Liberal Studies and Professional Preparation: The Evolution of the Child and Family Studies Program at Portland State University

Drawing on the conception of liberal education as fundamentally about connection, this paper describes an undergraduate Child and Family Studies Program that is both a liberal studies major and a program to prepare students for professional roles. Program development was faculty-driven and derived from understandings of what it means to have connected learning in a liberal studies major as well as what it means to be a professional. The program was initially designed using a multidisciplinary model where students took courses in liberal studies that were coupled but not necessarily integrated with professional course and service work. Only as we examined student outcomes over time did the program become truly interdisciplinary using mechanisms such as a practicum seminar and a professional portfolio to help students make connections between the various parts of the curriculum.