Department of Child, Family and Community Sciences

Department Chair: Jay Hoffman, Ph.D.
The Department of Child, Family, and Community Sciences (CFCS) offers both undergraduate and graduate programs related to careers in school and settings and community agencies.  The programs offered include: Early Childhood Development and Education; Exceptional Student Education; and Sport & Exercise Science.
Undergraduate degrees include:

• Early Childhood Development and Education B.S. (two tracks):  The Early Childhood Education track prepares students who are qualified to teach Pre-Kindergarten through grade 3 upon graduation and are eligible to apply for Florida Teaching Certification.  The Early Childhood Development track offers a variety of courses related to young children and their learning, development, and family environment.  Students take a series of core and specialization courses to prepare them to work with children, parents, and families in a variety of community settings.
• Exceptional Student Education B.S.:  The ESE program is available for individuals interested in teaching students with exceptional needs.  The program prepares students who are qualified to teach Exceptional Student Education in grades from kindergarten to grade 12 and are eligible to apply for Florida Teaching Certification upon graduation.
• Sport and Exercise Science B.S.: This program has two tracks (Sport Leadership & Exercise Science) with five areas of specialization related to various aspects of human physiology and performance, sport, health, wellness, and fitness.  The Human Performance specialization is designed to prepare students who intend to pursue further studies in allied health or applying to medical school.  In general, the program prepares graduates for positions in athletic programs, health and wellness organizations, community sports organizations, private and public fitness and recreation programs, and multipurpose facilities.

Graduate degrees include: 

• Early Childhood Development and Education M.S. focuses on preparation of professional personnel with advanced competence. The program is designed for candidates with undergraduate degrees in a wide range of areas either related to early childhood education, such as child development, psychology, communication disorders, sociology, nursing, theatre, music or other degrees. The program of study includes advanced professional development in early care and education for careers with direct and indirect services for young children and families. Please note that this program does not lead to initial teacher preparation.
• Exceptional Student Education M.A. and M.Ed.   The Exceptional Student Education K-12/ESOL Endorsement M.A. program is for non-education majors or previously certified teachers in another content area. Graduates are eligible for exceptional student education (ESE) certification and ESOL endorsement.  The Exceptional Student Education M.Ed. program prepares exceptional education teachers to work in programs serving PreK-12 students with disabilities. The program is designed for teachers already certified in exceptional student education (or other certification in special education) to enhance their knowledge, skills, and dispositions.
• Sport and Exercise Science M.S. offers students the opportunity to develop their scientific and practical knowledge and skills to work in areas of exercise science, sport leadership and coaching, health, wellness, and fitness.  The program offers two tracks: Applied Exercise Physiology; and Sport Leadership and Coaching.  The Applied Exercise Physiology track also prepares graduates for further graduate studies.  Refer to the Exercise Physiology, Ph.D. information below.

Ph.D. in Education- Specializations:

• Exceptional Education Specialization: The Ph.D. in Education-Exceptional Education is designed to prepare highly competent doctoral level professionals who will assume leadership positions in teaching, research and service in the area of Special Education. A challenging program of study focuses on developing the qualifications to conduct research, implement best practices based on research, and evaluate new programs and projects that serve students with disabilities.  To learn more about the program, refer to the Ph.D. in Education-Exceptional Education Handbook.
• Exercise Physiology Specialization: The Exercise Physiology Ph.D. program is designed for individuals who wish to pursue academic careers in research and teaching focusing on elite athletic performance, youth fitness and aging. Content area of study is focused on 'bridging the gap' between the laboratory and the practitioner. Graduate students will develop the skills and ability to scientifically explore methods leading to improvements in health, tackle important national issues of childhood wellness, improve quality of life issues for the elderly and maximize human performance for both competitive and tactical athletes.