Department of Family and Consumer Sciences

Miller Hall, Room 110
2515 Campus Road
Honolulu, HI 96822
Email: fcs@hawaii.edu
Phone: (808) 956-8105
FCS: cms.ctahr.hawaii.edu/fcs/FCS
HDFS: cms.ctahr.hawaii.edu/Majors/HDFS
FDM: cms.ctahr.hawaii.edu/fcs/Undergraduate/FDM

Faculty

Fashion Design and Merchandising Professors

Y. Bahng, PhD—retailing, international merchandising, and entrepreneurship
J. Kang, PhD—consumer behavior in digital commerce; apparel product development and retail store design using 2D/3D CAD
S. Lin, PhD—textile/costume conservation, product lifecycle management, smart clothing and body scanning
A. H. Reilly, PhD—social psychology of appearance, Hawaiʻi Fashion Industry

Fashion Design and Merchandising Instructors

M. A. Cristi-Kim, PhD—retail buying and merchandising; consumer behavior in fashion
M. K. McCarthy, PhD—fashion design, fashion illustration, pattern drafting, draping, and apparel construction

Human Development and Family Science Faculty

M. Cheang, DrPH—family resource management, family caregiving
S. Eng, PhD—family relationship dynamics, social capital, domestic violence, home gardening, program evaluation, Cambodian families
R. H. Kuwahara, MEd—early childhood education, guidance and discipline, and child development
T. N. Le, PhD, MPH (Chair)—risk and resilience of Asian and Indigenous youth; mindfulness-based interventions; farmers and first responders mental health
K. O’Dell, PhD—multicultural and international early childhood education, family and community engagement, strengthening families in diverse contexts
J. Souza, Jr. LMFT, DMFT—marriage and family therapy, supervision, clinical training, licensure trends, and workforce development in mental health
L. A. Yancura, PhD—stress and aging, research methodology, grandparents raising grandchildren, family caregivers
B. W. K. Yee, PhD—Asia and Pacific Islander adult development and aging, women’s health, Southeast Asians, minority career paths

* Graduate Faculty

The Academic Program

The Department of Family and Consumer Sciences has been an integral part of the land-grant system and of UH since 1907. The department offers two bachelor of science degree programs: Fashion Design and Merchandising (FDM) and Human Development and Family Science (HDFS).

The FDM program integrates theoretical and applied knowledge regarding fashion design, product development, consumer textiles, historic costume, apparel production, fashion marketing and merchandising theory and practice, both domestic and international, retail management, and entrepreneurship in fashion/retail. The program fosters the development of professionals prepared for management-level positions in business and industry, such as fashion designer, retail buyer, merchandise planner, sales representative, costume designer, museum curator, apparel manufacturer, and small business owner. An internship providing work experience related to a student’s career interests is required.

HDFS is a Bachelor of Science degree program that provides students with a comprehensive, ecological systems-based program of study in life span development and family resource management. The HDFS curriculum emphasizes the study of child, adolescent, adult development; family development (such as marriage and parenting); family resource management (such as consumer and family economics and family management); community needs; and leadership in human services occupations.

The program requires an internship providing work experience related to a student’s career interests. Students are prepared for bachelor-level careers in human and family services, and for graduate training in marriage and family therapy (MFT), child and family studies, early childhood education, lifespan development, family life education, and family and consumer sciences.

With supplementary course work, students may pursue graduate studies in other social science disciplines such as social work, educational counseling, public health, urban and regional planning (e.g., community development), sociology, psychology, women’s studies, political science, nursing, financial planning, medicine, and law.

In addition to courses offered in the department, there are professional and honor society organizations, such as the National Council on Family Relations and the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences. Phi Upsilon Omicron is a national honor society in family and consumer sciences with membership by invitation. Friends of the Family (FOF) provides service and professional experiences for HDFS majors. Majors from any discipline are welcome to join FOF and FAB.

Undergraduate Study

Students are encouraged to come for initial advising before registering for the first year at UH Mānoa or prior to their application for admission as a transfer student.

Academic Advising

For academic advising, see the contact information in the front section. Academic advisors are available by appointment only, Monday-Friday from 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. (except holidays). Gilmore Hall, first floor, email: ctahradv@hawaii.edu. Advising website: cms.ctahr.hawaii.edu/ugstudies.

Career Advising

Contact faculty within your program area. You may also contact the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences directly at 808-956-8105 or at fcs@hawaii.edu with general questions.

Fashion Design and Merchandising Program

Fashion Design and Merchandising (FDM) is a comprehensive undergraduate program whose mission is to prepare students with appropriate knowledge and skills for career positions in apparel and fashion-related industries. Classroom work is enhanced by one of the largest costume collections at a university in the U.S., giving students and faculty a rich source of items to draw upon for their classes and projects. In addition, students have the opportunity to use web-based technologies to supplement classroom activities. Opportunities to study at other universities and to participate in study tours to fashion centers of the world are another plus. A strong foundation for graduate study in apparel and related areas is provided.

Entrance Requirements

New students may be admitted directly into the program when they apply to UH Mānoa. Students transferring from other colleges/schools within the UH System or from other universities must have a minimum GPA of 2.0 to be considered for admission to FDM.

Goals and Objectives for FDM Students

Industry Processes

The student can apply basic construction techniques appropriate to particular fabric characteristics and garment type;
The student can conduct evaluations of apparel product quality using industry standards, regulatory agency criteria, and appropriate industry terminology;
The student can identify fashion trends and create professional presentations including environment and market analyses, consumer research, and a competitive analysis;

Appearance and Human Behavior

The student can conduct, interpret, and present the results of research that examines the socio-cultural role of dress in human behavior;

Ethics & Social Responsibility

The student can discuss current issues and concerns in the textile and apparel industries and can evaluate the social and ethical consequences of these;

Professional Development

The student can employ critical thinking, creativity, and technical skill mastery to prepare a substantive pre-employment portfolio appropriate for an emerging professional. The student will apply content learned in the classroom to real-world situations in the fashion/retail industry.

Outcomes for Product Development Courses

The student can identify the basic principles of block pattern & pattern drafting and demonstrate the appropriate manipulation of the block as applied in the apparel industry;
The student can create professional designs according to industry standards;
The student can demonstrate design creativity through sketches and storyboard presentations based on market research and construct garments using pattern development and industrial sewing techniques;
The student can evaluate alternative construction methods for specific fabrics and apply appropriate construction methods to create original garments;
The student can demonstrate ability in both the conceptual and technical aspects of apparel design and develop a creative collection for the fashion.

Outcomes for Fashion/Retail Business Courses

The student can integrate and present knowledge of visual merchandising concepts and processes as well as merchandise presentation techniques by creating 3D virtual stores;
The student can integrate knowledge of business operations, theories of consumer behavior, and quantitative skills to prepare comprehensive research-based manufacturing, merchandising, and retailing plans;
The student can discuss current issues and concerns in the textile and apparel industries, including global issues regarding labor conditions, social responsibility and environmental impacts, and can evaluate the social and ethical consequences of these;
The student can integrate current political, cultural, and economic data with economic theories, practices and policies to produce research-based reports on global interdependence;
The student can identify and present practices in brand architecture and effective branding strategies such as functional-level, corporate-level, and business-level strategic directions;
The student can integrate knowledge of industry operations, theories of consumer behavior, and quantitative skills to prepare comprehensive research-based manufacturing and merchandising plans that include creative design components and typical industry documents based on quantitative research.

Outcomes for Additional Fashion Courses

The student can integrate social construction within culture and its visual expression through appearance with the analysis of role, identity, conformity, and deviance in human appearance.
The student can identify and present how changes in fashion affect and are affected by dress across time and culture.
The student can comprehend the cultural and social contexts that create the choice of costumes and traditional dress of a particular country or culture in a given historical period.
The student can create and analyze different types of writing in the fashion industry with emphasis on creating a professional writing style.
The student can present knowledge, skills, and techniques needed for handling textile and apparel artifacts in museums and other exhibitions.

Human Development and Family Science

The Human Development and Family Science (HDFS) Program (formerly Family Resources (FAMR) Program) provides students with a comprehensive education in family development and resource management, including course work and study in the areas of human development, family relations, parenting, family economics and resource management, consumer economics, community leadership and resource development.

The curriculum prepares students to work proactively in multicultural settings with the goal of helping individuals, families, and communities to be healthy and thriving. It connects an ecological model with families and communities, providing students with an understanding of:

The changing needs and dynamics of families over time;
The management of personal, family, and community resources to meet these needs;
The growth and development of individuals over the human life cycle;
The interrelationship of individuals, families, and communities in the context of diverse socio-economic and cultural systems.

Students gain a systems perspective of how families operate by studying the theoretical and applied literature that addresses the biological, social, cultural, psychological, and economic well-being of individuals and families and the environments in which they live. Students also study the changing functions of the family, the roles of its members, and the community programs and policies that affect the decisions and wellbeing of families and consumers. HDFS courses provide students with knowledge that they can apply to their personal development and family life. Moreover, the HDFS internship is designed to provide real-time real-life experiences.

Entrance Requirements

Goals and Objectives

Students completing the HDFS degree are expected to achieve the following goals and objectives:

Goal 1: Acquire a knowledge base in human development.

Objective 1. Demonstrate criterion level knowledge of stages, processes, and ranges of typical human development

Goal 2: Acquire a knowledge base in family science and resource management.

Objective 1. Demonstrate criterion level knowledge of family diversity in the global community.

Objective 2. Demonstrate criterion level knowledge of family resource management processes.

Goal 3: Acquire a knowledge base of the community context in which family functioning and development take place.

Objective 1. Demonstrate criterion level knowledge of the effects of context (social, economic, political, historical, and cultural environment) on family functioning and development.

Goal 4: Acquire professional skills

Objective 1. Demonstrate criterion level skills in written communication.

Objective 2. Demonstrate criterion level skills in oral communication.

Objective 3. Demonstrate a basic level of computer literacy.

Objective 4. Demonstrate basic competence in “helping” skills.

Objective 5. Demonstrate basic research skills.

Goal 5: Apply knowledge and professional skills to address issues encountered in professional settings.

Objective 1. Demonstrate critical thinking skills and problem solving abilities.

Objective 2. Demonstrate commitment to professional values and ethical behavior.

Objective 3. Demonstrate a satisfactory level of preparation for the world of work and responsibility for continued professional growth.

Additional Opportunities

Provisional Certified Family Life Educator

The National Council on Family Relations (NCFR) has approved the Human Development and Family Science undergraduate program as meeting the standards and criteria required for the Provisional Certified Family Life Educator (CFLE) designation. Fully certified Family Life Educators work in the areas of program development, implementation, evaluation, teaching, training, and research related to individual and family well-being. Among other activities, they conduct workshops in parenting, marital relationships, and resource management, in hospitals, HMOs, clinics, and schools. HDFS graduates who complete the specified courses in ten family life substance areas can apply to NCFR for Provisional Certification. Once a graduate has completed two years of work experience in preventive, educational activities related to family well-being, the graduate can apply for full CFLE certification. HDFS internships, which include documented FLE activities may be used as part of the required work experience.

Master of Education in Early Childhood Education

The Department of Family and Consumer Sciences in the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resilience and the College of Education Departments of Curriculum Studies and Special Education offer an interdisciplinary program leading to the degree of master of education in early childhood education. MEd in early childhood education requirements are located in the College of Education Departments of Curriculum Studies and Special Education section of this Catalog.

Programs

Bachelor’s

Minor

Fashion Design and Merchandising, Minor