Consumer Sciences, BS at The University of Alabama

The University of Alabama

United States of America, Tuscaloosa

University Rank:#901

Study Consumer Sciences, BS at The University of Alabama, a Bachelor degree offered at its main campus in Tuscaloosa , United States of America. This Full Time program is delivered on campus in English and takes approximately 4 years to complete. Students benefit from a structured learning experience designed to build both theoretical knowledge and practical experience. The next intake is scheduled for July 5, 2027.

About Consumer Sciences, BS

Office: 316 Adams Hall

Family Financial Planning and Counseling Concentration

The Family Financial Planning and Counseling concentration offers students the knowledge and skills necessary for a career in financial planning and related careers. Financial planners guide clients in many aspects of their financial lives: financial goals, cash flow, taxes, retirement, college, business planning, estate planning, and insurance needs, among others. Financial counselors also counsel clients, with a focus on developing financial capability and sound personal finance principles such as reducing debt, building an emergency fund, negotiating payments, developing a budget, and similar.

The Family Financial Planning and Counseling Concentration coursework fulfills the educational requirements to sit for the CFP® certification exam that leads to the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification registered with the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. The Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. owns the marks CFP®, Certified Financial Planner™ and CFP (with flame logo) ®, which it awards to individuals who successfully complete initial and ongoing certification requirements. The University of Alabama does not certify individuals to use the CFP®, Certified Financial Planner™ and CFP (with flame logo) ® certification marks. Only the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc., grants CFP certification to those persons who, in addition to completing an educational requirement such as this CFP Board Registered Program, have met ethics, experience, and examination requirements.

The Family Financial Planning and Counseling Concentration coursework also fulfills the educational requirements to sit for the Accredited Financial Counselor® exam offered by the Association for Financial Counseling and Planning Education®.

Consumer Affairs Concentration

The Consumer Affairs concentration offers an applied approach to understanding consumers in home and market environments. With coursework in consumer economics, consumer policy, consumer communications, and family resource management, the Consumer Affairs concentration prepares students for careers as consumer specialists in government, business, research, and non-profit settings. This concentration builds students’ capacity to analyze markets and matters of personal finance from the perspective of consumers, and to communicate these issues to stakeholders.

Graduates enjoy careers as analysts, entrepreneurs, sales professionals, customer care and engagement specialists, financial professionals, and similar in private, public, and non-profit sectors. The skills learned in this concentration also prepare students for law school and graduate school.

Requirements and Admission Criteria for Consumer Sciences, BS at The University of Alabama

Entry Requirements

The undergraduate international admissions office will review the applicant’s transcripts within the context of the school, curriculum and country.
GPA will be calculated on all coursework, not just core subjects. UA considers applicants with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale for admission.
UA will accept unofficial transcripts for admission purposes. These can be emailed or uploaded by the student.
- If a student applies with unofficial documents, we MUST receive the official documents directly from the school or testing authority by July 1 for Fall admission and November 1 for Spring admission.
- Any student who does not provide official copies will not be able to enroll for courses.
- If a student’s official documents are not available by that time, exceptions will be made on a case-by-case basis. Students requesting an exception must email [email protected] before the deadline to be considered.
For academic admission, students must meet the English proficiency requirement. For more information see UA’s English Language Proficiency page.
Students who meet the academic and financial qualifications, but do not meet the TOEFL, IELTS or PTE score requirement may apply for conditional admission.
- Conditionally admitted students will begin their studies in the English Language Institute and then enter directly into their academic coursework once they have satisfied English proficiency.
- For more information see UA’s conditional admission page.
Students requiring F-1 and J-1 visas must also send documentation in order to secure an I-20 or DS-2010.
Successful candidates for UA will have completed a college preparatory curriculum.

English Requirements

PTEMin 54
IELTSMin 6
TOEFLMin 79

English Program Requirements

The undergraduate international admissions office will review the applicant’s transcripts within the context of the school, curriculum and country.
GPA will be calculated on all coursework, not just core subjects. UA considers applicants with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale for admission.
UA will accept unofficial transcripts for admission purposes. These can be emailed or uploaded by the student.
- If a student applies with unofficial documents, we MUST receive the official documents directly from the school or testing authority by July 1 for Fall admission and November 1 for Spring admission.
- Any student who does not provide official copies will not be able to enroll for courses.
- If a student’s official documents are not available by that time, exceptions will be made on a case-by-case basis. Students requesting an exception must email [email protected] before the deadline to be considered.
For academic admission, students must meet the English proficiency requirement. For more information see UA’s English Language Proficiency page.
Students who meet the academic and financial qualifications, but do not meet the TOEFL, IELTS or PTE score requirement may apply for conditional admission.
- Conditionally admitted students will begin their studies in the English Language Institute and then enter directly into their academic coursework once they have satisfied English proficiency.
- For more information see UA’s conditional admission page.
Students requiring F-1 and J-1 visas must also send documentation in order to secure an I-20 or DS-2010.
Successful candidates for UA will have completed a college preparatory curriculum.

Career Opportunities after Completing Consumer Sciences, BS

Consumer Affairs Concentration

Customer care and engagement specialist
Consumer insights analyst
Customer service manager
State/local consumer advocate
Advertising copywriter/editor
Public relations/consumer engagement
Advertising account executive
Content creator
Product development specialist
Entrepreneur
Consumer counseling
Human resource representative
Sales representative
Law student
Graduate student

Financial Planning and Counseling Concentration

Financial planner
Financial counselor
Bank/credit union staff
Accounting office staff
Employee benefits representative
Insurance consultant/sales
Retirement planner
Cooperative Extension agent
Credit counselor
Estate planning professional
Law student
Graduate student

Learn more about opportunities in this field at the Career Center

Tuition and Fee Information for Consumer Sciences, BS at The University of Alabama

How to Apply for Consumer Sciences, BS at The University of Alabama

Copy of your passport
Relevant visa and immigration documents (This includes PR card, current visa, or F-1/ J-1 visa request and supporting documents)
Unofficial transcript copies from every secondary school you have attended. This includes academic transcripts, mark sheets, grade reports, diplomas or certificates, national standardized examination results, or other academic course work.
- Include an English translation for all documents not written in English. If you need assistance translating your documents into English, we recommend using the American Translators Association to find a certified translator.
- Students graduating high school in Nigeria, Liberia, Ghana, The Gambia or Sierra Leone must submit a copy of their WASSCE results and scratch card information (serial number and PIN) in order to complete their application.
Students that graduated 6 or more months ago should also provide a brief statement listing any academic activities since graduation (including any post-secondary coursework at institutions inside or outside of the US, English language programs, study abroad programs, etc.) List name(s) of the institutions and dates of attendance. If you have no additional academic activities, please write a short statement that speaks to your activities during the gap period. In the statement, please include the following and send to International Admissions at [email protected]:
- Full Name
- Address
- High School/Secondary School
- Graduation Date

Consumer Sciences, BS at The University of Alabama

The University of Alabama

United States of America, Tuscaloosa