Our master's degree will teach you to analyze consumer needs in order to enhance the quality of life. Choose from consumer affairs and family studies or apparel design and merchandising.
Why Earn a Master's in Family and Consumer Sciences?
A master's degree trains you to synthesize and apply pertinent information, theories and arguments toward designing innovative solutions within your professional area of interest.
A master's degree with a specialization in apparel design and merchandising opens new career avenues where you can apply your creative skills and marketing and management know-how.
A master's degree with a specialization in consumer affairs and family studies opens the door to positions with community agencies, human resources, youth programs and educational organizations, as well as opportunities to market products and services.
Why Study Family and Consumer Sciences at CSUN?
Leadership Skills
You'll gain leadership skills through the Student Association of Family and Consumer Sciences and the Kappa Omicron Nu national honor society.
Experiential Learning
Apparel and merchandising students take part in supervised field study, enhancing their understanding of professional practice in the field.
Research Opportunities
In the consumer affairs and family studies option, you'll examine research methodology and learn the latest research tools and techniques. In addition, you'll design and complete a mini-research project, using selected research strategies and methodologies.
What You'll Learn
Our graduate program offers an option in either apparel design and merchandising or consumer affairs and family studies. All master's degree students share a core curriculum, which includes concepts common to both specializations. These include family and consumer public policy, research methods and applications, decision making and leadership competencies.
Additional coursework will depend on the option you choose:
This option includes courses such as:
- Theories and Applications in Apparel Design and Merchandising
- Textiles and Apparel in the Global Economy
- Textile Technology for Apparel Design and Merchandising
- Supervised Field Study
- Directed Graduate Research
Courses for this option include:
- Theories of Family Development
- Family Financial Issues
- Family Strengths
- Family Relations
Careers & Outcomes
Our graduates find success in a wide variety of fields.
Apparel Design and Merchandising Job Titles
- Fashion Merchandiser
- Buyer
- Costumer
- Designer
- Fashion Buyer
- Fashion Consultant
- Fashion Coordinator
- Fashion Advertising Director
Consumer Affairs and Family Studies Job Titles
- Human Resources Manager
- Family Consumer Science Teacher
- Family Support Specialist
- Sales Consultant
- Researcher
- Business Analyst
- Recreation Director
Admission Information
To be considered for admission to CSUN as a master’s student, you will need to:
- Meet university requirements.
- Meet department requirements for the Master of Family and Consumer Sciences.
- Apply to both the university and the specific graduate program of interest.
Learn more about applying for a master's program at CSUN.