Undergraduate Certificate in Family Studies

This course is a study of the dynamics of family interaction over the life cycle. Course content emphasizes the developmental, social, and cultural influences of the family in relation to a variety of personal and social experiences.

This course assesses the problems associated with domestic violence and also explores into the social, economic, political, and cultural stereotypes of causation. There will be an examination of the relationship between family life and anti-social behavior. A review of various theories as well as research regarding the effect of family structure, marital conflict, parental anti-social behavior, and parent’s childrearing practices on a child’s risk for conduct problems and delinquency are assessed. Adult anti-social behavior is also explored in terms of showing how various family socialization processes and childhood behavior problems influence probability of later adult crime. Students will also evaluate the aspects of gender, race, ethnicity and socioeconomic status of victims of family abuse and their perpetrators.

This course examines the family during the latter half of the twentieth century. Topics include a diverse range of issues, including single mothers, fathers, disparities among families, child care and child well-being, cohabitation, and how these trends affect American family life.

This course is a study of theories, research and practical interventions concerning the psychological development of the child from conception to puberty. Course content focuses on biological, intellectual, emotional and social development, and the dynamics of family, peer, school and other environmental influences.

This course examines factors influencing child rearing practices in families with an emphasis on developing practical skills for working with parents and children. Topics of study include family systems, communication dynamics, blended and culturally diverse families, conflict management, custody concerns, factors supporting healthy child development and resilience, challenges to positive parenting and models for effectively working with parents and youth

This course guides students through an examination of the major theories and research findings related to healthy and effective marriages and families. Family dynamics associated with marital breakdowns and an introduction to family therapy are included.

The course covers the management of a variety of resources most often found in family systems. Included is the interaction of families with other societal environmental systems in acquiring and using resources to meet goals and other demands.

The course examines the interdependent patterns and relationships within families and the communication styles that directly correlate to family trauma and recovery. In addition, this course utilizes both theoretical and applied frameworks to review how family and individual development is impacted during traumatic events across the lifespan.

This course emphasizes the role of communications within the family relationship cycle. It examines how individual needs, perceptions, and self-concepts affect the quality of intra - and inter-familial communication, and integrates both theoretical and applied aspects of family research.

This course is the study of the multidimensional aspects of family law and policy, including child support enforcement, homosexual marriage, and surrogate parenting. Students will analyze case excerpts from court opinions on family policies and laws that apply at the federal, state, and local level.

This course is designed to provide students with knowledge of the theoretical and practical aspects of managing transitions, with a focus on those issues incumbent on the military family. Course topics include change and choice, psychology of the self, interpersonal relations, health, dysfunction, grief, and building a life-career. Particular attention is focused on these topics' application to the military family lifestyle, to include deployment separation, reunion, marriage and family, parenting, military casualty, and life-career. The following questions appear as themes throughout the course: what is transition; what transitions do military families experience; what are the affects on the body, mind, spirit, and interpersonal relationships; what is resilience; and how does one create a plan to strengthen resilience?

This course is a sociological analysis of the modern family and marriage, its structures and functions, variant patterns, and the influence of contemporary society on this institution. Course topics include dating, marital roles, divorce, child raising, and alternative lifestyles.