Program Learning Objectives
- Students completing core courses should demonstrate breadth of knowledge in developmental science and application of research and theory to “real-world” problems relevant to children, youth, and families.
- Students should be able to understand scientific principles, think critically, and interpret, design, and conduct developmental science research.
- Students will develop intrapersonal knowledge and interpersonal skills to contribute to building a society responsive to multicultural and global concerns.
- Students should demonstrate competence in writing and in oral and interpersonal communication skills.
- Students will develop skills and experience to enable them to succeed personally and professionally.
Degree Requirements and Curriculum
In addition to the program requirements listed on this page, students must also satisfy requirements outlined in more detail in the Minimum Requirements for Graduation section of this catalog, including:
- 60 units of upper-division courses
- Graduation Writing Requirement (GWR)
- 2.0 GPA
- U.S. Cultural Pluralism (USCP)
Note: No Major or Support courses may be selected as credit/no credit.
| MAJOR COURSES | ||
| CD 102 | Orientation to the Child Development Major | 2 |
| CD 131 | Observing and Interacting with Children | 4 |
| CD 230 | Preschool Laboratory | 4 |
| CD/PSY 254 | Family Psychology | 4 |
| CD/PSY 256 | Developmental Psychology | 4 |
| CD 302 | Developmental Science Technology Lab | 2 |
| CD 304 | Infant and Toddler Development | 4 |
| CD 305 | Early and Middle Childhood Development | 4 |
| CD/PSY 306 | Adolescence | 4 |
| PSY 323 | The Helping Relationship | 4 |
| CD 329 | Research Methods in Child Development | 4 |
| CD 356 | Behavioral Disorders in Childhood | 4 |
| Child Development Electives | ||
| Select from the following: | 12 | |
| Developmental Issues in Education | ||
| Learning in Out-of-School Time | ||
| Children, Adolescents & Technology | ||
| Interpersonal Relationships in Childhood and Adolescence | ||
| Assessing Children's Development and Environments | ||
| Child Abuse and Neglect | ||
| Supervised Fieldwork and Internship | ||
| Select from the following: | 10 | |
| Research Internship | ||
| Advanced Research Internship | ||
| Supervised Fieldwork Internship | ||
| Advanced Supervised Fieldwork Internship | ||
| CD 424 | Children's Development in Diverse Cultures | 4 |
| CD 450 | Perspectives on Child and Adolescent Development | 4 |
| CD 461 | Senior Project Seminar | 2 |
| CD 462 | Senior Project | 2 |
| SUPPORT COURSES | ||
| Select one of the following (B2): 1 | 4 | |
| General Biology | ||
| Biology of Sex | ||
| Introduction to Cell and Molecular Biology | ||
| Select one of the following (Upper-Division B): 1 | 4 | |
| Human Genetics | ||
| Behavioral Genetics | ||
| Select one of the following (E): 1 | 4 | |
| General Psychology | ||
| General Psychology | ||
| STAT 217 | Introduction to Statistical Concepts and Methods (B4) 1 | 4 |
| Select one of the following: | 4 | |
| Intergroup Dialogues | ||
| Psychology of Gender | ||
| Multicultural Psychology (USCP) | ||
| Cross-Cultural International Psychology | ||
| The Social Psychology of Prejudice (USCP) | ||
| GENERAL EDUCATION (GE) | ||
| (See GE program requirements below.) | 56 | |
| FREE ELECTIVES | ||
| Free Electives 2 | 26 | |
| Total units | 180 | |
| 1 | Required in Major or Support; also satisfies General Education (GE) requirement. |
| 2 | If a General Education (GE) course is used to satisfy a Major or Support requirement, additional units of Free Electives may be needed to complete the total units required for the degree. |
General Education (GE) Requirements
- 72 units required, 16 of which are specified in Major and/or Support.
- If any of the remaining 56 units is used to satisfy a Major or Support requirement, additional units of Free Electives may be needed to complete the total units required for the degree.
- See the complete GE course listing.
- A grade of C- or better is required in one course in each of the following GE Areas: A1 (Oral Communication), A2 (Written Communication), A3 (Critical Thinking), and B4 (Mathematics/Quantitative Reasoning).
| Area A | English Language Communication and Critical Thinking | |
| A1 | Oral Communication | 4 |
| A2 | Written Communication | 4 |
| A3 | Critical Thinking | 4 |
| Area B | Scientific Inquiry and Quantitative Reasoning | |
| B1 | Physical Science | 4 |
| B2 | Life Science (4 units in Support) 1 | 0 |
| B3 | One lab taken with either a B1 or B2 course | |
| B4 | Mathematics/Quantitative Reasoning (4 units in Support) 1 | 0 |
| Upper-Division B (4 units in Support) 1 | 0 | |
| Area C | Arts and Humanities | |
| Lower-division courses in Area C must come from three different subject prefixes. | ||
| C1 | Arts: Arts, Cinema, Dance, Music, Theater | 4 |
| C2 | Humanities: Literature, Philosophy, Languages other than English | 4 |
| Lower-Division C Elective - Select a course from either C1 or C2 | 4 | |
| Upper-Division C | 4 | |
| Area D | Social Sciences - Select courses in Area D from at least two different prefixes | |
| D1 | American Institutions (Title 5, Section 40404 Requirement) | 4 |
| D2 | Lower-Division D | 4 |
| Upper-Division D | 4 | |
| Area E | Lifelong Learning and Self-Development | |
| Lower-Division E (4 units in Support) 1 | 0 | |
| Area F | Ethnic Studies | |
| F | Ethnic Studies | 4 |
| GE Electives in Areas B, C, and D | ||
| Select courses from two different areas; may be lower-division or upper-division courses. | ||
| GE Electives | 8 | |
| Total units | 56 | |
| 1 | Required in Major or Support; also satisfies General Education (GE) requirement. |
San Luis Obispo, California 93407