School of Human Sciences

Chay Runnels, director
Human Sciences Building, Room 101A
Phone: (936) 468-4502
Fax: (936) 468-2140
P.O. Box 13014, SFA Station
Nacogdoches, TX 75962
Email: runnelsc@sfasu.edu

Lisa Mize, assistant director
Email: lmize@sfasu.edu

Web: sfasu.edu/hms
Facebook: SFA School of Human Sciences

Accreditations

• American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences
• Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics
• Council for Interior Design Accreditation
• NCATE/CAEP
• Texas State Board of Education Certification
• National Association of Schools of Art and Design

Faculty

Professors
Darla O’Dwyer, Chay Runnels

Associate Professors
Leisha Bridwell, Gina Causin, Flora Farago, Rachel Jumper, Hyunsook Kang, Lisa Mize, Jennifer Newquist, Mary Olle, Sally Ann Swearingen

Assistant Professor
Nathaniel Walker

Clinical Instructors
Todd Barrios, Lynsey Cortines, Jamie Cupit, Sarah Drake, Donna Fickes, Jennifer Luque, Justin Pelham, Jill Pruett, Jim Williams

Objectives

Consistent with the mission, core values and vision of SFA, the school emphasizes enhanced student achievement; a strong commitment to total lifelong learning and development; and interactive/innovative instruction, research and service. Major goals are to provide an effective learning environment for diverse academic majors in the School of Human Sciences and to foster an environment that supports, encourages and rewards intellectual development and productive professionals.

Mission

The School of Human Sciences prepares students to be highly qualified professionals in global markets who positively influence individuals, families and businesses in diverse communities.

Definition of Majors

Aviation Sciences

The Bachelor of Science in aviation sciences is a four-year program providing students with the skills necessary to become commercial pilots. The degree program focuses on the development of technical and critical-thinking skills necessary to succeed in the aviation industry. Students will attain their private pilot’s license, instrument rating, multi-engine rating and certified flight instructor rating through the program’s curriculum. This degree program is offered through a unique public-private partnership with HCH Aviation, the private flight provider.

Construction Management

The Bachelor of Science in construction management is a four-year program providing students with the business, management and problem-solving skills necessary to succeed in this progressive field. This degree program focuses on the development of design skills, residential and commercial building construction techniques, sustainable construction building techniques, analysis and application of building codes and regulations, safety requirements at the construction job site, and project management. The program also prepares students to sit for the LEED Green Associate exam. The program provides students with a broad-based knowledge of the construction industry combined with a solid general education and extensive training in business law, regulations, planning, design, theory and methods used in the construction field.

Human Development and Family Studies

The human development and family studies degree provides an in-depth understanding of growth, change, and development of children, adults and the family while integrating a life-span, multi-contextual and family systems approach. Graduates can work with children and families at all stages of life, as classes in the major cover topics from child development to gerontology.

Family and Consumer Sciences

The degree in family and consumer sciences provides students with an interdisciplinary broad-based view of how people interact with their personal environments, including nutrition and health, meal management, hospitality operations, human development and family studies, design and merchandising, and consumer problems. The major provides students with concrete knowledge and tangible experiences to successfully launch them into careers focused on consumerism, family and community services, and education. Students can select from a nonteaching or teaching track in family and consumer sciences.

Note: Refer to the educator certification portion of this bulletin in the James I. Perkins College of Education for specific professional teacher education coursework requirements.

Food, Nutrition and Dietetics

The food, nutrition and dietetics program offers two degree plans: dietetics and nutritional sciences (registered dietitian and pre-professional tracks) and food and nutrition. Completion of the dietetics and nutritional sciences degree allows students to apply for a nationally accredited 1,200-hour internship. Upon successful completion of the internship, students will be eligible to sit for the national registration exam in order to become a registered dietitian.

The food and nutrition degree plan is for students who have a passion for nutrition but are interested in pursuing a less clinical route. This track will allow students to minor in areas such as human development and family studies, communications, culinary, health science, and many more. This track does not allow a student to pursue further education as a registered dietitian; however, many students can return to take the required courses needed to become eligible for an internship program.

Hospitality Administration

The hospitality administration program prepares students for careers in travel and tourism, theme parks, lodging, resorts, conference centers, meeting and event planning, restaurant management, culinary and all areas of food service. Opportunities to lead exist in operations as well as support areas of this vast and diverse global industry. This major allows students to choose a concentration from one of the following tracks: lodging, restaurant management, culinary, meeting and event planning, and travel and tourism. Students will complete a 300-hour industry internship and receive multiple certifications through their course of study.

Interior Design

The Bachelor of Science in interior design is a four-year program providing students with theoretical and practical knowledge of interior design and prepares them for careers in residential interior and contract/commercial design. Accredited by the Council for Interior Design Accreditation, the program teaches all necessary educational standards as mandated by CIDA, including global context, collaboration, business practices and professionalism, human-centered design, design process, communication, history, design elements and principles, light and color, products and materials, environmental systems and human well-being, construction, and regulations and guidelines that provide the foundation for students to obtain National Council for Interior Design Qualification certification and state licensing. The program emphasizes contract documents, space planning and rendering using both manual and computer-aided techniques through AutoCAD and Revit software.

Merchandising

Note: Beginning fall 2022, the Bachelor of Science in merchandising is being discontinued. Students currently enrolled in the program will be able to finish their degree, but new students will not be admitted. The minor in merchandising will continue to be offered, and merchandising may be used as a component option of the BAAS.

The Bachelor of Science in merchandising is a four-year program providing students with business, management, planning and promotion of sales by presenting a fashion or interior product to the right market at the proper time, by carrying out organized, skillful advertising, using attractive displays, etc. Merchandising, within fashion or interior retail, refers specifically to the stock planning, management and control process. Merchandising requires well-developed quantitative skills, the ability to research and discover trends, and the insight to discover meaning and interrelationships among standard sales and stock figures.

There are two different merchandising teams: the visual merchandising team and the fashion or interior merchandising team. The visual merchandising team is in charge of designing the layout, floor plan and displays of the store in order to increase sales. The merchandising team is involved in the design, production and distribution of final products to the end consumer. They work with designers to ensure designs will be affordable and desired by the target market and can considerably impact the success of the manufacturer, designer or retailer for which they work.

Programs

Program Overview

Minor

Certification

Other Programs