Department Highlights & Student Data | Human Sciences | College of Agriculture
Department of Human Sciences
Where the science of everyday living meets the study of behavior across the lifespan in fashion, food, and family.
Our Mission
The mission of the Department of Human Sciences at Tennessee State University is to prepare students for leadership roles in the field of Family and Consumer Sciences that empower individuals, strengthen families and enable communities through education, outreach (extension), and discovery (research).
The purpose of the Family and Consumer Sciences undergraduate program in the Department of Human Sciences is to provide both a liberal and specialized education in which the interests and well-being of individuals, family members, and consumers are significant. The unifying focus is on an integrative approach to relationships among individuals, families, communities, and the environments in which they function. The program seeks to empower individuals, strengthen families, and enable communities to thrive.
The following data contains information on licensing/credentialing, enrollment, retention, and graduation rates.
Licensing & Credentialing
The Department of Human Sciences has a Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD). Since 2015, undergraduate students completing Dietetic Internships had a 100% passing rate on the Registration Dietitian Exam.
In the last 5 years, 67% of students who applied were accepted to a Dietetic Internship, which is higher than the national average (54%).
The following tables are five-year enrollment data for the Department of Human Sciences’ current undergraduate concentrations (all data from TSU Office of Institutional Research):
Enrollment
| Program | 2018-2019 | 2019-2020 | 2020-2021 | 2021-2022 | 2022-2023 |
| Human Sciences (undeclared) | 27 | 28 | 16 | 16 | 7 |
| Child Development and Family Studies | 77 | 56 | 54 | 36 | 23 |
| Fashion Merchandising | 31 | 33 | 32 | 26 | 30 |
| Food Service Management | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Foods and Nutritional Sciences/Dietetics | 19 | 19 | 22 | 29 | 17 |
| Consumer Sciences Leadership Education* | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| TOTAL | 155 | 136 | 124 | 107 | 77 |
*Concentration previously on the inventory as Family Consumer Sciences Education (w/or without teacher certification); Enrollment counts are based on Fall enrollment for the year. Example: 2018-2019 counts include Fall 2018 only.
Retention
Over the past 5 academic years (2018-2023) the overall retention rate for the undergraduate Human Sciences concentration is 68.7%.
| Year | Retention Rate |
| 2018-2019 | 33% |
| 2019-2020 | 45% |
| 2020-2021 | 60% |
| 2021-2022 | 50% |
| 2022-2023 | Not available |
*All data from TSU Office of Institutional Research.
Graduates
| Program | 2018-2019 | 2019-2020 | 2020-2021 | 2021-2022 | 2022-2023 |
| Child Development and Family Studies | 12 | 17 | 1 | 0 | coming soon |
| Fashion Merchandising | 2 | 6 | 1 | 3 | coming soon |
| Food Service Management | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | coming soon |
| Foods and Nutrition/Dietetics | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | coming soon |
| TOTAL | 21 | 29 | 6 | 6 | coming soon |
*All data from TSU Office of Institutional Research.