The IUP Family and Consumer Sciences planned program is sequenced with the coursework and experiences of formal study in liberal arts, the family and consumer sciences subject areas, and the study of education. Coursework and experiences are designed to integrate the mission statement of the profession's learned society, the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences. The mission statement is as follows:

Family and Consumer Sciences empowers individuals and families to manage the challenges of living and working in a diverse, global society. The unique focus of Family and Consumer Sciences is on the functioning of families and their interrelationships with work, community, and society.

Family and Consumer Sciences addresses the recurring, practical problems of individuals and families. It uses an integrative approach to help individuals and families identify, create, and evaluate goals and alternative solutions to significant problems of everyday life, and to take responsibility for the consequences of their actions.