Best Bachelor's Degrees in Developmental Psychology

While many careers in this field require doctoral degrees, lower degrees can also be important for a student's earlier education and experience. They can create a base of knowledge that can later be built upon. Additionally, they may also give students the opportunity to gain important skills that can then be applied to non-developmental psychology careers.

Students interested in the required training and education for this career can learn more about the degree options for this field below.

Associate Degrees in Developmental Psychology

Associate degrees in developmental psychology are not quite as common as those in psychology. Students interested in pursuing a career can obtain an associate degree in a closely related major that may include courses on developmental matters, such as psychology or applied psychology. These degrees typically take 2 full-time years to complete, with around 60 credits typically required. The lower number of credits may make this option cheaper and quicker for students to complete, and many credits can be transferred towards a 4-year bachelor's degree in developmental psychology after completion. However, career prospects may be more limited for students with this degree as opposed to students with bachelor's, master's, or doctorates.

Bachelor's Degrees in Developmental Psychology

While few universities have Bachelor of Arts in Developmental Psychology degrees, many institutions offer a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with options to take courses in developmental studies. As a degree of approximately 120 credits usually taken over 4 full-time years, bachelor's degrees in this field are more comprehensive and rigorous than associate degrees in developmental psychology. There are often more opportunities for academic enrichment, such as required laboratory classes, available internships, and independent research opportunities. This typically also makes them more competitive programs.

A bachelor's degree in developmental psychology can qualify students for jobs that rely on having a degree in human psyche and behavior, but do not require licensure or higher degrees. For example, students could get a job as a general program support specialist or any other career that will benefit from having a psychology background, such as a customer service representative. Bachelor's degrees can also give students the opportunity to prepare for a master's or doctoral degree, which will in turn offer more career opportunities.

Master's Degrees in Developmental Psychology

A master's degree in developmental psychology will typically require 2 full-time years of study and around 36 credits. These programs are typically devoted entirely to developmental psychology with little, if any, general education requirements. Thus, it gives students the opportunity to gain a specialized education in this field. This degree can prepare students for a doctorate program by providing focused education and experience. It can also qualify students for a variety of careers. Some examples of careers advertised by master's programs include rehabilitation counselors and career counselors.

Doctoral Degrees in Developmental Psychology

Doctoral degrees in developmental psychology are widely available. Typically comprised of around 80 credits, full-time doctoral degrees in developmental psychology can take anywhere from 3-6 years to complete depending on each student and the program. These degrees are typically extremely advanced and have a heavy emphasis on individual research and writing. As such, students typically must possess a bachelor's degree in psychology or a related field to be considered for admission, and prospective students may want to obtain a master's degree in a similar field to further help the process. Those who are interested in higher level developmental psychology careers or want to become licensed developmental psychologists may want to consider this degree, as it is often required.

Certificates in Developmental Psychology

Certificate programs typically serve to demonstrate that students have satisfactorily completed a certain set of specialty classes. While there are some options available for developmental psychology, they are not extremely common.

Some options in related fields include a post-bachelor's certificate in psychology without a concentration, and an undergraduate certificate in cognitive science.

Students who are looking for specific education in this field may want to consider a master's or doctoral degree in developmental psychology, or perhaps think about educational courses available online.

Study.com has researched distinctive university and school features to find the best bachelor's degrees in developmental psychology across the country. Study.com has searched through research, including data from the U.S. Department of Education, on developmental psychology programs, concentrations, and universities across the country. We looked at key factors like tuition rates, internship opportunities, flexibility, and study abroad opportunities to name a few. These factors helped make the final ranking list of the top bachelor's degrees in developmental psychology. Whether you are looking to explore a degree in developmental psychology or interested in universities with this program offering, this list is an excellent place to start!

1. University of Minnesota-Twin Cities

The University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, located in Minneapolis, arrived on our list thanks to an incredible variety of programs and opportunities for students. Students can pursue either a Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, or minor programs through its College of Liberal Arts. Courses focus on a wide variety of topics as behavioral disorders, research methods, emotional developmental, and cognitive development. These programs also offer amazing opportunities for study abroad and internships in places like France, London or Australia. The University also boasts professional organizations such as the Child Psychology Student Organization where students can connect and network with the local community and developmental psychology students.

2. Lesley University

Lesley University presents a unique online Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies with a concentration in Developmental Psychology. In this program, students have incredible freedom to create a customized degree program with an academic advisor, choosing unique areas of focus, like developmental psychology or human services, and adding classes that speak to them. This Cambridge, MA-based program stresses combining principles with practice, so students can learn real-life applications for their future careers. Lesley University also offers a very generous credit transfer program and permits a student to transfer over up to 90 credits towards a 120 credit degree program from other universities.

3. University of Detroit Mercy

The University of Detroit Mercy has built a powerful curriculum that emphasizes world service and preparation within its Bachelor of Arts in Developmental Psychology. It's been approved by the strict standards of the National Council on Family Relations, meaning students are eligible for Family Life Education Provisional Certification (CFLE) upon completion of the program. Students here gain invaluable experience working at The Psychology Clinic, an on-campus counseling center for the university's students.

4. University of California- San Diego

The University of California at San Diego offers a standout Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a specialization in Developmental Psychology. Students here can join Psi Chi, an international honor society designed exclusively for psychology students, and the Psychology Club, where they participate in volunteer work, connect with internship opportunities and attend career-prep workshops.

5. Eastern Washington University

Located in Cheney, Washington, Eastern Washington University offers a Bachelor of Science in Applied Developmental Psychology with an inventive approach to field studies. Students here get the chance to complete job shadow-focused experience at a wide variety of incredible organizations, such as the American Red Cross, the Girl Scouts, Shriner's Hospital, or Kindercare.

To get a more in-depth look at our school ranking methodology, please visit Study.com's ranking methodology page.

Tuition information is based on published tuition and required fees, per data by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES).

For most bachelor's degrees in this field, developmental psychology is a concentration of a larger psychology department. As such, students who want to closely focus on this in their undergraduate careers should consider a school that offers several levels of classes on developmental or lifespan psychology. Some examples of common concentrations within the psychology major that are not developmental psychology are as follows:

• Behavioral Analysis, which gives students the opportunity to consider the reasons and causes of human action.
• Clinical Psychology, which can allow students to study psychology for the purpose of some form of medical treatment.
• Community Psychology, where students might analyze how social groups can affect an individual's psychology.

Additionally, master's and doctorate degrees in psychology offer options for individual research which can often be concentrated in a specific area, such as developmental psychology.

While the curriculum for a bachelor's degree in developmental psychology will vary from program to program, students can reasonably expect a few of the following classes to appear in their curriculum:

• Experimental design, which gives students the opportunity to learn how to build their own experiments to collect unique data.
• Social psychology, which will cover the psychology of social interactions among various ages.
• Cognitive psychology, which can serve to teach students how the thinking processes of the brain work and change over time.

Additionally, students may also encounter other psychology classes, alongside statistics, internships, and any general requirements stipulated by their institution.

Most schools advise students to allow about 4 years to comfortably complete a bachelor's degree in developmental psychology full-time, or more if done part-time. As for how this time will be spent, students should expect around 120 credits to be required for their graduation. Typically, around 36 of these credits will be focused on psychology classes, of which 2 or 3 can be expected to be labs. The remaining 84 will typically be related to the school's general education requirements and on supporting courses, such as statistics. These requirements will vary from program to program, however, and students should consider this when selecting a program. Occasionally, students may be able to increase their credit load per semester or work through breaks to finish early. However, this option is not available in all programs.

If a school is accredited, that means it has been officially approved by a non-governmental private organization that has itself been recognized by either the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) or the Department of Education. Students may want to choose a developmental psychology program that has been accredited to ensure that their school has been assessed for quality. Accredited schools may also be looked upon more favorably by employers than their unaccredited counterparts. Additionally, federal aid is only available to students attending accredited schools. Therefore, students who are considering attending an unaccredited school should carefully consider how it may affect their educational experience.

There is no consistent accreditation for bachelor's degrees in programs focused specifically on developmental psychology. However, accreditation from the American Psychological Association is highly encouraged at the postgraduate level.

Psychologists are generally required to have state government licensure to practice within their profession. To qualify for the required examination (which varies from state to state), students are generally expected to have doctorates and have completed a certain amount of internship work. However, if students wish to use their developmental psychology as a background to inform their work and not as a tool to treat patients, they can often rely on their bachelor's degrees in developmental psychology and operate in roles that do not require licensure.

Another option for official recognition without a full doctorate is state certification. Certification in development is available in some states, such as Alaska's education certificate that includes an endorsement of psychological skill or Michigan's preliminary school psychologist certification. While these do not always need a doctorate, they do often require at least a master's degree to qualify. Students are encouraged to research the requirements for their ideal job before deciding on what licensure they will require and what level of education they will pursue.

A bachelor's degree in developmental psychology can act as an introduction to higher education and is one step closer to becoming a licensed psychologist. A licensed psychologist focusing on developmental psychology can use their knowledge of the maturation process to help children and teenagers with mental or behavioral challenges. This profession typically requires a doctorate degree.

However, there are also a variety of careers available to students who hold a bachelor's degree in the same field. This degree gives students the opportunity to gain skills in critical analysis, compassion, and holistic assessment. All of these can be useful in a variety of possible employments.

One option is becoming a social services case worker. These professionals can use their education to help make sure minors are in safe home environments. People with a bachelor's degree in developmental psychology might also choose to assist medical professionals as a psychiatric technician.

How to Become a Social Services Caseworker

A social services caseworker is a professional, typically associated with government agencies, who works with people to solve challenges in their lives, such as unemployment or childcare issues. They are responsible for identifying what resources a community needs, connecting individuals to a provider of those resources, and maintaining the organized case files that record this work. The job setting is typically in an office but can also take place in hospitals and community spaces.

Entry-level jobs in this field are available to those who have obtained a bachelor's in developmental psychology. Licensure is not typically required for entry-level positions; however, more senior jobs may require such certification. Social services caseworkers need to have exemplary critical-thinking skills as well as great interpersonal abilities and emotional intelligence. While the BLS does not have specific data on social services caseworkers, they estimate that the closely related occupations of community and social service workers earn a salary of around $50,470 per year. Additionally, this profession has an impressively large projected growth rate of 13% from 2019 to 2029. The highest paying state for this profession is Hawaii, followed by Rhode Island and Massachusetts.

Students interested in this profession should obtain their bachelor's degree in developmental psychology, then obtain entry level work and consider further education or licensure if their career path requires it.

How to Become a Psychiatric Technician

A psychiatric technician is a professional who assists psychiatrists and other medical professionals with the treatment of patients. They are responsible for support roles, such as monitoring vitals, taking notes, and helping with daily activities. This job takes place in a healthcare setting such as a hospital or nursing home. Requirements for the job consist of a high school diploma and some on-the-job training. No licensure or higher education is typically required for this job, but a bachelor's degree in a related field may prove useful.

Psychiatric technicians must typically have strong physical skills, as well as plenty of compassion and careful observation skills. The BLS estimates an annual salary of $30,020 with a growth rate of 12% from 2019 to 2029, owing to a projected increase in medical patients. The highest paying states for this job are California, Connecticut, and Washington, D.C., in that order.

To enter this career, students should consider gaining a bachelor's in psychology or a related field before applying to entry-level jobs. They should also consider obtaining a post-secondary certificate if they plan on becoming a technician, or a high school degree if they plan on becoming an aid.

For students attending accredited programs, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) can indicate how eligible they are for governmental support. If they choose to apply for this program, they can learn how much aid they can receive in the form of scholarships, federal loans, and work-study opportunities. As the government processes a lot of applications for the FAFSA, students are cautioned to allow ample time for the application process and to apply for aid as soon as possible.

Specific psychology scholarships are available as well. One option is the Gladys Carol Scholarship, an award of up to $5,000 dollars. Students must be attending a full-time accredited university for a STEM field to be eligible, along with a 3.75/4.0 GPA and a minimum 28 ACT score. Students are also encouraged to check out their university's scholarship webpage, as there may be major-specific options available.

To apply for a bachelor's degree in developmental psychology, students must hold either a GED or a high school diploma. There may also be a GPA requirement, however, these are typically not firm limits but rather a guiding point for the program's academic rigor. Some schools may also require standardized tests, such as the ACT or the SAT to gauge student ability. Like a GPA requirement, these are not always absolute standards and may instead reflect the program's expectations.

No specific experience or courses are typically required; however, they may lend students a degree of knowledge and familiarity with the field that could prove useful both in the application process and in the earning of the degree itself. As such, students without a lot of control over their high school curriculum do not need to worry, but those who are able to choose courses closely related to developmental psychology may find it benefits their future education.

Psychology is a widely offered major, and developmental psychology will allow students the opportunity to zone in on their area of interest. Students considering this program should reflect on the workload and classes required, which typically better suits individuals with scientific minds. However, as it is a science that works directly with people, students should also expect to exercise compassion, understanding, and social skills in the pursuit of this degree.

Additionally, an important point is that a developmental psychology bachelor's degree does not qualify students for jobs in the healthcare field beyond technician occupations, as medical and counseling jobs often require licenses which in turn, require higher education. Therefore, if a student is considering this degree as a pathway to a medical career or counselor, they should also consider the required higher education. They may also want to think about the rigors of a career in the medical and psychology fields as well as the associated costs of obtaining that higher education.