Child Development, M.A. (Minimum of 30 Credits is required for this degree.)

The Master of Arts Degree in Child Development focuses on theory and research as well as application. The program prepares professionals for leadership roles in teaching, administration, other fields related to children and families, and advanced graduate study emphasizing current child development research. The program is concerned with the critical continuing issues related to the optimal development of children and their families.

A range of theoretical frameworks are used in the study of children’s development. Additionally, the ecological focus, with its emphasis on the interrelationships of people and their environments, is central to this master’s program. Children’s development is studied in relation to such systems as the family, the child development center, the school, and the community, as well as to variables in the larger society and economy. An inter-disciplinary base of content from the social and natural sciences and arts and humanities is used to study the development of the whole child. Social-emotional, cognitive-language, creative, philosophical, and biological-physical-motor development are included.


Major Objectives of the Child Development Master's Program

1. Provide a strong foundation for research and advanced graduate study in child development.

2. Prepare professionals for positions of leadership in programs serving young children and their families - - child development centers and programs, parent-child centers, preschools, social-service agencies, school-based programs, and hospital programs.

3. Prepare professionals for positions in colleges, vocational schools, social service agencies, cooperative extension service programs, adult education programs, and others that carry out educational programs for those who work with young children as teachers, assistants, and directors in schools, in child care, and in family day care settings.

General Competencies Expected with Completion of Child Development Master’s Program

1. Ability to plan and implement research in child development.

2. Advanced knowledge of physical, social, emotional, and intellectual development of children.

3. Knowledge of, and ability to compare, major theoretical frameworks in child development.

4. Ability to observe and interpret normal child behavior.

5. Ability to use, evaluate, and interpret commonly used tests and measurements used with infants, toddlers and young children.

6. Knowledge of current public policy in the area of child development and its implications for children and families.

For those with practice-related goals:

7. Knowledge, skills, and ability in administration of early childhood education programs, including leadership and supervision.

Students are encouraged to be creative in designing unique experiences within their master’s degree program. Courses from other departments, such as psychology and education, may be incorporated into the major, depending upon the needs and interests of the student. Field experiences and independent studies may be carried out both within and outside the FCE Department. The Child Development Laboratories are available for practice and research in child development. Students are strongly encouraged to become involved in research, and the Child Development Laboratories are an excellent resource.

Students who come without a strong background in child development may be required to take FCE 211, 320, 320L, and possibly 321 and 321L as collateral.