human diversity; 3) Application of multi-system practice methods to promote human well-being and fair, equitable communities; and 4) A commitment to social justice. A visual representation of the framework is provided below.
Conceptual Framework of the College of Education and Human Development
The visual representation of the Conceptual Framework illustrates a balanced set of scales against a backdrop of a two-dimensional representation of the globe. The scales contain 14 gold nuggets representing the core values of the Unit on the left side of the scale, and the knowledge, skills, and dispositions included in the five strands, represented on the right side by large gold bars. The balanced scale represents program completers who are also balanced in their core values and their proficiencies. The backdrop of the globe represents locations from which the students and clients, whom the graduates of the college will serve, will come.
To enhance the Conceptual Framework theme and components, the CDFS program, in addition, applies the principles outlined in the Body of Knowledge Model developed by the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (AAFCS), which is the CDFS program’s accrediting body. Students understand the synergistic, integrative nature of the family and consumer sciences profession with its focus on the interrelationships among individuals, families, consumers, and communities. The Body of Knowledge Model, visually displayed below, provides a context for all of the CDFS course offerings, field experiences, and practicum.
Family and Consumer Sciences Body of Knowledge
Program of Study Leading to the Bachelor of Arts Degree In
Child Development and Family Studies
121 Credit Hours Required
| Profile of Program Requirements |
Credit Hours |
| I. General Education Courses |
44 |
| II. Courses in the Major, including Practicum |
53 |
| III. Selection 1 Career-Focused Electives |
18 |
| IV. Selection 2 Electives in the Major |
6 |
| TOTAL |
121 |
Curriculum in Child Development and Family Studies
Year 1: Freshman (33 Credit Hours)
First Semester
Second Semester
Year 2: Sophomore (31 Credit Hours)
First Semester
Second Semester
-
| Directed Elective 1 | 3 |
| CDFS-208N | Children with Special Needs | 3 |
-
| Directed Elective 1 | 3 |
| CDFS-300N | Parent and Family Relations | 3 |
| CDFS-302N | Current Issues in CDFS | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 15 |
Directed Elective 1: See Advisor
Year 3: Junior (30 Credit Hours)
First Semester
| CDFS-303N | Lifespan Dev in Family Context | 3 |
| CDFS-319N | Family Health and Nutrition | 3 |
| CDFS-321N | Child Dev in the Family | 3 |
| CDFS-323N | Adolescent and Adult Deve | 3 |
-
| Directed Elective 2 | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 15 |
Directed Elective 2: See Advisor
Second Semester
Directed Elective 2: See Advisor
Year 4: Senior (30 Credit Hours)
First Semester
| CDFS-395N | Children, Families, Pub Policy | 3 |
| CDFS-453N | Research Meth in Child Dev... | 3 |
-
| Directed Elective 1 | 3 |
-
| Directed Elective 1 | 3 |
-
| Directed Elective 1 | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 15 |
Directed Electives 1: See Advisor
Second Semester
| CDFS-467N | The Changing American Family | 3 |
| CDFS-499N | Internship | 6 |
-
| Directed Elective 1 | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 12 |
Directed Elective 1: See Advisor
NOTE: CDFS-499N, Practicum, is taken in the final semester before graduation. Ideally, Practicum should be taken alone as the final course, however, you are allowed to take Practicum with no more than two remaining courses. Please work with your advisor to plan you course schedule accordingly.
Total Credit Hours: 121
*Selections 1 and 2 Electives
(*Please consult with your advisor prior to enrolling in the electives)
Directed Electives are applicable where indicated in the Program of Study, and are chosen by students in consultation with their advisors from the following selections:
Selection 1: Career-Focused Electives
(no more than 18 credit hours from this selection)
| ABCP-215N |
Introduction to Drug and Alcohol Abuse |
3 |
| EDUC-275N |
Foundations to Multicultural Education |
3 |
| CDFS-470N |
Special Topics in Child Development and Family Studies |
3 |
| SOWK-211N |
Social Welfare Policy and Services I |
3 |
| SOWK-435N |
Older Persons in Family Settings |
3 |
CDFS-470N: This course is repeatable for three different topics for no more than 9 credit hours.
300-400 level courses, not to exceed 18 hours from Sociology, Criminal Justice, Psychology, Education, or Addictive Behaviors Counseling and Prevention (ABCP).
Selection 2: Electives in the Major
(no more than 6 credit hours from this selection)
| CDFS-301N |
Children Under Stress |
3 |
| CDFS-322N |
Abuse in the Family |
3 |
| CDFS-326N |
Experiences for Young Children |
3 |
| CDFS-346N |
Resolving Middle Childhood and Adolescent Developmental Issues |
3 |
| CDFS-430N |
Family and Social Policy |
3 |
| CDFS-445N |
Administration of Programs for Children |
3 |