What is a Family Life Education Major?

Are you interested in helping families function properly? What about social services? A Family Life Education major is extremely versatile while providing a unique insight into why people behave the way they do. Do you like helping people and getting involved in worthwhile causes? This might be the perfect degree for you.

Family Life Education is an interdisciplinary field of study that draws from various disciplines such as:

• psychology
• education
• sociology
• communications
• law and public policy
• economics
• theology
• home management

What do I do with a Family Life Education Major?

Graduates who complete the Family Life Education Major will be able to:

• Understand concepts and principles of healthy marriages and families
• Articulate their own attitudes and values about family issues
• Develop and implement programs of instruction and guidance that will build and equip healthy families
• Analyze and assess global and local needs of today’s families
• Exercise interpersonal and professional skills that contribute to a positive family environment

A Family Life Education Major will also equip graduates to build healthy marriages and families in their own personal lives.

Certification for a Family Life Education Major

Certification as a Family Life Educator is provided by the National Council on Family Relations. Great Lakes Christian College has become an approved program by the NCFR, which streamlines the application process for certification. To qualify, applicants must have coursework in ten substance areas and two years of experience in the field. This major has been designed to fulfill the following ten substance areas:

• Family in Society
• Internal Dynamics of Families
• Human Growth and Development
• Human Sexuality
• Interpersonal Relationships
• Family Resource Management
• Parent Education and Guidance
• Family Law and Public Policy
• Professional Ethics
• Family Life Education Methodology

What types of jobs can I get with a Family Life Education Major?

Family life educators find employment in a wide variety of settings:

• family ministries in churches
• family service agencies 
• foster care
• food stamp programs
• Meals-on-Wheels
• nursing homes
• hospitals
• day care centers
• community mental health centers
• public health clinics
• group homes
• senior centers
• government agencies
• parks and recreation departments
• educational institutions
• departments of corrections.

Become Part of the GLCC Family

At Great Lakes Christian College, we are a private Christian college that treats everyone like family. See the difference GLCC can make. Call 1-800-YES-GLCC or schedule a personal visit. Better yet, apply today!

This article first appeared in 2018 and has been updated recently.