Students in the CCS major gain an interdisciplinary understanding of marketplace and community issues at the local, national, and international level and do so by examining the perspectives of consumers, businesses, community organizations, and government. Students also acquire the practical skills necessary to improve the well-being of households, with courses providing students with opportunities to acquire mediation skills and learn through community service and internships.
In keeping with the interdisciplinary character of the CCS major, faculty members are drawn from a variety of disciplinary backgrounds. These include economics, sociology, psychology, law, and business education. With about a hundred students in the major at any one time, there are ample opportunities to gain research experience by working with faculty members on their research or to receive their guidance on individually-designed research projects.
Graduates of the CCS major have unique skills and, as a result, their employment prospects are strong. Students have a solid grounding in economics, family finance, political science, community development, public policy, and law. This makes graduates attractive to government agencies, non-profit organizations, and businesses that deal with consumers and community issues. Students are particularly well prepared to pursue advanced degrees as well as to work in the areas of:
- consumer/community advocacy
- non-profits
- consumer protection
- government
- customer relations as well as to pursue advanced degrees.