Department of Housing and Consumer Economics

The undergraduate and graduate programs in the Department of Housing and Consumer Economics are highly respected nationwide and taught by faculty who are not only outstanding teachers but also leading researchers in their disciplines. We have excellent students who typically find meaningful employment after graduation.

We are part of the College of Family and Consumer Sciences at the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia, about 75 miles east of Atlanta. The mission of our department is to provide excellent teaching, research, and service that focus on the family as a producing and consuming unit. We have over 170 undergraduate students and about 20 graduate students.

We offer three undergraduate majors:
Consumer Economics
Housing
Consumer Journalism
Each offers diverse career opportunities. You can also minor in Consumer Economics or Housing.

Consumer Economics

The Consumer Economics major prepares students to understand how consumers make choices in an economy that's constantly changing. Our students understand how fraud and deception, products of varying quality, and inadequate information affect consumer decisions. The role of information is a central theme.

Consumer economics majors may choose an emphasis in Family Financial Management, studying family decision-making regarding credit and debt, insurance, taxation, savings and investments, retirement, and estate planning. The Family Financial Planning emphasis meets the standards for certification established by the Board of Standards for Certified Financial Planners, Inc. (CFP). The standards are based on high quality students and high quality courses. There are approximately 70 colleges and universities throughout the U.S. with programs approved by the CFP Board. Our program is the only approved undergraduate program in the state of Georgia. The public’s growing need for objective financial planning advice, combined with rigorous standards demanded of CFPTM certificants, have placed the CFP marks at the forefront of the financial planning profession. The CFP designation indicates to consumers that the personal financial planners who use them have a high level of professionalism, financial planning education and ethics, and are qualified to give sound financial planning advice.

Housing

The Housing major gives students expertise in various aspects of housing, including needs assessment, financing, housing legislation, household equipment, energy conservation, and housing alternatives. The major helps students gain a comprehensive understanding of housing as a product, an environment, a service, and a process for sheltering a diverse and changing population adequately, accessibly, and affordably.

Consumer Journalism

The Consumer Journalism major provides the opportunity to combine interests in consumer and family sciences with advertising, public relations, journalism, and telecommunications. Students take courses in both the College of Family and Consumer Sciences and the College of Journalism and Mass Communication. The major prepares students for numerous career opportunities. Consumer Journalism is a restricted major; we generally have more applicants than we can accept. To be considered for admission into the major you are required to have completed appropriate courses in Areas A-E of the core and appropriate courses in Area F. In addition, students must have a GPA of 2.8 or better in Areas A, D, and E and submit a written statement of career goals. Since Consumer Journalism is a restricted major the number of students admitted in any given semester will be determined by the available number of slots; thus, meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee acceptance into the major. Applications for admission to Consumer Journalism will be accepted up to the 3rd Friday of Fall and Spring semesters. Students who are planning to major in Consumer Journalism and wish to be advised by a Consumer Journalism advisor prior to acceptance into the major must be designated as pre-Consumer Journalism majors.

Extension and Outreach in the Department of Housing and Consumer Economics

Our extension and outreach faculty develop and implement programming that makes a real difference in the lives of individuals, families, and communities. Programs cover a range of topics including consumer economics, financial management, workforce preparedness, housing and community development.

Family and Consumer Sciences Extension educates families to become healthier, more productive, financially independent, and environmentally responsible. Our faculty and staff create and deliver educational programs in housing, financial management, and consumer education throughout the state.

The mission of the Housing and Demographics Research Center at the University of Georgia is to provide sound housing research, promote a more rational regulatory environment for the building community, and disseminate research findings to policy makers, interested parties and the general public. The Center offers several services that provide information about Georgia families and communities.