The Department of Family and Consumer Sciences has roots in the founding of the University of Hawai‘i system in 1907, with a rich legacy of over 100 years in the Hawaiian Islands. Our founders would not recognize our academic and outreach programs today, as we address contemporary challenges faced by people, families, businesses, and communities across Hawai‘i, the Pacific, and the nation.
The Department was originally called Domestic Science, and the name was later changed to Home Economics Sciences. Our current name, Family and Consumer Sciences, reflects our goals of promoting the health and well-being of Hawai‘i’s families, the strength of the apparel industry in Hawai‘i and Asia, and the success of locally owned family businesses.
Our mission is to contribute to developing resilient families, businesses, and communities. We seek to serve as a catalyst for long-term family, community, and policy changes that strengthen and promote our stakeholders, and to improve their quality of life through our research/scholarship, instruction, and extension service throughout Hawai‘i and the Pacific Basin.
The department supports two B.S. instructional/research programs:
- The Fashion Design and Merchandising (FDM) program offers a major with an Fashion Design or a Merchandising emphasis, as well as a minor in Merchandising for students who are non-FDM majors.
- The Human Development and Family Studies (HDFS) program offers a B.S. degree in Human Development and Human Studies, courses that support certifications in Family Life Education, and foundation courses for the M.Ed. in Early Childhood education.