International Direct - Bachelor of Arts - Family, Community and Human Development

Program Description

International direct students at Utah Global receive:

• Exclusive and rigorous academic coursework
• Priority access to in-demand courses that fit their interests
• Guidance from academic advisors and mentors
• Career development and networking opportunities
• Intensive classes with domestic students

The Family, Community and Human Development (FCHD) Major is housed in the Department of Family and Consumer Studies (FCS). The objective of the FCHD major is to provide students with a broad and detailed understanding of the processes of personal development in the context of the family, and as impacted by community and societal forces beyond the family. More specifically, students with a FCHD major will acquire an understanding of:

• The key features of development through each stage of life (infants, children, adolescents and adults);
  
• How these key features of development are impacted by experience to account for the ways that each human is unique;
• How family members develop and maintain relationships within and across generations;
• The decisions people make about managing resources such as time, money, and material assets;
• The ways that individual and family well-being are impacted by community and societal forces;
• The impact of local, national, and international policies and laws on individual, family and community well-being;
• How research in these areas is conducted and evaluated, and how the findings from these works may be applied to enhance the well-being of individuals (at every age) and families

In addition to the breadth and depth of the FCHD major as summarized above, the department offers students three opportunities for diving more deeply into specific areas of focus that are both relevant to the broader goals of our major and oriented toward specific career opportunities. These include:

Child Life: Learn how to meet the social and emotional needs of young children and their families in a medical setting. This Emphasis is great for pre-med and pre-nursing students and fulfills all the educational requirements for those who want to become Child Life Specialists.

Early Childhood Education: Provides students with a foundation for a career working with young children (0-8) in early care, education, and other applied settings. There is also a pathway for earning a K-3 teaching license.

Financial Planning: This emphasis meets specific criteria set forward by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards for preparing students for a professional career as a financial planner.