Resources for current undergraduate students
Belong in family social science
It is our goal to provide a welcoming and inclusive environment that supports your academic and personal success. If you are unable to find the resource or information you need, please contact Kirsten Collins, senior undergraduate advisor, at coll0260@umn.edu.
Major in family social science
If you have a passion for helping people, this multi-disciplinary undergraduate major will develop your counseling skills and prepare you to understand human relationships across the lifespan. Your coursework will include internships, directed research, or fieldwork.
If you are a current undergraduate and are interested in declaring a major in family social science, please contact CEHD Student Services.
Curious about what you can do with a Family Social Science undergraduate or graduate degree? Check out "What can you do with a degree in family social science" that lists career paths, or visit the "Family Social Science faces" section on the Alumni > "Opportunities to Engage" page to read alumni stories.
View all program requirements in the University catalog or download a PDF of them. To register for courses, visit the University's One Stop.
Paying for your education
CEHD maintains a listing of scholarships and awards for students, and the department also awards academic scholarships annually.
Undergraduate academic advising
We are here to help you navigate academic requirements and explore professional aspirations. Contact us, we can help you progress towards your degree.
Margaret Kelly, director of undergraduate studies, deleh003@umn.edu
Kirsten Collins, senior undergraduate advisor, coll0260@umn.edu
Declare a minor in FSoS
A minor in family social science will deepen your understanding of parents, children, and couples in today’s complex world. family systems. Focused on the fundamental building block of society – the family – an FSoS minor complements any career that works with people touches those systems, from business to political science to medicine, law, and more.
Application directions for an FSoS minor:
1. Choose the form for the minor you want to complete.
2. Please include the courses you have completed, courses in progress, and planned courses. Courses do not need to be completed prior to submitting it. Print, sign, scan, and email to Kirsten Collins at coll0260@umn.edu.
3. Once it is received, she will review, sign, and submit to CEHD for processing.
4. If the form is incomplete, she will send it back to you for completion.
5. Once approved, it takes two to three days for it to show up on APAS.
Undergraduate minor applications
Family and community engagement minor [PDF]
Family therapy minor [PDF]
Family social science minor [PDF]
Family financial studies minor [PDF]
More undergraduate student resources
Independent directed study contract
Students who are completing an independent study course (2191, 3191, or 4191) with a FSoS Faculty member or an Honors Capstone (4193), or Research Internship (4294) should complete this form in collaboration with their faculty advisor. You'll work with them to develop topics, course content, and readings. Research projects may include research planning, proposal writing, literature review, data collection, data analysis, data coding and/or cleaning, and research reporting. Submit the completed and signed form to Nikki Wakal, waka0002@umn.edu, to receive the required permission number. Contract for Independent directed study [PDF]
Research opportunities
The Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) is designed to give undergraduate students and faculty members the opportunity to collaborate on research, scholarly, or creative activities by offering financial awards (up to $1,400) twice yearly to full-time undergraduates. UROP applications are judged on both the quality of the proposed project and the educational benefit to the student; awards are not based on financial need.
Study abroad
The Learning Abroad Center has hundreds of programs across the globe that can enhance your undergraduate experience. FSoS undergraduates are encouraged to incorporate study abroad into their academic careers; you can still graduate in four years as long as you plan ahead! The Learning Abroad Center has a website specifically for family social science undergraduates to help you plan.
FSoS student organization
The family social science undergraduate student organization is growing! If you are interested in helping to create community within the department, please reach out to Kirsten Collins, senior undergraduate advisor at coll0260@umn.edu.