Students in the Family Studies concentration focus on how families operate, develop and change in response to the challenges of modern life. Students learn to appreciate the diversity of family life by studying different cultures and how families learn to manage conflict. Graduates with this concentration are qualified to provide many services to couples and families. Career opportunities include family life educator, human resource specialist, caseworker or family service coordinator. Graduates also may choose to pursue graduate education in a variety of fields, including family studies, marriage and family therapy, social work, education, sociology, psychology, law, medicine, or business. The Family Studies concentration is approved by the National Council of Family Relations (NCFR) for the provisional Certified Family Life Educator credential. Family life education focuses on healthy family functioning within a family systems perspective and provides a primarily preventive approach. The goal of family life education is to teach and foster skills and knowledge to enable individuals and families to function optimally. Within two years after receiving their degree, graduates who have completed the Family Studies curriculum and four elective courses (HDFS 427: Family Adaptation and Resilience, CHLH 206: Human Sexuality, HDFS 401: Socialization and Development, and HDFS 461: Family Life Education) can apply for the Provisional level of the CFLE credential through an abbreviated application process.