Develop and Care for the Fabric of Society with a BS in Family Life and Child Development Degree
“God created the family to provide the maximum love and support and morality and example that one can imagine.” These words of the late Dr. Jerry Falwell, founder of Liberty University, have never been truer than in today’s world.
If you are looking for a degree that can help provide the knowledge you need to impact the next generation through work that seeks to nurture and develop broken homes, then a bachelor’s in child development and family studies is an excellent choice. This degree program can help prepare you for a career in advocating for families and individuals who are in need of guidance and support.
Maybe you have always wanted to work with young children, or perhaps family and child development work is a new, exciting concept to you. Either way, Liberty’s Bachelor of Science in Family and Child Development can help equip you with the skills you need to pursue a career working with children and families. This non-licensure degree program is also an excellent stepping stone to several graduate programs, such as the Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Counseling or our Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling.
Liberty’s family and child development degree program can help you build an in-depth understanding of how families work and how you can help repair or reinforce the ties that bind households together. Liberty’s mission is to Train Champions for Christ, so if you pursue a childhood development degree with us, you will receive a Christian education from experienced professors who are grounded in their faith and ready to share their real-life experiences with you.
Award-Winning Campus
At Liberty, you’ll find an affordable, high-quality education that equips students like you for the real world. Our commitment to excellence helped us rank among Niche.com’s Top 5 college campuses in America. Earning your degree from a nonprofit university with state-of-the-art resources like ours can help set you apart from your peers.
Why Choose Liberty’s Bachelor of Science in Family and Child Development Studies?
You are looking for a degree that supports your goal of making a positive change in the world. At Liberty University, we are focused on helping you do just that. Our goal is to help provide you with the knowledge and experience you need to fulfill God’s calling on your life and achieve your career goals.
Aside from the skills you’ll learn in our bachelor’s degree in family and child development, you will have opportunities to connect with professionals in your specific field of interest and network with other students in your program through clubs like the Family and Child Development Association. Additionally, all seniors are required to complete an internship where you can put your training into practice. Many students in our family and child development program are offered employment at the place they complete their internship!
Our BS in Family and Child Development is the largest major in our College of Arts and Sciences department, and there are many opportunities and proven success stories from students who have come before you. We have students who are now working in family counseling, with special needs children as Applied Behavior Specialists, and in adult care programs. We also have students working both in the U.S. and overseas in children’s ministry programs.
What Will You Learn in Our BS in Family and Child Development?
From the moment you begin your studies in our Bachelor of Science in Family and Child Development degree, you can gain an understanding of human development and how to strengthen the family unit from a biblical perspective.
Through the study of early childhood development and other principles, this degree can help you acquire the skills and knowledge you need to positively modify and shape children’s behavior. You will also study the unique and prevalent problems facing families today and learn how to help them overcome these problems. Additionally, the leadership qualities you gain through this degree can assist you in becoming an authority in your field.
View the Degree Completion Plan, and check out some of the courses you will take in our family and child development bachelor’s program below!
Featured Courses
FACS 204 – Introduction to Family and Child Development
This course provides an overview of the family and child development major with an emphasis on professional development, long-term career goals, self-assessment tools, and leadership qualities needed in the field of family and child development.
FACS 361 – Therapy and Theory of Play in Early Childhood
This course offers an overview of play therapies, theories, and the importance of play in learning and child development from infancy through middle childhood.
FACS 370 – Parenting
This course presents a practical application of underlying principles and theories as they relate to family strengths and weaknesses in family relationships.
FACS 475 – Families Under Stress
This course highlights current research and theories relating to crisis and stress as they affect family functioning, in addition to effective stress management and coping skills for the family unit.
Highlights of Our Family and Child Development Bachelor’s Degree
- All family and child development students are required to complete an internship in their senior year. Many of our former students have been offered jobs at the places they’ve interned.
- Courses at Liberty are taught from a biblical worldview.
- Your professors care about you as an individual and are dedicated to giving you the support and mentorship you need.
- Several clubs like the Family and Child Development Association and the FACS Honor Society allow you to connect with professionals in your specific field of interest and network with students in your program.
Bachelor of Science in Family and Child Development Degree Information
- Residential
- 120 total credit hours
- Transfer in up to 75% of your total degree
- This program falls under the College of Arts and Sciences.
- Download and review our Degree Completion Plan.
- Check out our course catalog.
Career Opportunities for Bachelor of Science in Family and Child Development Graduates
- Adult care program specialist
- Child advocate
- Child life specialist
- Children’s pastor/minister
- Daycare/preschool teacher*
- Overseas orphanage representative
- Social worker**
*The BS in Family and Child Development is not designed to meet teacher licensure requirements. For more information on what is required to be a licensed teacher in your state, please contact your state board.
**Social workers are often required to be licensed. For more information on what is required to be a licensed social worker in your state, please contact your state board.
Admission Requirements for Undergraduate Degrees
Every application is reviewed by the admission committee on a case-by-case basis, meaning there are no set minimums for acceptance. However, all applicants must submit the following documents* for admission:
- Admission application
- Official high school transcripts
- Official college transcripts (if applicable)
- Results from the CLT, SAT, or ACT are not required for admission, but may be used in consideration for merit-based aid.
- Admission essay
*Note that additional documentation may be requested by the admission committee after your application has been received.
