Undergraduate Competencies in Family Science: An Exploratory Study

The purpose of the study was to explore the ratings of core competencies for undergraduate students in Family Science. Identifying the competencies which are viewed as most important is necessary to effectively prepare undergraduate students for professions or other . A sample of 113 Family Science professionals was asked to rate the importance of undergraduate students possessing 18 differing core competencies related to Family Science. A rank order of importance was identified. Variations were also identified by gender and type of institution (i.e., teaching focused university or research focused university). Implications for curriculum, teaching pedagogies, assessment, and future research are discussed.