The College of Agriculture: A One Stop "Shop" for Students

What are you interested in?

Business? 

Design? 

Food? 

Families? 

No matter what you’re interested in, the College of Agriculture is likely to have a major to suit your interest.  Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine I would end up as a student in the College of Ag, but here I am a senior preparing for graduation, and I couldn’t be more pleased with my major. It’s amazing what can happen when you venture into the unknown. 

As a high school senior, I was certain that I wanted to be an interior designer.  Naturally, I enrolled into the university’s interior design program. As a freshman, I was excited about my choice during my first semester. My future looked bright, so I could not wait to complete my journey through the design program in the hopes of landing a job as an interior designer.  To my dismay, I realized that, although the university’s program was doing an exceptional job of preparing me for a career, interior design simply wasn’t for me.  

Upon realizing that wasn’t the path for me, I began searching for a new major. I knew I wanted to serve people, so I researched majors that would equip me to do just that. I considered majors such as psychology, sociology, and gender and women’s studies, but none of them seemed to be the perfect fit. Finally, after weeks of agonizing, I settled on family science- a major I had absolutely no experience with. In fact, I barely knew what the major was, all I knew is that it sounded interesting, so I was willing to give it a try. An advisor in the School of Human Environmental Sciences (this school is within the College of Ag) familiarized me with the program and helped me select courses to get started. After just the first weeks of attending family sciences courses, I was thrilled and convinced that I had found my fit at UK. Not only did I like the classes I was taking, but I also liked the warmth of the advisors, professors, and students I encountered.

Family science can be best described as a mix between sociology and psychology, with a special emphasis on family relationships, as well as on how the individual functions as apart of the family unit. Within this program, I’ve taken courses in child development, family diversity, adolescence, mate selection, family resources management, human sexuality, and helping. All of these courses have allowed me to gain a more thorough understanding of how people function, and how the family shapes the individual throughout life and across cultures. 

The family science program at the University of Kentucky is through the College of Ag, however, it is housed within the college’s School of Human Environmental Sciences (HES). This school also houses programs such as dietetics, human nutrition, HMT (hospitality, tourism and management), and MAT (materials and textiles).  So why are these majors in the college of Ag? Although these majors are not “traditional” agricultural programs, they fit into the college’s focus on food, fibers, and families. 

So, what can one do with a degree in family science? I believe you can do almost anything with a degree in family science—especially careers that involve a great deal of interaction with people.  Some of the post popular career paths taken by family science majors include social services, non-profits, child advocacy, human resources, counseling (master’s degree required), child life, Cooperative Extension, and early childhood education.  When I selected family science as my major, I had the intentions of becoming a school counselor, however, I am now uncertain, but am leaning towards Cooperative Extension. Either way, my goal is to make an impact in the lives of youth and family’s alike.  

With all of that being said, as a prospective student, or even as a freshman or sophomore, I would recommend that you keep your options open during your first two years of college.  If you find yourself unhappy with your current major, don’t be afraid to explore other options—you should enjoy your college experience. In the midst of this exploration, I would strongly encourage you to consider the College of Ag. The College of Ag has a wealth of opportunities, not just majors, but also scholarships, internships, student organizations, and even study abroad opportunities.  No matter what you’re interested in, there’s something in the college that will tailor to your interests! 

If you are interested in learning more, check out the University of Kentucky’s family science program,.  

- Porsha B., Family Science Senior