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

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

As a child development major at CMU, you’ll help youth create a foundation for lifelong success. Whether you want to work with people (prenatal through early adulthood), advocate for the rights of children, become a social worker or counselor, or work with youth in various family and community settings, this program is your foundation for a career lifting others toward successful futures.

Our program prepares students for a range of careers including: early intervention programs, child protective services, 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.

Admission Requirements, Retention & Termination Standards

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 219, HDF 319, and HDF 419 in order to graduate with this major.
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.

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	What's Your Lens? 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(Spec)
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 Past & Present: Impacts on Human Development and Families	3(3-0)
HDF 212	Families in Cultural Context	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	Applied HDFS: Introduction to the Field	3(Spec)
HDF 319	Applied HDFS: Developing Programs for Children and Families	3(3-0)
HDF 419	Applied HDFS: Internship	1-12(Spec)

Required Courses V (3 hours)