Requirements for Minors
A minor in Child, Youth, and Family Studies consists of 26 credits.
The Child, Youth, and Family Studies minor is a valuable addition for students in disciplines concerned with the relationship between individual children and youth, their families, and the community systems in which they live (including sociology, communications, psychology, women and gender studies, and others). Through the major, these students will apply theory in the real world and build practice experience geared toward direct work in the field. Students in professional majors (like social work, community health, speech and hearing sciences, and more) will also benefit from the minor’s focus on children, youth, and families as a distinct practice population.
Our minor lines up closely with the Families and Society junior cluster in University studies. This means that by completing the Families and Society Sophomore Inquiry class, cluster requirements, and approved Capstone, students can finish a CYFS minor with the addition of just one more four-credit course. Courses are offered in multiple platforms, which lets students finish the minor through in-person classes, fully online courses, or a combination of the two.
Download CYFS minor academic worksheet (PDF) »
Required courses for minors (26 Credits)
Lower Division (4 Credits)
- UNST 228 Families in Society Sophomore Inquiry (4)
Upper Division (16 credits)
- CFS 101 Intro to CFS (2)
- CFS 310 Critical Histories in CYFS: Gender/Race/Class (4)
- CFS 312U Families in Life course Perspective (4)
- CFS 320U ABCs of ECE (4)
- CFS 330U American Families in Film and Television (4)
- CFS 340U Queer Families (4)
- CFS 350U Interpersonal Violence: Impact on Children & Families (4)
- CFS 382U Mental Disorders: Issues for Families and Communities (4)
- CFS 385U Working with Diverse Families (4)
- CFS 381U Families, Stress, and Change (4)
- CFS 390U Sex and the Family (4)
- CFS 391 Family Theories (4)
- CFS 393U Community Resources and Family Support (4)
- CFS 399 Special Topics (1-4)
- CFS 410 Special Topics (1-4)
- CFS 450 Youth and Youth Work (4)
- CFS 481U Family Health Issues (4)
- CFS 486 Parent and Family Education (4)
- CFS 487 Examining Bias and Belief (4)
- CFS 488 Structural Oppression (4)
- CFS 489 Activism for Social Change (2)
- CFS 492 Family Law and Policy (4)
Community Based Learning (6 credits)
This part of the curriculum provides students with the opportunity to connect knowledge from the classroom to experience in community service activities. Students earn credits by working with community or campus organizations that serve children, youth, or families and/or focus on social justice issues. Approved Capstones or practicum placements can fulfill this requirement. Arrange your community-based learning course with a CYFS minor advisor in advance.
Fulfill this requirement with an approved UNST 421 Capstone (6) OR CFS 407 Practicum (6).
Preapproved Community-Based Learning Capstone courses:
- Street Roots: Exploring Issues of Homelessness
- Social Justice Education
- Effective Change Agent
- Sexual and Gender Minority Youth
- Tutoring to Empower Native American Youth
- Educational Equity
- Bilingual Education
- Enhancing Youth Literacy
- Leadership and Mentoring
- Collaborations: Boys and Girls Club
- GirlPower!
- Global PDX: African Children
- Global Youth in Portland
- Access for Education
- Addressing the Food Gap at p:ear
- Farm Education for Youth
- Music in the Schools
- Sexual Assault Prevention Theater
- Strengthening the Head Start Legacy
- Philosophy for Children
- Juvenile Justice
- Outdoor and Environmental Education