Human Development and Psychology

Program Description

The Human Development and Psychology (HDP) Program is designed for students interested in the development of children and adults and how knowledge of development can be applied to educational issues. The purpose of the program is to introduce practitioners and future researchers to theory and research on child, adolescent, and adult development and to reflect on potential applications to education. The program seeks to apply developmental theory and research to issues such as cultural diversity, gender equity, bilingualism, literacy development, academic achievement among high-risk populations, educational progress of immigrants, promotion of inter-group relations, prevention of the consequences of risk in the lives of children and adolescents, effective learning and thinking, brain processes in learning, children's emotional development, the effects of daycare and preschool on young children, and the development of interpersonal relationships. Those in the program examine empirical evidence about language development, cognitive development, social and relational development, and cultural differences.

The program in Human Development and Psychology seeks to bridge traditional divisions between academic disciplines and between basic and applied research, building on developmental thinking and incorporating an understanding of diversity. It focuses on the cognitive, emotional, communicative, and relational development of the individual, from birth through early adulthood, considering sociocultural and other contexts in which this development takes place.

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

• Culture and Social Development
• Mind, Brain, and Education
• Language Development
• Assessment
• Risk and Prevention
• Practice & Research in Early-Childhood Education
• Development in Specific Age Periods
• Research Methods
• Cognitive and Language Development
• Gender and Relationships
• Language and Literacy
• Development Across Cultures

The Human Development and Psychology Master's Program is a two-semester course of study that provides a broad introduction to the study of human development.