develop an understanding of and an ability to effectively use the concepts, principles, and theories related to the consumer sciences profession;
develop and practice critical and evaluative thinking in the solution of problems pertaining to: • effective acquisition, allocation, use, and disposition of human, environmental, material, and financial resources to meet value-based goals chosen by individuals, families, and society; • relationship between individual consumers and the broader economic, social, and political systems of which they are a part;
develop and practice effective communication skills using oral, written, visual, and electronic means of expression which are essential to professional practice;
develop the interpersonal skills necessary to function as a member of a professional team;
develop an understanding of the commonalities among both individuals and families as they progress through the life span;
develop an appreciation for diversity among individuals and families as expressed through cultural variation and through individuals and family choice;
develop an understanding that attainable levels of living and ultimately quality of life are products of the complex, mutual interdependence of individual and family choice and the demands placed on the resources provided to individual and family by social, economic, and political systems;
analyze the value judgments inherent in the solutions of consumer protection problems; and prepare students to live and work in a digital environment
