The Curriculum: Child Development Option

Child Development Curriculum Checklist

Required Core Courses

In addition to general degree requirements by the University and School of Human Ecology, the Child Development major option requires course work in 6 core competency areas and an internship.

Areas of Concentration

Beyond the general requirements, students choose from a list of courses that tap six core areas:

• 1) Human Development in Family Context
• 2) Child Development in Ecological Contexts
• 3) Assessment, Prevention, Intervention, & Interpersonal Communication
• 4) Social Policy and Advocacy for Children and Families
• 5) Statistics & Research
• 6) Professional and Ethical Issues

All courses in the Human Development in Family Context core area are required, but the other 5 areas allow considerable flexibility in course choices. Students, in close collaboration with their advisors, are therefore able to design a program of coursework and an internship tailored to their specific interests and career goals.

Core Area 1: Introduction to Human Development in Family Context

Students select courses from Human Development and Family Studies and other social science departments across campus in order to gain an introduction to human development in diverse family contexts from infancy to adulthood. Courses include Development of the Young Child, Development from Adolescence to Old Age, Parent-Child Relations, and Advanced Study of the Young Child (Human Development and Family Studies).

Core Area 2: Child Development in Ecological Contexts

Students choose courses from Human Development and Family Studies and other social science departments in order to gain a deeper understanding of the diverse ecological contexts in which infants, young children, and their families develop with emphasis on typical and atypical development as well as individual differences. Examples of such courses are Ethnic Minority Families (Human Development and Family Studies); Language Development in Children and Adolescents (Communicative Disorders); Human Abilities and Learning (Educational Psychology); Children’s Literature (Library Sciences); Development of Infants & Toddlers in Various Care Settings (Human Development and Family Studies).

Core Area 3: Assessment, Prevention, Intervention, & Interpersonal Communication

Students choose courses from Human Development and Family Studies and other social science departments in order learn about the prevention, intervention, and assessment of infants, children, and their families, including interpersonal communication with families and professionals. Examples of such courses are Development and Family Assessments (Human Development and Family Studies); Theory and Practice of Group Discussion (Communication Arts); Child Language Disorders, Assessment, and Intervention (Communication Disorders); Introduction to the Field of Social Work (Social Work)

Core Area 4: Social Policy and Advocacy for Children and Families

Students choose courses from Human Development and Family Studies and other social science departments in order to gain an understanding of social policy and advocacy for children and their families. Examples of such courses are A Family Perspective on Policy-Making (Human Development and Family Studies); Family Economics and Public Policy (Consumer Science); Politics in Multicultural Societies (Political Science); Contemporary Issues in Social Welfare (Social Work)

Core Area 5: Statistics & Research

Students choose courses from Human Development and Family Studies and other social science departments in order to learn and apply research and statistical methods in the study of young children and their families. Examples of such courses are Psychometric Methods (Psychology); Statistics for Sociologists (Sociology); Experimental Psychology (Psychology); Research Methods (HDFS); Design and Analysis of Social Research (Sociology)

Core Area 6: Professional and Ethical Issues

Students choose courses from Human Development and Family Studies and other social science departments in order to apply knowledge in child development and related ethical issues in diverse professional settings. Examples of such courses are Contemporary Moral Issues (Philosophy); Ethics and Values in Policy-Making (Political Science); Educational Ethics (Educational Policy)