Those who want a career in working with young children may want to pursue a degree in child development.
You can find child development programs through several colleges and universities. Keep reading for our list of the best child development programs.
Best Child Development Programs
Many colleges and universities across the United States offer child development programs. Below, you'll find our top picks listed in alphabetical order.
1. Iowa State University
Iowa State University is a public research university in Ames, Iowa. It offers human and child development programs through its Department of Human Development and Family Studies.
Students can major in human development and family studies and choose a concentration in child development and guidance.
This program includes courses such as:
- Inclusive Teaching and Interactive Strategies
- Programming for Children in Early Care and Education
- Social and Emotional Development and Child-Centered Guidance in Early Childhood
- Working with Families in Early Intervention
Students can continue their focus in the Master of Science program, which allows students to custom design their own program of study.
Available courses for graduate students include:
- Child Health and Development
- Cross-Cultural Perspectives About Families & Children
- Current Issues and Research in Early Childhood Services
- Infant Mental Health
Both a thesis and non-thesis option is available for the master's program.
2. Michigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan. Through its College of Social Science, it offers child development degrees at the bachelor's and master's levels.
The Bachelor of Arts in child development specifically focuses on birth to kindergarten ages and special education.
It includes courses like:
- Diverse Learners in Multicultural Perspective
- Interaction and Curriculum for Infants and Toddlers
- Models of Special Education Administration and Services
- Teaching and Learning of (Bi)Multilingual Learners
The Master of Science in child development offers students both a thesis and non-thesis option.
Both options require courses such as:
- Child Development: Ecological Perspectives
- Prevention, Intervention, and Educational Programs in Early Childhood
- Seminar in Human Development and Family Studies
The thesis plan is designed for research students wanting to pursue a PhD, while the non-thesis option is for those who want a professional position in child development.
3. Texas Tech University
Texas Tech University is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas. It offers degrees in human development and family science with specialization options.
The Bachelor of Science in human development and family science offers a concentration in childhood.
This includes courses such as:
- Development During Childhood
- Developmental Assessment of Young Children
- Prenatal and Infant Development
- Understanding Child and Adolescent Behavior
The master's degree in human development and family science offers a concentration in youth development, as well as the option to choose relevant electives. Students in this program must complete a thesis.
4. Tufts University
Tufts University is a private research university located just outside of Boston, Massachusetts. It offers child development programs through its Eliot-Pearson Department of Child Study and Human Development.
The Bachelor of Arts in child study and human development allows students to choose an individualized plan of study or choose from three predefined concentrations.
These concentrations are:
- 21st Century Literacies: Media and Technology
- Child and Family Health and Well-Being
- Identity Development in Global Context
The Master of Arts program allows students several options to personalize their program. They can choose from the applied track or the thesis track.
They can also choose a concentration:
- 21st Century Literacies: Media and Technology
- Clinical-Developmental Health and Psychology
- Identity in Global Context
Students who plan to earn both a bachelor's and a master's can take the fifth-year program, which allows them to earn both degrees in a total of five years.
Those who want to further their education can earn a PhD in child study and human development. This is a 58-credit program that includes an internship and dissertation.
5. Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University is a private research university in Nashville, Tennessee. It offers degrees in child development and child studies through its Peabody College of Education and Human Development.
The child development major focuses on children and the cultural, family, neighborhood, peer, and school contexts in which they live.
It offers classes like:
- Cognitive Aspects of Human Development
- Social and Personality Development
- The Development of Black Children
- Who Needs Parents? Babies in the News
A major in child studies is also available. This is an interdisciplinary program with a broader focus than the child development major.
Some courses overlap, but this major also includes:
- Exploring Literature for Children
- Introduction to Language and Communication
- Society, School, and the Teacher
- The Hospitalized Child
Additionally, a Master of Education in child studies is available for students who want to continue their education. It offers two tracks: the applied professional track and the clinical and developmental research track.
FAQs About Child Development Programs
Below, you'll find the answers to some frequently asked questions about child development programs.
What Can I Do with a Degree in Child Development?
Those with child development degrees can work in many career fields that focus on children, such as teaching, coaching, social work, and many other fields.
How Long Are Child Development Programs?
The length of a child development program can vary depending on what level of degree you're earning.
On average, bachelor's degrees take four years, master's degrees take about two, and PhDs can take four or five years.
Can I Earn a Child Development Degree Online?
Some colleges and universities offer a portion of child development programs online, but fully online programs are rare, especially at the bachelor's level.
Find the Best Child Development Programs
Students interested in child development have many options for their degree programs. Check out the ones above to get started today.
