Certified Family Life Educator (CFLE)
The National Council on Family Relations (NCFR) offers the only program to certify family life educators.
The Family Science option in the HDFS major at NDSU is a CFLE Approved Academic Program. HDFS Students in the family science option who have taken the courses listed below and who have earned a baccalaureate degree may apply for Provisional Status as Certified Family Life Educators and following two years of experience in family life education, may apply for Full Certification.
Download:Certified Family Life Educator information
Following is a list of the NDSU HDFS courses that are required to become a CFLE
| HDFS 186 | Smart Spending and Saving | 3 cr. |
| or HDFS 357 | Personal and Family Finance | 3 cr. |
| HDFS 230 | Lifespan Development | 3 cr. |
| HDFS 242 | Couples, Marriages and Families | 3 cr. |
| HDFS 250 | Introduction to Research Methods | 3 cr. |
| HDFS 275 | Diversity and Multiculturalism in Individual and Family Life | 3 cr. |
| HDFS 341 | Parent-Child Relations | 3 cr. |
| HDFS 353 | Children, Families and Public Policy | 3 cr. |
| HDFS 389 | Pre-Field Experience | 2 cr. |
| HDFS 462 | Methods of Family Life Education | 3 cr. |
| HDFS 448 | Issues in Sexuality | 3 cr. |
| HDFS 496 | Field Experience for 120 hours of direct FL education (FS required courses) | 3 cr. |
What is Family Life Education?
Family life education is any organized effort to provide family members with information, skills, experiences, or resources intended to strengthen, improve or enrich their family experience. Family life education professionals consider societal issues including economics, education, work-family issues, parenting, sexuality, gender and more within the context of the family.
What is a Certified Family Life Educator (CFLE)?
The National Council on Family Relations (NCFR) provides certification for the profession of family life education. Certification recognizes a background and understanding in each of ten family life content areas:
· Families and Individuals in Societal Contexts
· Internal Dynamics of Families
· Human Growth and Development Across the Lifespan
· Human Sexuality
· Interpersonal Relationships
· Family Resource Management
· Parent Education and Guidance
· Family Law and Public Policy
· Professional Ethics and Practice
· Family Life Education Methodology
Where do CFLEs work?
CFLEs are able to provide a variety of family science services to ever-changing family needs. Professions include: Human Services, Parent Education, Caregiver & Long Term Care Programs, Faith Communities, Marital and Pre-marital Education, Schools & Educational Settings, Family Law Settings, Adoption Agencies, Curriculum Development, Emergency Preparedness, Non-profit Administration, Grant-Writing, Public Policy Settings, Medical Settings
What is a CFLE Approved Academic Program?
NCFR recognizes schools offering undergraduate and graduate degree programs with course work that follows the Standards and Criteria required for approval as a Provisional Certified Family Life Educator (CFLE). Students who graduate with appropriate coursework from approved CFLE programs are eligible to apply for certification.