Earn Your Online Child and Family Studies Degree at Southern Miss!
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Child and Family Sciences BS
Undergraduate
Are you passionate about having a career that promotes a better quality of life for all families? The fully online Child and Family Sciences degree – emphasizing child development – prepares students to work with children and their families in educational, institutional, and human service settings. Graduates with the online Child and Family Sciences degree with an emphasis in Child Development are eligible to become certified teachers for pre-k/kindergarten and/or seek an alternate route license to teach Family and Consumer Sciences on the secondary level. With the emphasis in Family Sciences, students in this program will focus on social services, or parent education. Our program is designed to meet licensure requirements in the State of Mississippi. We do not guarantee to meet the licensure requirements of other states. For more information about professional licensure in states other than Mississippi see the FAQ.
With this online Child and Family Sciences degree, accredited by the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences, students have the opportunity to earn a degree without having to come to campus. Let The University of Southern Mississippi help you get the degree you need to become a Child and Family professional. This is your life, plus college.
Looking for a graduate degree? Check out our fully online Child and Family Sciences MS here!
A number of scholarship opportunities are available to online students. To find our list of available scholarships for which you may qualify, click here.
General Education Curriculum
Written Communication (6 hours)
| Course | Credits |
|---|---|
|
Composition One
|
3 hrs. |
|
Composition Two
|
3 hrs. |
Natural Science (8-10 hours minimum)
Select 2 courses with labs:
| Course | Credits |
|---|---|
|
Biology and Society
*
|
3 hrs. |
|
Principles of Biological Science I
*
|
3 hrs. |
|
Principles of Biological Science II
*
|
3 hrs. |
|
Chemistry and Our Environment
*
|
3 hrs. |
|
General Physics I
*
|
3 hrs. |
|
General Physics II
*
|
3 hrs. |
Humanities
| Course | Credits |
|---|---|
|
World Literature
|
3 hrs. |
Select 2 courses, 1 history required:
| Course | Credits |
|---|---|
|
World Civilizations: Beginnings to 150 C.E.
|
3 hrs. |
|
World Civilizations: 1500 to the present
|
3 hrs. |
|
Introduction to Philosophy
|
3 hrs. |
|
Ethic and Good Living
|
3 hrs. |
|
Comparative Religion
|
3 hrs. |
Aesthetic Values (3 hours)
Select 1 course:
| Course | Credits |
|---|---|
|
Art Appreciation
|
3 hrs. |
|
Dance Appreciation
|
3 hrs. |
|
The Enjoyment of Music
|
3 hrs. |
Social and Behavioral Sciences (6 hours)
Select 2 courses:
| Course | Credits |
|---|---|
|
The Human Experience: A Global Perspective of Human Diversity
|
3 hrs. |
|
Basic Economics
|
3 hrs. |
|
World Geography: Dynamics of a Changing Earth
|
3 hrs. |
|
American Government
|
3 hrs. |
|
General Psychology
|
3 hrs. |
|
Understanding Society: Principles of Sociology
|
3 hrs. |
Mathematics (3 hours)
| Course | Credits |
|---|---|
|
Quantitative Reasoning
|
3 hrs. |
|
College Algebra
|
3 hrs. |
|
High-level MAT course
|
3 hrs. |
Writing-Intensive Requirement (Major Area)
| Course | Credits |
|---|---|
|
Family Life Education
|
3 hrs. |
ENG 101 & ENG 102 prerequisites
Speaking Intensive Requirement (3 hours)
Select 1 course:
| Course | Credits |
|---|---|
|
Oral Communication
|
3 hrs. |
Capstone Requirement (Major Area)
| Course | Credits |
|---|---|
|
Contemporary Issues Affecting the Quality of Life
|
3 hrs. |
Program Curriculum
Major Area of Study Requirements (55 hours)
Minimum grade of “C” required in all Major Area of Study courses.
| Course | Credits |
|---|---|
|
Infant Development
|
3 hrs. |
|
Child Development
|
3 hrs. |
|
Assessment of Young Children
|
3 hrs. |
|
Behavior and Guidance of the Young Child
|
3 hrs. |
|
Infant Development
|
3 hrs. |
|
Developmental Disabilities in Early Childhood
|
3 hrs. |
|
Social and Professional Development
|
3 hrs. |
|
Personal Development and Interpersonal Relationship
|
3 hrs. |
|
Introduction to Child and Family Studies
|
3 hrs. |
|
Children, Families, and Technology
|
3 hrs. |
|
Marital and Family Relationships
|
3 hrs. |
|
Families and Adolescents
|
3 hrs. |
|
Family Life Education
|
3 hrs. |
|
Personal and Family Financial Management
|
3 hrs. |
|
Sexuality in the Family System
|
3 hrs. |
|
Parenthood
|
3 hrs. |
|
The Family in Later Life
|
3 hrs. |
|
Family Theories
|
3 hrs. |
|
Contemporary Issues Affecting the Quality of Life
|
3 hrs. |
|
Practicum
|
3 hrs. |
Additional Requirements (18 hours)
| Course | Credits |
|---|---|
|
General Psychology
|
3 hrs. |
|
Principles and Processes of Case Management
|
3 hrs. |
|
Abnormal Psychology
|
3 hrs. |
Select 1 course:
| Course | Credits |
|---|---|
|
Drugs and the Whole Person
|
3 hrs. |
|
Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Intervention
|
3 hrs. |
Select 3 courses:
| Course | Credits |
|---|---|
|
Administration of Child and Family Programs
|
3 hrs. |
|
Professional Presence and Influence
|
3 hrs. |
|
Families in Crisis
|
3 hrs. |
|
Introduction to Marriage and Family Therapy
|
3 hrs. |
|
Special Problems in Family and Consumer Sciences
|
3 hrs. |
|
Counseling Theory and Practice
|
3 hrs. |
|
Multicultural Counseling
|
3 hrs. |
|
Public Education in the United States
|
3 hrs. |
|
Forensic Psychology
|
3 hrs. |
Additional Note
Please note that the above information is meant to be a guide and is not official. For further information regarding courses for this degree, see the University Bulletin. Please be aware that not all course choices listed in the University Bulletin are available online. However, sufficient online options are available to complete this degree.
Frequently Asked Questions
Licensure requirements and approval are determined by each state’s licensing board. For additional information about professional licensure, please review the Professional Licensure Disclosures web page.
All CFS courses are offered online and other courses, if not offered online by The University of Southern Mississippi, can be taken through the Mississippi Virtual Community College while enrolled at Southern Miss for Southern Miss credit. You will not need to come to the Southern Miss campus for the online child and family sciences degree.
The Office of Admissions will provide information for the steps you’ll need to complete in order to be admitted to Online Child and Family Sciences Degree at The University of Southern Mississippi.
124 hours are needed to graduate with a BS in Child and Family Sciences with an emphasis in Child Development. At least 50 percent of the hours applied to a degree at The University of Southern Mississippi must be earned from a senior college, and 45 of these hours must be in courses numbered 300 or above. The student must earn at least 21 of the last 30 hours of course work and at least 12 hours in the major area of study from Southern Miss. See Residence Hour Requirements for more information.
To find pricing information for the Online Child and Family Sciences Degree, click here. For financial aid information, click here. For detailed tuition information, click here.
Follow this link and choose the term that applies to view the costs associated with part-time enrollment for the online child and family Sciences degree.
You should NOT be charged out-of-state fees, because the online Child and Family Sciences Degree students are considered in-residence.
Yes, there are fees around $75 for the online Child and Family Sciences degree.
Visit the site for more information:
Other classes that are not listed may count towards your degree once your transcript has been evaluated and posted.
If you still have questions, please visit our FAQ page, or take a moment to fill out our form at the bottom of the screen, and we will reach out to you!
Admission Requirements
Admission Requirements: See University Admission Policies
Academic Policies and Requirements for Programs:
- Students must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 to transfer into programs offered in the School of Child and Family Sciences.
- Students must earn a minimum grade of C in all courses required for the major area of study (DEG 01 andDEG 02) and any courses substituted for major courses in order to graduate.
- See University Academic Policies and Requirements
Accreditation: The Council for Accreditation of the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciencesaccredits the undergraduate program in the School of Child and Family Sciences.
