Human Development and Psychology

Program Description

The Human Development and Psychology (HDP) Program is designed to introduce practitioners and future researchers to theory and research on child, adolescent, and adult development. The program seeks to enable students to reflect on the application of theory and research broadly to education and to specific issues such as cultural diversity, bilingualism, literacy development, academic achievement among high-risk populations, the educational progress of immigrants, promotion and development of interpersonal and inter-group relations, prevention of the consequences of risk in the lives of children and adolescents, brain processes in learning, and children's emotional, moral, and cognitive development. Students in the program examine empirical evidence about language development, cognitive development, social and moral development, and cultural differences.

The HDP program seeks to bridge traditional divisions between academic disciplines and between basic and applied research. It enables students to draw on a wide range of courses and resources within HGSE and within the broader university in fields such as psychology, sociology, education policy and child advocacy. Students explore the sociocultural contexts in which development takes place, focusing either domestically or internationally.

The program is a two-semester course of study that aims to provide students with a broad introduction to the study of human development, while giving them room to focus on their particular interests. In consultation with their advisors, students select courses and activities that work together to meet their specific goals.

Courses in Human Development and Psychology cover a variety of topics, including: