Child Development Major, B.A.; B.A.A.; B.S.

B.A. degree; B.S. degree; B.A.A. degree

Child Development is an interdisciplinary field of study that examines the growth and development of children in their social contexts. The Child Development major is a flexible plan of study designed to prepare students for a wide variety of careers in human service settings working with children and families. Some examples may include: early intervention, child protective services worker, after school activities director, and youth development specialist. It may also be used as preparatory training for graduate studies in child development and professional programs in health- and counseling-related fields.

Students who take this major cannot minor in Child Development or double major in Family Studies.

Students may only double count 9 credits when combining the Child Development Major with the Family Studies Minor.

Admission Requirements, Retention & Termination Standards

Student must have completed or currently be enrolled in HDF 100 and must have a minimum GPA of 2.0 in order to declare a major.
Student must have a minimum program GPA of 2.5 in order to graduate with this major.
Student must receive a grade of C+ or better in HDF 419 in order to graduate with this major.

Program Requirements

Core Courses (9 hours)

Core HDFS

HDF 100	Lifespan Development	3(3-0)
HDF 211	Marriage and Close Relationships	3(3-0)
HDF 307	Parent-Child Relations	3(3-0)

Required Courses I (6 hours)

Development Content

HDF 308	Theories of Child and Adolescent Development	3(3-0)
HDF 510	Child Development Seminar: Promoting Resilience	3(3-0)

Required Courses II (6-7 hours)

Development Content

Select two classes from the following:

HDF 302	Infant and Toddler Development	3(3-0)
HDF 303	Early Childhood Development	4(Spec)
HDF 306	Adolescent Development	3(3-0)

Required Courses III (3 hours)

Diversity

Select one of the following:

HDF 110	Oppression: Roots and Impact on Human Development in the United States	3(3-0)
HDF 212	Families in Cultural Perspective	3(3-0)
HDF 213/WGS 213	Introduction to Human Sexuality	3(3-0)
HDF 320	HDFS International Service Learning	3-6(Spec)
HDF 321	International Reggio-Inspired Early Childhood Learning	3(Spec)
SPE 585	Early Childhood Special Education	3(3-0)

Required Courses IV (12 hours)

Professional Skills and Methods

HDF 207	Introduction to Research Methods in HDFS	3(3-0)
HDF 219	Field Work	3(1-6)
HDF 317	Child Development Skills and Methods	3(3-0)
HDF 419	HDFS Internship	1-12(Spec)

Required Courses V (3 hours)