State University of New York
COLLEGE AT ONEONTA




CENTER FOR LIFE-COURSE STUDIES


CHILDHOOD & FAMILY STUDIES
ADULTHOOD & AGING STUDIES



I. Childhood & Family Studies

Why Major in Child and Family Studies?

Do you want an interdisciplinary program that will prepare you to work with children and families?

Are you interested in community action programs?

Do you want to develop the skills and knowledge to be able to make a difference in people's lives?

Then perhaps a degree in Child and Family Studies is for you!

Contemporary interest in and concern about children and families in American society make this a very important area of study.

What is the Major in Child and Family Studies?

The major in Child and Family Studies is intentionally inter-disciplinary. It is a program administered by the Center for Life Course Studies that utilizes the bodies of knowledge of the social and behavioral sciences to develop theoretical frameworks for the study of children and families. Students who select this plan of study will be well grounded in a liberal arts education as well as aided in the development of skills and knowledge that are focused toward understanding and improving the lives of children and families. To achieve this goal the major provides a core set of courses that include an interdisciplinary introduction to life course studies and courses in theory and research. Each student is required to do an internship where they have the opportunity to apply what they have learned to a work experience. A senior seminar in social policy and the life course returns the student to the theoretical frameworks that organize the study of children and families. Finally, the student selects from a group of related courses on children and families to further develop the major according to a particular interest. The student may also elect to combine this major with one of a variety of minors that are available in the college such as Early Childhood Education, Public Administration, or Sociology. For students who want to study the whole life course, a minor in Social Gerontology is also available.

What can I do with a major in Child and Family Studies?

The major prepares students for work in any occupation that involves children and/or families such as child welfare, non-profit community, county and state agencies, youth organizations such as Scouting, recreation programs, social services related to health care including mental health, and businesses that focus on services or product development for children and families.

The major is excellent preparation for graduate work and advanced professional training whether for a Master's Degree in Social Work, advanced degree work in any of the social or behavioral science disciplines, Counseling, Child Development, Family Studies, Public Health, Public Administration, or Family Law.


II. Adulthood and Aging Studies

Why Major in Adulthood and Aging Studies?

Do you want an interdisciplinary program that will prepare you to work with adults and elders?

Are you interested in community action programs?

Do you want to develop the skills and knowledge to be able to make a difference in people's lives?

Then perhaps a degree in Adulthood and Aging Studies is for you. The demographic and social changes that are now taking place in American society are having a dramatic effect on life course issues, making this an important area of study.

What is the Major in Adulthood and Aging Studies?

The major in Adulthood and Aging Studies is intentionally inter-disciplinary. It is a program administered by the Center for Life Course Studies that utilizes the bodies of knowledge in the social and behavioral sciences to develop theoretical frameworks for the study of adulthood and aging. Students who select this plan of study will be well grounded in a liberal arts education as well as aided in the development of skills and knowledge that are focused toward understanding and improving the lives of adults as they age. To achieve this goal the major provides a core set of courses that include an interdisciplinary introduction to life course studies and courses in theory and research. Each student is required to do an internship which provides the opportunity to apply what they have learned to a work experience. A senior seminar in social policy and the life course returns the student to the theoretical frameworks that organize the study of adulthood and aging. Finally, the student selects from a group of related courses to further develop the major according to a particular interest. The student may also elect to combine this major with one of a variety of minors that are available in the college such as Public Administration, Anthropology or Sociology for greater disciplinary concentration. For students who want to study the life course, a minor in Child Development is also available.

What can I do with a Major in Adulthood and Aging Studies?

The major prepares students for careers in occupations that involve adults as they age. Non-profit community, county, and state agencies, social services related to health care including mental health, nursing homes, personnel, businesses that focus on services or product development for the older population and insurance companies are all possible locations where students may work. Opportunities may include assistant administrators, program planners and directors, instructors, social workers, and service personnel.

The major is excellent preparation for graduate work or advanced professional training whether for a Master's Degree in Social Work, advanced degrees in any of the social or behavioral sciences, Counseling, Public Health, Public Administration, Epidemiology, Law, and Physical and Occupational Therapy.

What is the Center for Life Course Studies?

The Center for Life Course Studies administers two majors-one in Child and Family Studies and the other in Adulthood and Aging Studies. The Center provides a stimulating environment of involved faculty working together in an interdisciplinary way through education, research, and application in community settings. The goal is for students to gain wide exposure to ideas as well as practical experience in a manner that facilitates integration of knowledge with application and problem-solving.

Major Requirements:

The Core Curriculum*15-18 s.h.
LCST 101 Life Course Studies: An Interdisciplinary Introduction
LCST 392 Senior Seminar: Social Policy and the Life Course
PSYC 345 Psychology of Aging
SOCL 233 Aging, Generations, and Society
PSYC 220 Introduction to Psychological Research
or
SOCL 309 Methods of Social Research
or
ANTH 366 Field Methods in Anthropology

Field Experience: Select one of the following
LCST 397 Field Experience
LCST 399 Senior Thesis

100 hours documented volunteer or paid work experience with adults and/or the elderly in an agency approved by the Coordinator of Life Course Studies.

*Many of these courses have prerequisites. Consult the College Catalog.

Interdisciplinary Exploration in Adulthood and Aging* 9 s.h.

To insure interdisciplinary knowledge about Adulthood and Aging, select three courses from at least two different departments.

ANTH 225 Applied Anthropology
ANTH 235 Human Physical Growth
HECO 264 Adulthood and Aging
PHIL 206 Philosophy of Life and Death
SOCL 241 The Community
SOCL 257 Sociology of Health and Illness

*Many of these courses have prerequisites. Consult the College Catalog.

Selections in Adulthood and Aging* 9 s.h.

Select three courses from following list of courses or courses not already chosen in the interdisciplinary exploration to individualize your major according to your interests. Reasonable goals are either depth in a particular discipline or a continued interdisciplinary approach.

ANTH 214 Culture and Personality
ANTH 219 Anthropology of Death
ANTH 221 Anthropology of Gender
ANTH 236 Medical Anthropology
EPSY 381 Interpersonal Relations in the Helping Professions
HECO 246 Nutrition Through Adulthood
HECO 266 Adult Family Members in Transition
HECO 361 American Families in Poverty
HECO 362 Contemporary Issues in Human Development
ECON 210 Modern Economic Problems
POLS 228 Political Interest Groups
POLS 229 Public Policy
POLS 230 Introduction to Public Administration
PSYC 243 Psychology of Women
PSYC 270 Personality Theory
SOCL 210 Survey of Social Work in Theory and Practice
SOCL 237 Sociology of Women
SOCL 246 Sociology of Law
SOCL 260 Social Class
SOCL 280 Society and the Individual
STAT 101 Introduction to Statistics

Total 33-36 s.h.

*Many of these courses have prerequisites. Consult the College Catalog.

Courses for Special Focus:

Social policy, social change: HECO 361, 362; ECON 210, POLS 228, 229, SOCL 241, 246, 257, 260.

Health Care: ANTH 236, 335, ECON 210, PHIL 206, SOCL 257.

For More Information

The information contained here is about the requirements for the major. The college has other requirements for graduation. Please consult the college catalog.

For more information, contact:

Theresa Russo, Program Coordinator
Life Course Studies
25 Denison Hall
State University of New York
Oneonta, NY 13820
Telephone: (607)436-2450
E-mail: russot@oneonta.edu


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