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Child and Family Studies Minor 

The Child and Family Studies (CFS) minor provides a curricular mechanism for inter-disciplinary work focused on the contributions of biological, familial, psychological, socioeconomic, political, and educational factors to child and family well-being. The minor not only addresses the life stages and cultural contexts of infancy through adolescence but also includes issues of parenting; child and family well-being; gender; schooling and informal education; risk and resilience; and the place, representation, and voice of children in society and culture.

Students craft a pathway in the minor as they engage in course selection through ongoing discussions with the CFS Director. Sample pathways might include: political science/child and family law; sociology/educational policy; child and family mental health; depictions of children/families in literature and film; child and family public health issues; social work/child welfare; anthropology/cross-cultural child and family issues; gender issues affecting children and families; social justice/diversity issues affecting children and families; or economic factors affecting children and families.

Students may complete a Child and Family Studies minor as an adjunct to any major at ÀÏÍõÂÛ̳, Haverford or Swarthmore pending approval of the student's coursework plan by the Director.

Requirements for the Child and  Family Studies Minor

The minor comprises six courses: one gateway course (PSYC 206 Developmental Psychology, PSYC 203 Educational Psychology, PSYC 211 Lifespan Development, EDUC 200 Community Learning Collaborative, or SOCL 201 Study of Gender in Society), plus five additional courses, at least two of which must be outside of the major department and at least one of which must be at the 300 level. Advanced Haverford and Swarthmore courses typically taken by juniors and seniors that are more specific than introductory and survey courses will count as 300-level courses. Only two CFS courses may be double-counted with any major, minor, or other degree credential.

The minor also requires participation in at least one semester or summer of volunteer, practicum, praxis, community-based work study, or internship experience related to Child and Family Studies. Students are expected to discuss their placement choices with the Director.

Another requirement of the minor is attendance at CFS gatherings (2-3 times per semester) during which topics of interest are discussed. Sessions are facilitated by a range of individuals, including CFS students and alumni, affiliated faculty and staff, and guest speakers. Meetings are 1-1.5 hours in length, with times to be arranged.

The final minor requirement is participation during senior year in an annual CFS Poster Session during which students share highlights of their CFS field-based experiences.

(Note: it is important to check the Trico course guide for updated course information as not every course is taught every year. In some cases, courses relevant to the CFS minor will have changed, or been added. Students should explore freely and consult with the CFS Director on curricular choices).

Courses that can be counted toward the Child and Family Studies Minor

Bryn  Mawr College Courses and Seminars

SOWK 552 Perspectives on Inequality
SOWK 554 Social Determinants of Health
SOWK 559 Family Therapy: Theory & Practice
SOWK 571 Education Law for Social Workers
SOWK 574 Child Welfare Policy, Practice, and Research
SOWK 575 Global Public Health

Haverford  College Courses and Seminars

ANTH 103 Introduction to Anthropology
ANTH 209 Anthropology of Education
ANTH 263 Anthropology of Space: Housing and Society
COML 289 Children's Literature
EDUC 200 Community Learning Collaborative
EDUC 250  Literacies and Education
EDUC 275 Emergent Multi-Lingual Learners in U.S. Schools           
LING 200 2nd Language Acquisition                                                   
LING 228 1st Language Aquisition
PSYC 210 Developmental Psychology              
PSYC 213 Memory and Cognition                                                                                  
PSYC 215 Introduction to Personality Psychology
PSYC 238 Psychology of Language
PSYC 327 Obesity: Psychology, Physiology, and Health
PSYC 335 Self & Identity
PSYC 338 Child Development & Social Policy
SOCL 204 Medical Sociology
SOCL 226 Sociology of Gender
SOCL 235 Class, Race, and Education

Swarthmore College Courses and Seminars

ED 14  Introduction to Education
ED 21/Psych 21 Educational Psychology
ED 23/Psych 23 Adolescence
ED 23A  Adolescents and Special Education
ED 26/Psych 26 Special Education
ED 42 Teaching Diverse Young Learners
ED 45 Literacies and Social Identities
ED 53  Language Minority Education
ED 64 Comparative Education
ED 68 Urban Education
ED 70 Outreach Practicum
ED 121 Psychology and Practice
ED 131 Social and Cultural Perspectives
ED 151  Literacies Research
ED 167 Identities and Education
PSYC 34 Psychology of Language
PSYC 39 Developmental Psychology
PSYC 41 Children at Risk
PSYC 50 Developmental Psychopathology
PSYC 55  Family Systems Theory and Psychological Change
PSYC 135 Advanced Topics in Social and Cultural Psychology