Built on the Christian liberal arts core, the Family and Consumer Sciences programs at Carson-Newman equip each generation to empower the next. With more than 100 years of history, the department has developed a prestigious reputation for our comprehensive range of FCS programs. Housed in Blye-Poteat Hall and the nearby Child Development Laboratory, we feature state-of-the-art technology, equipment and facilities, preparing you to compete for the best jobs in the growing career fields of family and consumer sciences.
Accreditation
Carson-Newman is the only religiously affiliated school to be accredited by the Council for Accreditation of AAFCS and the first private southeastern school to earn this accreditation.
FCS students enjoy a multi-faceted living classroom in Duncan Hall, the 1920s Colonial Revival home donated to the university by Mrs. C.C. James. A showcase of textiles and other interior furnishings, the house also serves as a collaborative space where students develop professional competencies, teamwork and leadership skills.
As an AAFCS accredited unit, the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences is required to routinely report – to the public – accurate information about student performance and achievement. Data regarding the number of FCS graduates, retention rates, graduation rates, and performance on national examinations for the last three years (2021-2024) can be found in Form D: Public Reporting of Student Achievement & Performance. Job placement rates in the field, graduate school placement, and post-baccalaureate internship placements for this three-year period are also included for all FCS program areas and emphases.
For the 2018 freshmen cohort, the FCS 150% graduation rate was 70% compared to the University’s 150% graduation rate of 53%. The 2023-2024 Fall-to-Fall retention rate for the Department of FCS was 76% while the University’s retention rate was 73%.
The three-year pass rate on the first attempt for ten Child and Family Studies: Early Childhood Education majors attempting the Ed-TPA (2021-2024) is 90%. For four Family and Consumer Sciences: Family and Consumer Sciences Education majors, the three-year pass rate on the first attempt is 75%. For these majors within one year of the first attempt, the pass rate is 100% for the same period.
The three-year pass rate on the first attempt for Didactic Program in Dietetics graduates sitting for the RDN examination (2022-2024) is 80%. For testers within one year of the first attempt, the pass rate is 86% for the same period.
Majors in the FCS Department constitute the following percentages of membership in C-N honoraries for 2023-2024:
1. Alpha Chi Scholastic Honorary 5 of 58 members (8.6%)
2. Honors Program 2 of 42 students (4.8%)
During the academic year 2023-2024, 17 of the 60 individual undergraduate presenters in RCP Day were majors in FCS, representing 28% of the combined University undergraduate participants.