Child and Family Studies Minor (Bryn Mawr)

The Child and Family Studies (CFS) minor provides a curricular mechanism for interdisciplinary work focused on the contributions of biological, familial, psychological, socioeconomic,  political, and educational factors to child and family well-being. The minor not only addresses the life stages and cultural contexts of infancy through adolescence but also includes issues of parenting; child and family well-being; gender; schooling and informal education; risk and resilience; and the place, representation, and voice of children in  society and culture.

Curriculum & Courses

Students may complete a Child and Family Studies minor as an adjunct to any major at Bryn Mawr, Haverford or Swarthmore pending approval of the student’s coursework plan by the Director of Child and Family Studies, Jodie Baird, jabaird@brynmawr.edu. Please visit the Child and Family Studies page at Bryn Mawr College for more information.

  • Minor Requirements

    The minor comprises six courses: one gateway course (PSYC B206: Developmental Psychology; PSYC B203: Educational  Psychology; EDUC B200/EDUC H200: Critical Issues in Education; or SOCL B201: Study of Gender  in Society), plus five additional courses, at least two of which must be outside of the major department and at least one of which must be at the 300  level. Advanced Haverford and Swarthmore courses typically taken by juniors and seniors that are more specific than introductory and survey courses will count as 300-level courses. Only two CFS courses may be double-counted with any major, minor, or other degree credential.

    Students craft a pathway in the minor as they engage in course selection through ongoing discussions with the CFS Director. Sample pathways might include: political science/child and family law; sociology/educational policy; child and family mental health; depictions of children/families in literature and film; child and family public health issues; social work/child welfare; anthropology/cross-cultural child and family issues; gender issues affecting children and families; social justice/diversity issues affecting children and families; or economic factors affecting children and families.

    The minor also requires participation in at least one semester or summer of volunteer, practicum, praxis, community-based work study, or internship experience related to Child and Family Studies. Students are expected to discuss their placement choices with the CFS Director.

    To foster the interdisciplinary nature of Child and Family Studies, students enrolled in the minor must also complete the following requirements:

    • Attendance at periodic CFS evening meetings for discussion sessions, guest speakers, “minor information sessions”, etc..
    • Participation during senior year in an annual CFS Poster Session during which students will share highlights of their CFS campus and field-based experiences.

    (Note: it is important to check the Trico course guide for updated course information as not every course is taught every year. In some cases, courses relevant to the CFS minor will have changed, or been added. Students should explore freely and consult with their advisor on curricular choices).

    Courses that can be counted toward the Child and Family Studies Minor

    Bryn Mawr College Courses and Seminars

    ANTH B102Introduction to Cultural Anthropology1.0
    ANTH B268Cultural Perspectives on Marriage and Family1.0
    ANTH B2791.0
    ARTW B269Writing for Children1.0
    EDUC B200Community Learning Collaborative: Practicing Partnership1.0
    EDUC B210Perspectives on Special Education1.0
    EDUC B2601.0
    EDUC B266Geographies of School and Learning: Urban Education Reconsidered1.0
    EDUC B311Fieldwork Seminar1.0
    ENGL B247Shakespeare’s Teenagers1.0
    ENGL B270American Girl: Childhood in U.S. Literatures, 1690-19351.0
    ENGL B271Transatlantic Childhoods in the 19th Century1.0
    POLS B375Gender, Work and Family1.0
    PSYC B203Educational Psychology1.0
    PSYC B2061.0
    PSYC B209Clinical Psychology1.0
    PSYC B2501.0
    PSYC B3030.5
    PSYC B322Culture and Development1.0
    PSYC B340Women’s Mental Health1.0
    PSYC B346Pediatric Psychology1.0
    PSYC B350Developmental Cognitive Disorders1.0
    PSYC B351Developmental Psychopathology1.0
    PSYC B3751.0
    SOCL B102Society, Culture, and the Individual1.0
    SOCL B2011.0
    SOCL B205Social Inequality1.0
    SOCL B2171.0
    SOCL B225Women in Society1.0
    SOCL B2291.0
    SOCL B235Mexican-American Communities1.0
    SOCL B258Sociology of Education1.0
    SOCL B266Schools in American Cities1.0
    SOWK B552Perspectives on Inequality1.0
    SOWK B554Social Determinants of Health1.0
    SOWK B571Education Law for Social Workers1.0
    SOWK B574Child Welfare Policy, Practice, and Research1.0
    SOWK B575Global Public Health1.0

    Haverford College Courses and Seminars

    ANTH H103Introduction to Anthropology1.0
    ANTH H209Anthropology of Education1.0
    ANTH B263Anthropology of Space: Housing and Societ1.0
    EDUC H200Community Learning Collaborative: Practicing Partnership1.0
    EDUC H275Emergent Multilingual Learners in U.S. Schools1.0
    PSYC H215Personality Psychology1.0
    PSYC H223Psychology of Human Sexuality1.0
    PSYC H3351.0
    SOCL H204Medical Sociology1.0
    SOCL H226Sociology of Gender1.0

    Swarthmore College Courses and Seminars

    EDUC S014Introduction to Education1.0
    EDUC/PSYC S021Educational Psychology1.0
    EDUC/PSYC S023Adolescence1.0
    EDUC S023AAdolescents and Special Education1.0
    EDUC/PSYC S026Special Education1.0
    EDUC S042Teaching Diverse Young Learners1.0
    EDUC S045Literacies and Social Identities1.0
    EDUC S053Language Minority Education1.0
    EDUC S064Comparative Education1.0
    EDUC S068Urban Education1.0
    EDUC S070Outreach Practicum1.0
    EDUC S121Psychology and Practice Honors Seminar1.0
    EDUC S131Social and Cultural Perspectives Honors Seminar1.0
    EDUC S151Literacies Research Honors Seminar1.0
    EDUC S167Identities and Education Honors Seminar1.0
    PSYC S034Psychology of Language1.0
    PSYC S035Social Psychology1.0
    PSYC S039Developmental Psychology1.0
    PSYC S041Children at Risk1.0
    PSYC S050Developmental Psychopathology1.0
    PSYC S055Family Systems Theory and Psychological Change1.0
    PSYC S135Advanced Topics in Social and Cultural Psychology1.0

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